australians first trip to us

I am just about positive that you won't be able to find a car rental that allows you to take the car to Mexico.

Drive or fly to Las Vegas.

Huntington Beach, just south of L.A. is known as Surf City. If you stayed there you could find inexpensive airfare to Vegas from either Orange County (John Wayne) Airport (SNA)(on Southwest or USAir) or from Long Beach (LGB) on jetBlue. Flying from LAX can also be inexpensive.

It is about 4.5 hours driving from L.A. to Las Vegas.

I believe that there is surfing in the south bay of Los Angeles, in the towns of Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach.

I highly recommend taking the airplane tour from L.V. to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Not the helicopter tours - they don't go to the most scenic parts. looktours.com has a tour that we enjoyed, fly out in the morning to GCY airport and get on a tour bus. Stop at a couple of the best viewpoints then back to the airport and flight back to Sin City.

I know that people fly from LAX to Los Cabos, at the southern tip of Baja California. I don't know if there is surfing there.

Am pretty sure that you will need body suits to surf in May.

One more thing: what is your budget for lodging? It would be a good idea to make reservations for Las Vegas now and then check prices again in a month or two.

Hello westaustralians, bruce and bob! My husband and I were just talking today about planning a trip to southwestern Australia!

I hope you enjoy your trip. It sounds like you have a lot planned...you might considering cutting one place out.

The water in Hawaii will be warmer for your surfing...if surfing is important I'd consider adding a 3rd night in Hawaii.

I live in San Diego and personally I don't care for Los Angeles, but I understand lots of international visitors land there and like to explore a bit. Expect lots of traffic jams up there. It's a big sprawling mess...But I guess there's lots to do if you like city life.

I love the Grand Canyon! If I were you I'd definitely include that if possible. Las Vegas is flashy and glitzy...the last time I went, I enjoyed wandering around watching everyone else gamble away their money, while we saved ours for the big buffets and a show!

Sorry can't advise about Mexico as I tend to avoid Mexico although I live in San Diego so it's not far for me. I have a sensitive digestive tract and when I go to Mexico I can only eat in super touristy places, otherwise I get sick...what fun is that?

Book ahead if you're going to the Grand Canyon...you need to book your accommodations way in advance.

I hope your first trip to the USA is great!

Thanks for the comments.

I thought that we could rent a car easily...sounds like we have to do a bit more homework..grr

the beaches you mention are all parts of my youthful memory...all famous breaks as a kid I dreamt about.Will definitely go see them but as for surfing them....the crowds would be far too much I think.
I dont know about driving in Los Angeles..far busier than here..and the wrong side of the road also!!!
haha!.

maybe we should look at hiring a car to drive round there..see all the beaches and drive thru to Las Vegas.

We are used to driving long trips here..we would do around 1000kms every week just for work, altho the traffic is far less of course.

Maybe we should fly into Mexico then? The Baja peninsula is where we wanted to go...maybe hire a car from there and return there?

I would like to surf some of the remote spots in Mexico..I hate crowds...bad enough here..

yes...we are looking at doing the air trip...we have organised all costs from here as it would be cheaper I think, except the Mexico part.

Is the water that cold in May?

we will be coming from Bali where the water temp will be around 75 degrees!

have wetsuits if necessary but thought it would be nearly summer by then.

thanks again...

Bruce and Barb

Thanks Melissa..ummm..its Bruce and barb!!..not Bob!!...hahaha!
had me worried there for a moment.

We will go thru all the comments in a while and take them all on board.We arent big city people ourselves but would like to have a look at the place...then get out where we feel comfortable...off the beaten track.

We have been to vietnam, backpacked all thru indonesia, singapore, malaysia, sri lanka, mauritius, maldives,and all round australia..just want to visit all the places we have dreamt about for a long time...your a long time dead!!!..lol (notice they all have surf!)
it is a big trip and we can adjust our timetable a little...we have a container coming in early june so have to be back for that but can extend a little if we wish.

San Diego is a place we will certainly go to if we get time...all these places to see!

Its a big trip for us...we usually go to Bali about 5 or 6 times a year on business (sure!!)..having been some 210 times over 25 years now.(nothing to do with the surf!)

If you are going to come to West Australia. worth looking at a side trip...Bali is the best place!

Anyway..we are smack in the middle of the southwest...any info you want, just ask away anytime..

you would love it here...very laid back...but it can get hot in summer..was 42 degrees the other day and been 35 for a month or so.
but the beaches are among the best in the world, and heaps to see and do.

A cold day in winter is 13 degrees.

cheers and thanks

Bruce and Bob hahaha!..i mean Barab

Here is some info about water temps:
www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/spac.html

The 61F average in May at the L.A. beaches is about 16 Celsius.

You really could skip L.V.

May 25 is Memorial Day, a national holiday, so you probably don't want to be driving back from Vegas that day.

You will not be able to take a rental car into Mexico. And the whole area along the border is VERY unsafe - with huge amounts of drug-related crime, many murders etc.

If you want to spend time in Mexico then fly into one of the major resorts - and then still be very careful (there have been reports of tourist kidnappings outside the major tourist areas).

Having been several times to Sydney and Melbourne, you need to come to San Diego vs. LA..surf is great here in La Jolla and up the coast and it is a gorgeous city.
You can fly out of SD airport to Cabo for cheap and takes less than 2 hours..there is surf down in Cabo..zippers is very popular surf spot.some great deals on expedia right now.
Vegas I would go with the Wynn..they are offering for a 5*hotel, rooms for $119.00 a night.

I agree about the crime rate. The border towns such as Tijuana are dirty, sleazy and increasingly dangerous. They are not representative of the interior of Mexico. Just Google "Baja California crime" or "Tijuana crime" and you will see what I mean.

If you want to sample Mexico, it would be much better to fly, as nytraveler suggests.

On an entirely self-serving digression, I'd appreciate any recommendations you may have regarding this <http://tinyurl.com/5mdo52> previous post of mine.

Thanks in advance and Welcome to our country!

hi..thanx everyone for your comments...we are going thru them all and have taken note..

it may be best to fly into Mexico as suggested, and will follow that up today.

will advise what we decide..thanx again.

with regards to Bali :

We import containers into west australia from there monthly and wholesale to the public direct thru most of the big malls here..been doing it for 15 years, and have been there some 210 times.
the bali travel forum, that someone has recommended to you is probaly the best source of info, altho many of the people on it are what we call 'yobbos' and have rose colored glasses about Bali and its people.
It is the best place to go for a holiday.

Most travel agents in australia are fine to deal with..just get a few quotes.
the majors, such as travel land, flight centre, harvey world travel, jetset, even garuda orient holidays are all fine.
prices are very competetive right now and often, you can get a flight plus accommodation for less than the airfare alone from most of the packages offered.
darwin is a little different as it is so close to bali...closer in fact, than to any other capital city in australia, but i am sure you can get great deals.
you can get internet airfares as well, but probably not much better than with a travel company, who deal in volume and get the best deals.
any other info, just get back...pleased to help.(we are off to Bali on feb 4th)

cheers

hello again..question for ksucat...

if we flew into cabo, and it looks great on the net info we have searched,from San Diego, can you recommend a good area to stay in?..close to surf.
i am looking for nice small waves and just to mellow out a bit.
would it be wise to hire a car locally there and drive round, and are there good beaches within driving distance?

cheers

"We then plan to get to Las Vegas by either bus or drive, for two nights, then back to Los Angeles"

An alternative to driving (long and boooring) is the Lux Bus <http://www.luxbusamerica.com/index.php>. $99 RT (return).

Cheers!
I have stayed at Palmilla Resort, Marina Fiesta, Pueblo Bonito Resort (pink and white) and many other resorts..
It will be hot and do not surf the Pacific side of Cabo..only the bay where zippers has this speedy wave that has a loyal surf following and that is up more towards San Jose del Cabo.
I usually taxi/cab it but have rented a car but only for the day to go to Todos Santos which is a lovely town about an hour away.
I don't know what your budget is.
Happy to help anyway I can..been to Cabo about 20 times and all leaving from SD with no problems on Alaska Airlines..they have some package deals.

thanx for that info...

why cant you surf the pacific side?

are there many surf spots within driving distance?

we will probly get a hire car and try to get to some places that dont have crowds...if possible.

we arent that tight for money...am going to the travel agent later today to finalise it all...

will probly get a bus down to cabo or a flight..just waiting for a costing.

we want to stay in reasonable accommodation, near the beach.

do you know if it is easy to rent or buy second hand surfboards there?,,i am thinking of leaving mine at home cos of the hassles with it in Los Angeles and Las Vegas...and on buses or airlines..maybe i will buy one and sell it when i leave

thanx again..

The tip of Cabo where the Pacific and the Medano bay come together is fierce with many drownings..I am a life long ocean swimmer and only been once and thought I was going to die..
Rent or buy a board..to much hassle taking it all the way from OZ..
Rusty surfboards in La Jolla has some great short and long boards.
Do not take the bus down to Cabo..way too much time.
Flight is less than 2 hours and less than $300 round trip pp.
Pueblo Bonita Rose is on the bay and its gorgeous..Melia Hotel too..
Expedia.com has a good idea on prices from SD to Cabo with flight/hotel/car..

Hi Bruce and Bob,
From a fellow, probably more mature couple of Aussies, don't worry about coping with driving around LA. Sure, the traffic can be a nightmare, but the road system is good, and the freeways are forgiving if you find you have made a directional mistake. You will need good maps - our NSW Auto club has reciprocal agreements, and the AAA maps are great.

I think you may be disappointed with the surf around LA though, compared at least with east coast Australia. I think that it is only worth a surf to say you have done it - our beaches are better, it's hard to find how to get to the beach as houses are right up to the edge of the sand all along, and it's hard to find a parking place.There are far better things ro see in the USA - Yosemite National Park, for example. Have a look at the National Park Website, and the wealth of beauty and action available in California.

As far as accommodation, we used to travel on spec, using the coupons availble from Welcome Centres and McDonalds for discounts, but mostly to find where the motels are - afterall, if you don't know a city, where would you start? But now, in the time of the internet, we prefer to book something better on Priceline, well ahead of time, and make day trips from a central point. For example, we've booked a Marriott Residence Inn at Manhatten Beach in April for about $140US.

We've driven to San Diego, to the Mexican border and walked over to Tijuana, and another time taken a bus tour to Rosarito Beach - which doesn't compare with ours, although it is pretty. Can't say about any others beaches. I like the drive through the desert from LA to Vegas, particularly if you make a detour through the Mojave on the way.

I think if you want to drive in Mexico, then you will need to hire in Mexico. Good luck.

thanx for the info...was a bit concerned about driving in LA...but sounds like its not too bad.

I think we will just get the hotels sorted out this end and worry about car hire when we get there.

yes..the surf thing is only really to satisfy my youth dreams..lol

i agree that the surf on the east coast of Aus is probably the best in the world.

even our local at a place caleld Secret Harbour ( it used to be called surf beach when no one lived there..now they put 3000 houses in and call it Secret harbour...oh..well..thats progress!...is a great little break.

its is, as you say, just to say i have surfed these places and to see what they are like.

thanx again

We've driven to San Diego, to the Mexican border and walked over to Tijuana, and another time taken a bus tour to Rosarito Beach - which doesn't compare with ours, although it is pretty

Not any more. You may be allowed to walk to Tijuana, but don't. It's a dangerous place. Seriously.

As for Rosarito Beach, it is the ugliest beach I've ever seen -- and the worst vacation we ever took as a result.

can anyone advise?..

is it better to book accommodation and airfares this end in Australia for Mexico or are there enough bargains out the on the net?

cheers

B and B

" Sure, the traffic can be a nightmare, but the road system is good, and the freeways are forgiving if you find you have made a directional mistake."

I am a LA native and I respectfully disagree. The freeways during rush hours are to be avoided. Notice I said HOURS because they are several hours long, in the AM and in the PM. Don't forget, you are used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road. This will be another big stressor. The freeways may be forgiving but people in a hurry to get to work or back home may be less charitable. Try to get out of town during the middle of the day.


"You will need good maps - our NSW Auto club has reciprocal agreements, and the AAA maps are great."

Yes, they are, but they have more than maps. They will route you to your destination(s), give you advice on road conditions and rest stops as well as places of interest. If you can, try to get a tourbook for each state you are visiting.

thanx..all excellent advice

cheers

B and B

Please make sure you stay in Sedona, Arizona for at least one night on the way to Grand Canyon..its about 2 hours away..fly into Phoenix..drive to Vegas about 5-6 hours.
One of the most beautiful places in the world.
Sedona Rouge Hotel $150
Enchantment Resort $480
La Quinta Inn $90
Best Western Inn and Suites $125
Radisson Poco Diablo $125

You will be so happy you stopped
here!

www.enchantmentresort.com

Whoops! I meant Bruce and Barb, not Bob! Sorry, Barb! I was up too late...that post was 2:48 am.

I always recall seeing a list of the top 10 US cities with worst traffic and Los Angeles is one of them. It's just NOT an enjoyable driving area, it's very aggravating (and tiring) to drive in the traffic up there. (I live in San Diego).

My husband and son used to drive down to Baja from San Diego and camp somewhere. But not lately...locals here are generally more nervous about travel to Mexico in light of recent news of violent crime in Mexico. My husband used to take lots of extra cans of Coke or other sodas when he drove down to Baja, because at certain stops he would be swarmed with kids who wanted to "watch" the car for him...and apparently they love soda!

I hope you have a great trip.

The popular surf spot in Cabo is near the Zipper's restaurant - called Costa Azul. Closer to San Jose del Cabo.

MY

thanx again everyone.

the current position is...

we have paid the airfares yesterday for West, Aus to Sydney to Honolulu, staying a few days there..then flying into Los Angeles, and also the flight home.
As costs are rising all the time it seemed best to at least get flights.
We will take our time looking at the land content.
Some of the comments about driving in LA kinda worry us but hey...we do heaps of driving here...probably around 1000kms every week and more...but of course it isnt the same as there!
and you guys drive on the wrong side of the road.

we are looking at biting the bullet and hiring a car at LA airport....transfers to hotels are so expensive and it seems if we can manage our driving times to off peak it wont be so bad.
If we do that we will probably drive to Las Vegas and do the touring bit for a few days till Bruce gets withdrawals from being too far from the sea!
we have San Diego as a must do...altho we love the beach and want to look at all the surf beaches that have been part of our life thru surfing mags for years and just cruise round...if we can.
after a few days there we think we might now go into Mexico by bus..airfares to Cabo have been quoted at ridiculous prices and accommodation at like $300 a night!..our agent says that it is full of young drunken students!! (sounds like Bali and doesnt worry us at all) and expensive.
this doeant sound right so we are looking at alternative ways to get there..maybe look at different towns down the peninsular and stay around the beaches, rent a car and drive around, bearing in mind the dangers that several people have pointed out.
thanx Michelle for advice about Cabo...it sounds really nice there...we hate crowds and hope to find some out of the way beaches that are safe and not huge surf.(2000 drunken,screaming teenagers learning to surf isnt our thing...hahaha!)
i am sure its not as bad as people say...lol..and we hope to get there somehow.

oh...Melissa..we come from a city called Mandurah, just south of Perth, the capital, on the sea, and on the way to the southern part of the state..you can google it to see where it is and all..but any info you want about West Australia, just ask..no probs.

thanx again all....its coming together, albeit slow..

Sad to say but your travel agent is giving you some false info. from taking a bus to Mexico..it is so dangerous and busses are being held up and all monies taken by the tourists..beheadings are very common..yes, its mostly drug traffickers but it is so bad that you don't want to spend your time driving around..it used to be so lovely but not anymore.
Cabo is not a bunch of drunk teenagaers..it can be a party place at night at some of the clubs but with the pricey resorts, that really isn't the case.
There are some really good deals for 3-4 days with flight/hotel at a 4-5* for $500pp. from San Diego.

LA is fine to drive..they are aggressive drivers so no driving in the fast lane (far left) and only go the speed limit.

San Diego you will have a lovely time.

thanx...yes..we thort it was a bit far fetched.Cabo looks a lovely place and i guess we could rent a car from there and do a bit of day travelling up the coast.
we will start looking online for packages.

driving doesnt scare us...shouldnt have a problem, just drive carefully..lol

cheers

We have rented cars for the day up the coast from Cabo to Todos Santos..its right on the tropic of Cancer and it is a small town on the Pacific Ocean that is famous for the Eagles song..Hotel California..Google it..lovely artsy town and the Santa Fe restaurant is charming.
You could also drive up to San Jose del Cabo too.

just wanted to chime in with my two cents worth....

I think having a car rental is a good idea; you can manage LA, just drive carefully and know others may be rushing around you. I think Vegas is worth a look see, kinda like Disney for adults. Check out Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Venetian and the Wynn. Just touring the hotels is fun. Vegas does excess well, .

I also agree Sedona is quite lovely....wonderful hiking amongst the red rocks. I would personally highly recommend it over the border towns of Mexico such as TJ. Totally unsafe and highly inadvisable. If you must go to Mexico, you must FLY to Cabo or La Paz. I've never had problems renting a car and driving around Cabo. I like San Jose del Cabo because it seems more authentically Mexican. Cabo itself is more of a touristy beach town. There are also gorgeous hotels along the "corridor" which is the road that links the two.

San Diego is lovely and can easily consume 3-4 days. Be sure to kayak the La Jolla cove and hike the Torrey Pines state park while here. Also visit the downtown Gaslamp, Balboa Park, Coronado, our world famous zoo and Wild Animal Park, etc.....not to mention all the cute beach towns dotting the coast (Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Leucadia, etc)

Have a great time!

hi all..cant thank everyone enough for all your help..overwhelms us..thanx.

oh..the place re hotel california reminds us of something we thought funny..hope you do also.

we were in Sri lanka last year...down at Galle..where the tsunami went thru...we had a young guy, 22, who latched onto us in his tuk tuk and drove us around.
First day as we got in his little car, he goes..oh..sir, madam. I have new cd..brand new song in Sri Lanka...velly, velly good (yes..they do say velly while shaking the head!!)

and he plays hotel california by the eagles!

we go..you know that song is 35 years old mate?

he says...oh..no sir..just new to Sri Lanka..new song sir!

struck as as funny at the time

cheers

B and B

Hi bruce and barb, another West Aussie chiming in with some input. I was in California in 2007 and, like you, was nervous about the driving issue. I was told driving was almost essential and yet incredibly difficult because of the dreadful traffic etc.

Since hiring a car was really the only way to do what I wanted to do, I bit the bullet and rented a car. I had very little problem driving on the other side. Most intersections are traffic light controlled and roads are well signposted (though the surfaces are even worse than Sydney) Mostly it's just a matter of following the car in front and giving yourself plenty of time to change lanes. A busy freeway is usually not travelling that fast and it doesn't really matter how many lanes there are- the only ones you really need to worry about are the two either side of you. That said, I did avoid the freeways where possible - there are other roads! I'd really advise renting a GPS as well as maps and prinitng out directions from Google maps or equivalent.

I did mostly movie related stuff. I know what you mean about wanting to check out all the places you've heard and read about - all the places i the Beach Boys songs lol. Surely you can rent boards and wetsuits. You'll come home realy appreciating our beaches!

It's only a short hop by plane to Vegas but then you have to factor in the time it takes getting to and waiting in the airport. People tend to regard the time spent driving as a waste, a chunk of time out of their trip, but in my opinion you see lots and it's part of the adventure.

Anything else I can help with, just ask

hi eigasuki.

thanks...we are getting more confident about driving in LA.

i have decided not to take my board...which is a problem cos its one of 6 i have but my favorite....25 years old!..but a bit heavy and i can see heaps of problems driving round with it in a car or on buses or planes...been there...

i will rent a board or maybe buy one and give it away to some kid when we leave i guess...

will i need a wetsuit in May?

probly not when we get down to Mexico tho.

i think we will drive to Las Vegas..you make a good point about waiting in airports..that would take as long as driving and we do enjoy driving.

we will spend some time in San Diego as from what people in here say, it sounds really nice...

just stay a few days in LA to see some of the sights and head off to Las Vegas from there then stay in San Diego a few days before Mexico.

At least we have paid the airfares so now its just a matter of doing some homework on the net.

Do you think it is better to wait till we get there before booking hotels and airfares etc?...or would it be cheaper from home?

it seems that doing it from there has more options.

cheers
and thanks...oh..do you surf and did you surf there?

if you want nice warm waters, surfing, and if you're going to fly into mexico anyway, you might as well go somewhere where the surfing is great, food is great, water is warm, people are nicer, etc. etc. In other words, not Baja - it's overpriced and not as interesting. Try flying into Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, rent a car (easy) and drive 30 minutes to beach town of Troncones - lots of great, inexpensive hotels & B&Bs. Or the beach areas North of Puerto Vallarta. Or even better for surfing, the area around Puerto Escondido (Oaxaca state), but a bit more difficult (and fun!) to access. And believe it or not, Acapulco remains one of the all time great swimming bays in Mexico (it's cleaned up and safer recently than it has been in years).

We go to mexico almost every year, and find these areas much better than Baja.

And the other writers are correct - limit your time in L.A. (check out a few museums, Venice Beach, etc), then scram to San Diego, Grand Canyon and other more interesting areas.

Hello westaustralians:
I wanted to concur with what others
have written about driving to Mexico. It is a gamble for you to cross the border and drive across that country. Many political issues that are occurring and even if you are minding your own business, things can happen. I speak from experience. Fly down to Cabo or any of the other tourist sites. As for surfing, the nicest area is the San Diego beaches. Los Angeles is one huge parking lot. Lots of horrible traffic congestion but if you want to say that you visited Hollywood or other places in the area, that's where you stay. A couple of hours down the coast and you could stay in San Diego, which is a beautiful area with lots of places to see.

Do not wait to book your hotels and car until you get here..Spring break and other factors could have you with no hotel or car.
Expedia.com is good to book a 4-5 star hotels for a good deal right now.

You can rent a car to drive into Mexico but you need addtional insurnace on the car which is often more than the daily car rental rate. My husband does business in Mexico and has had to use Hertz since they were the only ones allowing their cars into Mexico. His last trip was a year ago so I can only assume it is still allowed.
We drove down the Baja many years ago and loved it all. However, given your time frame and plans, I would suggest flying to wherever surfing is accessible in Mexico. For surfing, you could drive from LA to San Diego,stopping at San Clemente or Encinitas, (Swami's). My suggestion is to get out of LA as soon as possible and concentrate your time elsewhere. You must visit San Diego instead. You can drive or take a trolly out of SD to the border, walk across, grab a cab to the Tijuana airport for your flights into Mexico. Aero mexico is your most reliable airline and it is cheaper flying out of Tijuana. You may also be able to find some inexpensive flights out of LA to Mexico. Return back to SD and fly or drive to Las Vegas. Research your air on Kayak.com for the LA or Tijuana flights to the Baja and to Las Vegas. Include a search on the Southwest airline sight for Las Vegas. If you fly to Las Vegas, you can rent a car and drive to the Grand canyon. Remember in S. cal it is called "May Gray" for a reason. it is my least favoirete time of the year due to the marine layer that can linger on all day. The water is cold so you'll need a wet suit.

Native San Diegan and used to live in Mexico and I would not advise ANYONE to drive to Mexico, especially from another country and then tell them to fly out of TJ airport to save a couple of bucks and the border wait can be 2-4 hours..

Thanks again everyone.
Options are opening up all over!

does anyone know if the end of May is a busy period in Mexico?..ie..would hotels and cars be difficult to rent at that time.

We have joined Expedia and are awaiting a reply to our itinerary options with them, but are still unsure of whether it is best to do it all from here or wait till we get there.
We kinda feel that, subject to it not being peak period, we are better waiting till we get there as last minute deals can always arise.
Sorry to ask so many questions, but so far, everyone has been so helpful.

cheers

B and B

LOL at the idea of me surfing.

I agree with the suggestions to fly to Mexico, if you must. I personally wouldn't want to rent a car in Mexico at all but I've never researched Mexico at all. I'd agree with the concept of flying to wherever has the best surf.

I'd definitely book ahead. I'd book things with a generous cancellation policy so if a better deal comes up, you can grab it. Check prices on Expedia or similar and then go to the hotel site direct and compare their prices. Folk here recommend Priceline for great last minute deals. Not sure of your price range but with $AUS the way it is, I'd say three star would be more than adequate.

One place I didn't have time to get to that sounds cool is Pasadena.

(Leaves singing Jan and Dean song....)

I'm confused on why you have to wait for Expedia on your itinerary..
Just go and plug in where you want to go and its instant.
Deals are to be had on really nice hotels for cheap so why not go for a really nice place..
May is Spring Break for Mexico and a lot of places..
DO NOT WAIT TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL!
Mexico depends on what time of the month you go since Memorial Day is a huge long weekend at the end of the month.
Priceline I would not recommend since you don't know the areas, where Expedia you get to choose your bed type, your room type, garden view, ocean view..you don't get that option with Priceline.
I would stick with Baja for now..Ixtapa/Zih is nice but its having problems with crime like they have never seen before..
Baja is gorgeous in a serene kind of way once you get out of Cabo.

I would not think it would be that busy in May. Most US schools have spring breaks in March or April. Mexicans take a holiday around Holy Week.

MY

I meant to say that spring break is not in Mexico..here in SD, SB goes from March, April and May..Memorial Day week and weekend is very busy in SD..start of the summer kicks off early here.
Mexico goes on holiday for Sept.16th to Vegas usually and Christmas.

Just remember, Australians, that the US is huge (not as huge, of course, as Australia). Just don't try to do too much and you will be fine.

In May there should be plenty of motel rooms because kids are still in school here.

Be sure to enjoy the squirrels. Australians always do because, guys, Australia and New Zealand do not have squirrels.

Aren't the mainland United States and Australia about the same size?

Australia is larger than the US--not hugely larger, but larger. Of course, Australia has only 20 million people and the US has about 300 million. So, you can drive for miles and see very few people in Australia. There was one sign I saw to the next large town that said something like "Cairns 1600 kilometers".

Actually, Lauren, in the meantime, I had looked it up, and the US is larger than Australia - 3.79 million square miles in the US and 2.97 million square miles in Australia!

westaustralians:

I love Mexico, grew up on the boarder between Tijuana and San Diego BUT I'm strongly advising you to NOT GO INTO MEXICO. It is extremely dangerous to be in Baja right now. The drug cartels are literally blowing each others brains out on the streets of TJ with hundreds of murders each week.
If you feel you have to go to Mexico cross the boarder at Tecate which is about a 50 minute drive east of the TJ boarder crossing.
Tecate is a much safer and nicer Mexican community.

sf - does that figure take into consideration the continental US or does it include HI and AL in the calculations. Just curious.

Your trip sounds like fun! As a resident of San Diego I hope that you reconsider driving to Mexico. I see it's been mentioned, but it's true that the crime just over the border makes it very undesirable.
The suggestion to fly from LA or SD to Cabo is much better and safer, and alot better use of your limited time.

thanks again everyone..cant believe how helpful everyone has been.

oh...about 90% of australians live on or near the coast, so we have huge tracts of land that are uninhabited..the nullarbor desert...the longest straight rail line in the world by the way...even tho it is a desert, is one of the great car drives...you can drive literally hundreds of miles without seeing another person, and the route is really scenic despite it being called a desert.
we all drive many miles a week compared to other countries so we are used to driving...everything and everywhere is so far apart!

anyway...an update...

we are booked and paid for flights into Honolulu from Sydney and onto Los Angeles and return....so at least we are gunna get there!

have searched a lot on the net and spoken to people at expedia..they have a office in Melbourne Australia.
they seem really good, but we have to do a bit ourselves and get back to them to finally price.

in Honolulu we are looking at the Outrigger Hotel, which is expensive but being our first stop its probably worth it...au$568

we stay there 2 nights and then fly into Los Angeles on the 19th May, staying at the Vagabond Inn...2 nights ...au$231

we will rent a car at the airport and use it until we fly into Mexico.
(assuming we can take it out of state to Las Vegas)
23 May we drive to Las Vegas..stay at Aliante Station?....2 nights...au$169.

From there we will drive to Hoover Dam and do a little touring...then drive to San Diego on the 23rd May, staying 2 nights at La Jolla Inn....au$280.

On the 25th we will fly into Los Cabos and stay 3 nights at Tesoro Hotel ..au$360

we will hire a car and drive up the coast a little without being too adventurous..keep within a half day of our hotel...look for some surf breaks etc.

On the 28th May we will fly into Acapulco via Mexico City and stay at Las Torres Gemales Beach Resort for 3 nights ...au$360

from there we intend to hire a car and drive up the coast to Ixtapa?...stay there 3 nights and drive back to Apapulco, on the 3rd June to LA airport where we leave for Sydney at 2230 (phew!)

We havent found a hotel at Ixtapa , however there seems to be plenty that we can choose from and as we will be looking for a surf and at the beaches, can take our time and find somewhere that is ok..

Well..thats the plan after reading what everyone here has said and others...it is full on and once I document it all on a calendar, I will get back to Expedia who will make the final costing and timetable the whole thing.It all looks to fit in by us, but we have to actually document times and dates to make sure it all fits together.

We really want to visit Mexico and have taken on board all the safety comments about it.This way we feel is the safest way to go and gives us the freedom to travel and explore a bit on our own.

Doeas anyone have any comments?...good and bad...We dont know anything about Ixtapa and if there are concerns we would look elsewhere..I am sure there are other safe alternatives from Acapulco.


once again..we really appreciate the time you have all taken to help us.

cheers

Bruce and Barb

You'll almost certainly be ok with taking the rental car to Las Vegas. It is a good idea to ask, though. What company?

Just the other day I had a loaner car for a few hours while my car was in the shop. The rental rules said no taking the car out of California, and 150 miles max. But, this was Toyota Rental Car - at a dealer, and not Avis or Hertz. I don't know about the rent-a-wreck/small local companies.

That flying to/around Mexico (L.A. - Los Cabos - Acapulco - L.A) sounds good in theory? Did you figure out the price. Not a good idea to wait until you get here, imho. You might find some last minute deals for a roundtrip LAX-SJD-LAX, or for LAX-ACA-LAX. But you would need to be prepared that there won't be any last minute deals (very likely, imho). No deals, I think for your itin of LAX-SJD-ACA-LAX

You'll almost certainly be ok with taking the rental car to Las Vegas. It is a good idea to ask, though. What company?

we havent gone that far yet..that is one thing we will probably leave till we get to each place...
we dont know if renting at airports is more expensive than downtown, but when you take in transfers to hotels, at $50 or $60 a time, thats a day's rental in most cities..



Just the other day I had a loaner car for a few hours while my car was in the shop. The rental rules said no taking the car out of California, and 150 miles max. But, this was Toyota Rental Car - at a dealer, and not Avis or Hertz. I don't know about the rent-a-wreck/small local companies.

That flying to/around Mexico (L.A. - Los Cabos - Acapulco - L.A) sounds good in theory? Did you figure out the price. Not a good idea to wait until you get here, imho. You might find some last minute deals for a roundtrip LAX-SJD-LAX, or for LAX-ACA-LAX. But you would need to be prepared that there won't be any last minute deals (very likely, imho). No deals, I think for your itin of LAX-SJD-ACA-LAX

yes....we want to spend a few days everywhere....without prices from Expedia as yet..and they should be cheaper...

LA to Los Cabos....au$300
Los Cabos to Acapulco....au$560
Acapulco to LA.....au$500

all those prices are for 2 people, so they sound fine...for a lot of country covered.
total au$ 136o..about us $1000

and its far better for us to book before we get there

thanks for your comments

Bruce and Barb

I would book everything before you go; especially the car rental. Try carrentals.com or hotwire.com. I think the best rates are via the internet. All flights and car rentals should be booked ahead. Your hotels are not familiar names to me; they are probably just average, passable places to rest. You don't HAVE to commit to those yet so you might consider researching the best places for best value at each destination further. I can tell you my favorite hotels in San Diego or Vegas for example, then you can research best possible price and see if it is doable.

Just a couple of comments. I've never rented a car in the States where you couldn't take it to a different state. I believe mrwunrfl simply had a special loaner car with restrictions deal from his dealership. Now taking a rental car out of the country is a different story and there certainly could be restrictions so I'm happy you've decided to turn the car back in in San Diego and fly to Cabo.

I believe you might have your date wrong for your travel to Las Vegas. I'm thinking you plan to arrive on 21 May rather than 23 May. This is important because it looks like you will be there one week night (cheaper rate) and one Friday night (higher weekend rate). If it were me, I would opt to stay on the Las Vegas Strip in the middle of the action rather than a bit away from it. Since you want to see Las Vegas I would stay where it is easier to actually see it. It's not hard to drive off of the Strip to do your day trips. Access to the interstate is generally within a few blocks.

Also, that last weekend in May is Memorial Day Weekend, a major holiday for the U.S. Monday is the actual holiday but many people take the preceding Friday off in order to have a 4-day weekend. I think you are driving to Vegas on Thursday and that is very wise since traffic on Friday will likely be quite heavy and probably heavier than normal on Thursday as well. Just be aware that you might be in some bad traffic getting to Vegas, leaving Vegas or both.

You already know you are squeezing a lot of travel into a short amount of time so I won't mention that part. I'm just afraid you've underestimated distances, traffic, travel time between your LA, Las Vegas, San Diego travels and you're going to spend most of your very limited time in the car.

Yes, must be the 21st when they are heading to Las Vegas.

Your airfares look good.

I do recall, back in the 80s, having a car rental from one of the majors that restricted taking the car out of California. Maybe they don't do it anymore.

You'll likely have a drop-off fee for the one-way rental. I don't think there will be much advantage to going off-airport at LAX (despite what a recent thread suggested). The rates are pretty good there.

If your main interest in going to Las Vegas is to visit the L.V. Motor Speedway then your choice has a good location in North Las Vegas. The photos at their website look nice and the place is new.

It is a poor location if you want to visit the strip.

hey sharona..sounds like it should be the name of a song!!

thanks for your comments

Author: sharona
Date: 01/24/2009, 04:45 pm

Just a couple of comments. I've never rented a car in the States where you couldn't take it to a different state. I believe mrwunrfl simply had a special loaner car with restrictions deal from his dealership. Now taking a rental car out of the country is a different story and there certainly could be restrictions so I'm happy you've decided to turn the car back in in San Diego and fly to Cabo.


yes..we have listened to people in here and feel thats the best option..





I believe you might have your date wrong for your travel to Las Vegas. I'm thinking you plan to arrive on 21 May rather than 23 May. This is important because it looks like you will be there one week night (cheaper rate) and one Friday night (higher weekend rate). If it were me, I would opt to stay on the Las Vegas Strip in the middle of the action rather than a bit away from it. Since you want to see Las Vegas I would stay where it is easier to actually see it. It's not hard to drive off of the Strip to do your day trips. Access to the interstate is generally within a few blocks.


yes..your right...well..we are Australians!!!..(about the dates)

yes..we agree..sounds the best way to go....we are used to walking a lot and am happy to leave the car and do some footwork..




Also, that last weekend in May is Memorial Day Weekend, a major holiday for the U.S. Monday is the actual holiday but many people take the preceding Friday off in order to have a 4-day weekend. I think you are driving to Vegas on Thursday and that is very wise since traffic on Friday will likely be quite heavy and probably heavier than normal on Thursday as well. Just be aware that you might be in some bad traffic getting to Vegas, leaving Vegas or both.


we should be flying into Cabo on the ummm...(you have us confused now...lol)....25th May...so..if that weekend is a holiday we will be in Mexico??...the Vegas trip will be on 21/21 May...




You already know you are squeezing a lot of travel into a short amount of time so I won't mention that part. I'm just afraid you've underestimated distances, traffic, travel time between your LA, Las Vegas, San Diego travels and you're going to spend most of your very limited time in the car.


Yes..we understand what you are saying....we are ok driving at night to maximise day hours.....but it will be tight...


Thanx again..great comments

B and B

Hi nrwunfl....love the name!!


Author: mrwunrfl
Date: 01/24/2009, 06:53 pm

Yes, must be the 21st when they are heading to Las Vegas.


yess...a big ooooops!



Your airfares look good.

Yes..we thought so..we have to get back to Expedia and we are sure they can do even better....they said to do some internet enquiries and get back Monday..




I do recall, back in the 80s, having a car rental from one of the majors that restricted taking the car out of California. Maybe they don't do it anymore.

You'll likely have a drop-off fee for the one-way rental. I don't think there will be much advantage to going off-airport at LAX (despite what a recent thread suggested). The rates are pretty good there.


yes...it seems that taking into account taxis or transfers ex airports, we may as well rent cars there....


Thanks also...really appreciated

B and B

<we should be flying into Cabo on the ummm...(you have us confused now...lol)....25th May...so..if that weekend is a holiday we will be in Mexico??...the Vegas trip will be on 21/21 May...>

Sorry, I guess what I said is a little confusing. Memorial Day is Monday, 25 May. However, we generally consider the entire weekend to be part of the holiday (Memorial Day Weekend); therefore, many people will take Friday off to stretch the "weekend" to a 4-day holiday. So you might have heavy traffic even on Thursday and Saturday since many people travel over that holiday "weekend."

And you are right about the 25th not being a holiday in Mexico. At least not to my knowledge. The only thing you might need to consider is that the San Diego airport may be a little more crowded than usual since that is the end of a holiday weekend and people will be traveling to return home.

Let me know if now I've thoroughly confused you!

I didn't read all the posts. But the military out of San Diego can no longer go to Tijuana, Mexico because of the crime. It is off limits.
Mexico is not a safe place for you to be driving or visiting right now. Think there is a lot of drug activity and fighting. Also, kidnapping of tourists and murders. People go there and they don't come back.

This is my opinion of Mexico right now and perhaps others have a different opinion.

A nice trip would be to rent a car and go to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and Sedona Arizona.

Or Las Vegas, and Yosemite National Park, San Francisco and Napa Valley which has a lot of wineries and shops etc.

Last fall I did see some surfers at Bodega Bay which is one-half hour west of Santa Rosa, California. That is close to Napa Valley.
http://bodegabay.com/
http://www.napavalley.com/

Forgot to add that my sister who lives in California and her family have always gone to Mexico and they will no longer go there as of this past year.

They have relatives who live in Mexico but no longer go to visit them because it is not safe.

However, if you fly to Cabo San Lucas, you will be fine. It is a tourist destination primarily and very safe.
It's the boarder cities (especially Tijuana) that are dangerous.

Thanks everyone..

Sharona...yes..we understand what you are saying and can see it could be a problem..we are not so confused now...lol

bratsanbeer...

thanx....will take on board what you say, but surely if we take normal precautions it should be safe.

We note the comments of Nanabee and realise that safety is something you need to be aware of, but if we stay to larger places like Cabo San Lucas, and Acapulco we feel that it should be fine.
what do you do?..worry about what might happen all the time and never do anything?...

We are thinking that once at these places we would have a few days for looking around and we would talk to people and make sure that any car travel we did was safe.

we are pretty conservative people and dont take foolish risks...as we have business connections with Bali, Indonesia, we are there maybe 5 or 6 times a year...next week is our 210th trip over 25 years, and no country on earth could be as corrupt as there...lol

we hire a motor bike and risk the chaotic traffic there....drive on footpaths, wrong side of the road in peak hour....hand on horn all the way...there are few rules and everyone seems to survive.

the cops there just stop traffic when they need money and fine all the tourists for imaginary offenses!
the locals dont get fined..they can drive by the cops with 4 or 5 people on a motor cycle!!!..no helmets and they are not stopped...because we look like tourists we are!

the cops take you to there car in private....ask you what job you have (ie..are you rich?) and ask to see whats in your wallet...
they then ask you to give them a donation or go to court...we often wonder what would happen if we took that option.

we carry 2 wallets in Bali when we travel!..one with hardly any money in it.

we have been stopped at the airport when we are carrying large amounts of cash and told that immigration want to take the money into another room to count it to make sure you are declaring everything you bring in..you just have to stand up to them sometimes..even tho they can carry weapons.
they want bribes for everything and this has been going on for 25 years!

they will tell you something is wrong with your passport..take a photo copy of it...and try to make you pay for them taking the photo copy...just trying to scare you.

you just adjust to a county's way of doing things..

so..we are used to adapting quickly to any situation..we dont go round looking for trouble..you can get enough just touring...lol

Maybe Mexico is different...a lot more violence perhaps...but Bali has the same if you are not careful..bag snatches, muggings, con artists...some of the best in the world in fact!!.....but we would be careful to not go out at night into areas that could be a problem and always ask round in a new place.


(oh...dont get us wrong about Bali, anyone considering going there....it is one of the greatest holidays you could ever go on....unbelievable in fact..)

so..I guess we are saying that the 2 major places we are going to should be fine if we take normal precautions.
we have to book tomorrow as today is Australia day here, a public holiday, and everythings closed, so would like any final comments..good and bad...lol

we have kinda ironed out our itinerary and checked out initial prices..now all we need is Expedia to price it as a whole...

actually we are off to Bali on Feb 4, for three weeks...then again on April 26 until May 15...putting together containers of handicrafts that we wholesale here, at home 1 day, then head off on our US adventure.
We are used to the hustle of having too much to do at once...haha!

thanks again everyone..if ever we can return the help, just ask

cheers

B and B

Yes, I agree Weswtaustralians, Cabo will be great (it is very safe there) as are the Mexican cities of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, etc. I would definately go if you have the extra time to fly down. I would not drive in Mexico (other than renting a car in the tourist towns you will be visiting). I would definately not drive from Tijuana to Cabo (it is about a thousand miles) and is not safe for tourists.

The continental US is not as large as Australia. If you include Alaska, the US is larger. I should have made it clear I was referring only to the continental US (not adding Alaska and Hawaii, Alaska is the "big kahuna" here). I have seen maps that put the US "lower 48" on top of Australia, and Australia is larger.

Lauren, not according to my sources!! It would be nice to know the facts, but here's what one site I was looking at says:

"For a straightforward geographical comparison of the countries' sizes, see this postcard reproduced by Janice Gelb. To answer the obvious question, the continent of Australia is about 2,942,000 square miles; 2,968,000 square miles with the island of Tasmania added; while the 48 contiguous United States amount to about 3,053,000 square miles -- just 3% larger than all of Australia. "

Obviously, they're very close in size.

Bali and Mexico are 2 different animals completely and if you think you can handle the evil that has plaqued Mexico because you are savvy tourists..my friend, you are SO wrong and have no business even going there.

In other words, taking "the normal precautions" isn't good enough when it comes to Mexico just south of the border!

B & B, I am in strong agreement about the Mexico trip- we are not talking muggings and pickpockets. We are talking about kidnappings, beheadings, murder incorporated.

My sister and her DH usually go twice a year to Cabo area. They are NOT going this year after having some very uneasy feelings last time they ventured away from the actual resort at the beach. And they have a major horror story about a friend who rented a car and then was involved in an accident. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND MEXICAN LAW in regard to accidents, who pays for what, etc.

I also am not sure why you want to come all the way to the US and then not see what is unique to the US. Mainly the Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ. Two of the loveliest places on Earth- and you cannot find anything similar anywhere. Just can't figure out why you'd want to do sun & surf stuff when you can do that in about 1000 places on the planet. (I'm not saying there are not some other great places in US. But there are mountains and beaches and prairies in other countries. These are not unique to the US. But Sedona and GC are.)

Just in case:
http://www.visitsedona.com/


But that could just be me. My suggestion is to skip Mexico altogether. Drive to Vegas from LA, then up to Sedona for a couple nights and then Grand Canyon for a couple. Then back to LA.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a lovely trip! We in the US are always happy to show our wares!

P

OK, the overlays I saw did not include Tasmania. If you've looked it up, you've looked it up and I assume you are correct that the US is larger if you include Tasmania. The whole point is that both countries are huge. I have seen too many people try to "do" both countries in one trip for 2-3 weeks and you simply can't and that was my point.

I was in Australia for 6 weeks last July and August and felt as though I had only scratched the surface. I got as far north as Fraser Island and as far south as Sydney. To see it all you would need a few trips. I had home exchanges on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. I stopped in Sydney before I got to the Sunshine Coast home exchange for 5 days. I did cover the Gold Coast and Toowooba (the largest inland city in Queensland).

When I was done, I had another home exchange in New Zealand on the North Island (2 1/2 hours northwest of Auckland near Whangerai). I covered only the North Island there.

I would love to go back and cover Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns, Perth, Tasmania, etc., in Australia and the South Island of NZ. Who knows if I will get the chance. With everyone else my personal prosperity has taken a "hit" from the current economic situation and the trip was expensive despite the home exchanges due to $2800 spent on airfare (Washington, DC-Nadi, Fiji-Sydney-Brisbane-Auckland-Washington, DC). I was gone too long to get the discount airfares in Australia where you can go from place to place and I didn't eally want that sort of trip anyway.

Even in 9 weeks down under, I just saw a small bit--but that is all you ever do no matter how long your trip is anywhere.

9 weeks would be incredible (anywhere!) -- I hope to be able to do that one day.

thanx again everyone...

let me adress a few comments..

Author: nanabee
Date: 01/25/2009, 06:25 pm

However, if you fly to Cabo San Lucas, you will be fine. It is a tourist destination primarily and very safe.
It's the boarder cities (especially Tijuana) that are dangerous.


and...


Author: ksucat
Date: 01/25/2009, 10:20 pm

Bali and Mexico are 2 different animals completely and if you think you can handle the evil that has plaqued Mexico because you are savvy tourists..my friend, you are SO wrong and have no business even going there.


Author: sf7307
Date: 01/25/2009, 10:37 pm

In other words, taking "the normal precautions" isn't good enough when it comes to Mexico just south of the border!



and....




Author: sarge56
Date: 01/25/2009, 11:37 pm

B & B, I am in strong agreement about the Mexico trip- we are not talking muggings and pickpockets. We are talking about kidnappings, beheadings, murder incorporated.

My sister and her DH usually go twice a year to Cabo area. They are NOT going this year after having some very uneasy feelings last time they ventured away from the actual resort at the beach. And they have a major horror story about a friend who rented a car and then was involved in an accident. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND MEXICAN LAW in regard to accidents, who pays for what, etc.

I also am not sure why you want to come all the way to the US and then not see what is unique to the US. Mainly the Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ. Two of the loveliest places on Earth- and you cannot find anything similar anywhere. Just can't figure out why you'd want to do sun & surf stuff when you can do that in about 1000 places on the planet. (I'm not saying there are not some other great places in US. But there are mountains and beaches and prairies in other countries. These are not unique to the US. But Sedona and GC are.)

Just in case:
http://www.visitsedona.com/


But that could just be me. My suggestion is to skip Mexico altogether. Drive to Vegas from LA, then up to Sedona for a couple nights and then Grand Canyon for a couple. Then back to LA.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a lovely trip! We in the US are always happy to show our wares!

P


and.....



Author: chefkate
Date: 01/22/2009, 11:09 am

if you want nice warm waters, surfing, and if you're going to fly into mexico anyway, you might as well go somewhere where the surfing is great, food is great, water is warm, people are nicer, etc. etc. In other words, not Baja - it's overpriced and not as interesting. Try flying into Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, rent a car (easy) and drive 30 minutes to beach town of Troncones - lots of great, inexpensive hotels & B&Bs. Or the beach areas North of Puerto Vallarta. Or even better for surfing, the area around Puerto Escondido (Oaxaca state), but a bit more difficult (and fun!) to access. And believe it or not, Acapulco remains one of the all time great swimming bays in Mexico (it's cleaned up and safer recently than it has been in years).

We go to mexico almost every year, and find these areas much better than Baja.

And the other writers are correct - limit your time in L.A. (check out a few museums, Venice Beach, etc), then scram to San Diego, Grand Canyon and other more interesting areas.


ok....well..we asked for your comments and we got them....lol

we understand that Mexico isnt Bali, and from the comments we read, there certainly are great problems there...

but are the guys who say not to go there saying that the whole country is a problem?

some of the comments seem to say that if we stay to the larger tourist areas we are fine..

it is very confusing...

one person says that


if you fly to Cabo San Lucas, you will be fine. It is a tourist destination primarily and very safe.
It's the boarder cities (especially Tijuana) that are dangerous.


another says


My sister and her DH usually go twice a year to Cabo area. They are NOT going this year after having some very uneasy feelings last time they ventured away from the actual resort at the beach. And they have a major horror story about a friend who rented a car and then was involved in an accident. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND MEXICAN LAW in regard to accidents, who pays for what, etc.


is this the same place?


and as we were looking at driving to
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo as we discuss above....the comments given were interesting....from Acapulco...


Is Acapulco unsafe?...from what we read above it is supposed to be fine now....

is the drive from there to Ixtapa dangerous...or is it ok to fly in as suggested and just travel locally?


it is great to get everyones feedback, and we are certainly aware that you do not go into strange places without research.
We just cant believe that we are being warned not to go into a whole country!!!..and big cities!

on the beach thing..we are beach people and have read about all the fantastic beaches in surf mags and seen them in movies etc since the early 60s....of course we have great beaches here but most of our lives we have hung out at the beach, and while we like to look at other places of interest overseas, the draw to coastal areas is a large part of our lives.

we have always tried to tie in our love for the beach and surfing, with places to see that are close when we travel.

Please, please, dont think we are ungrateful for all the comments..we understand that it has taken a lot of time for everyone to make comments about the way they see Mexico...and it is greatly appreciated.
we would just love to go there is all...dont know why...why does anyone want to go anywhere??

we are copying out every comment and going thru them all...has anyone got anything nice to say about where we are going??...that was a joke!.

at the end of the day, everywhere you travel has a risk...you just have to weigh up the good and the bad, and make a choice...anything positive, good or bad is welcome.

oh..and the size comparisons of our 2 countries...

our population is 22 million spread out over the whole country, something like 90% of which lives near the coast.
i guess that is why we all love the sea.
it is inconceivable to most of us just how big the US is, and no matter what time we have to travel, we would only just scratch the surface of your great country....so..we will just do what we can in the time we have...lol.
there are places we would love to visit,given we had the time, but we have to prioritise what we love to do and see...and Southern California and Mexico are part of our dream

thanks again....dont forget, our offer to reciprocate any time

cheers

and great thanks

B and B

Dear Bruce & Barb:

Check out the Mexico Forum at Tripadvisor. It is much more active than here at Fodor's and you will probably get more detailed info to your questions regarding Mexico.

Good luck on your trip. I am sure you will have a great time in our part of the world.

MY

Having lived in Mexico and traveled a great deal in Mexico, it saddens me that it has gotten so bad that I probably won't return..yeah, I'll fly down to Cabo for a long weekend and pretty much stay close to town..venture up to Todos Santos or East Cape (north of San Jose del Cabo) but you really need to be aware that it has become very dangerous and very evil, just in the last year..and it's not just targeting their kind..tourists are now one of the main targets for kidnapping.
I speak the language and know some very high officals but that is no guarantee either..
Just want to snap you out of the laissez-faire attitude because with that you will be targeted..
If I were you, I would just fly into Cabo from SD and have a great 3-4 days and get back to the US..
That is my two cents and only wishing you the best!

To add to my first posting:

Just watched Glen Beck on TV and he says Mexico is one of the biggest threats to the USA because of crime, drugs and bringing it into the USA.

He said that 80% of the police are "on the take".

There have been numerous stories of kidnappings, people being imprisoned for minor things, killings, disappearances, etc.

I have traveled in 22 countries and always with a money belt. I never felt threatened or unsafe in any area. But I would not go to Mexico now. It isn't a matter of having your wallet or purse stolen.

You can easily end up in a Mexican jail for the rest of your life. These accounts have been shown many times on our TV.

I know - you Australians are tough - I have a friend who lives in NSW and she has visited me here in the states. Love the humor of the Australians.

But this is one time I really think you should listen to the warnings.

Most of Mexico is wonderful and the people warm and inviting. The only real problem lies on the boarder towns like Juarez, Tijuana, Loredo, etc.
The problem is that the travel distance from southern California into major tourist areas in Mexico is thousands of miles away. It is a long and pricey plane trip. You might want to narrow your trip to Cabo and do mainland Mexico for another trip.

http://www.topnews.in/tijuana-terrified-city-crime-shakes-northern-mexico-296012


You might be interested in this article in USA Today. Since December the murders and gang wars has gotten even worse.

Before making your final decision as to how to structure your trip, you might want to check with your own government to see if there are any travel advisories concerning Mexico's safety for Australians. Then you can make up your own mind.

Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!

SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.

Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).

7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.

Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).

I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).

I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.

Thanx again everyone

Author: nanabee
Date: 01/26/2009, 09:53 pm

Most of Mexico is wonderful and the people warm and inviting. The only real problem lies on the boarder towns like Juarez, Tijuana, Loredo, etc.
The problem is that the travel distance from southern California into major tourist areas in Mexico is thousands of miles away. It is a long and pricey plane trip. You might want to narrow your trip to Cabo and do mainland Mexico for another trip.


we have decided now to fly into Cabo San Lucas on the Tuesday now cos of the Monday holiday,(spend an extra day in San Diego) hire a car there until around the 29th, then drive on to San Jose Del Cabo and stay there until the 3rd June when we will fly direct to La for the trip home.

We have taken on board everything people have said and feel this is the best way for us to enjoy Mexico.
We can do Apalcupo and Ixtapa next time!!

This way we can relax more, spend less time at airports and spend more on the hotels we will stay at.

The 2 towns we are going to stay at sound exciting and more time there will allow us to explore the beaches and tourist stuff better.

we will drive along the coast within a days distance from our hotels, and bear in mind all the warnings we have received.

thanx again everyone

B and B

Hi again..



Author: LaurenKahn1
Date: 01/26/2009, 11:47 pm

Before making your final decision as to how to structure your trip, you might want to check with your own government to see if there are any travel advisories concerning Mexico's safety for Australians. Then you can make up your own mind.

Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!



yes..we will do that...tx to all who have helped us...cant believe we have had so much feedback








SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.

Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).

7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.

Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).

I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).

I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.


wow!..sounds exciting...

if you come back to Australia, can we suggest that you try to go to 'ordinary' places...a lot of the touristy places are over rated and full of tourists!!...hahaha!...oops..

I mean that in a nice way.

If you want to see the real Australia, it is best to take your time and research it well first.

Places like West Australia are hidden gems and because of distance from the east coast are not even considered.

In Australia you have to be aware that you will travel long distances to get anywhere..
we think nothing of hopping in our cars and driving 200kms for a barbecue!

Most Australians live near the coast, and the interior is another destination that many tourists never get to see.
Unfortunately, in our opinion, you need a lot of time to do a trip here justice.
Travel inside Australia is expensive, but there are ways you can economise.the Au dollr is bad at the moment also which doesnt help.

Always feel free to ask for any advice

cheers

B and B

Have a great trip!

Ditto. But, more importantly, have a SAFE trip!

Perfect!
Have a great trip and report back..
Eat lots of fish tacos and drink the Pacifico beer and snorkel at Lover's Beach next to the tip of Cabo..surf zippers and just have a great time!
Cheers..

I did do a lot of research on the area I intended to cover before I went. To keep the already enormous cost down, I concentrated on my home exchange locations. I had certain things I wanted to see and I saw those and then some. The problem is the vast distances.

In Sydney, I ended up there when the Pope was there. Strange as it may seem, all that hoopla did not really affect my trip (and I could not adjust the dates due to the dates of the home exchanges). I also went to the opera and a concert at the Opera House--which were top of my list as a "culture vulture". The opera ticket was purchased in advance and I got lucky with the concert ticket once there. I did see the usual tourist sites, of course. In my home exchange homes, I sort of lived in the neighborhood and even interacted with some of my neighbors. I even got to be a regular at a restaurant in Kawana Waters. The charm of exchanges is that you do get off the beaten path. I did see some theater in Brisbane and other entertainment. I did find Brisbane to be a very nice city (despite its "cow town" reputation, it is much more cosmopolitan). I even saw the Australian Outback Spectacular on the Gold Coast and toured Fraser Island in a bus (I had no thought of traveling on those "roads" myself in my borrowed car). I saw a lot of wonderful scenery, but it all looked the same after awhile. I think the koalas and kangaroos are overly hyped as well. The first time you see marsupials, it is interesting, but one zoo--no matter where--is enough.

I did a lot of reading of Australian history before leaving. Part of the vacation is always the planning which--for me at least--involves a lot of background reading. If I am going to a country where I do not speak the language (and sometimes I did get that feeling in Australia!), I usually do some language study to learn something as well. I have a couple of Finnish CD's and Pimsleur's Swedish (Pimsleur does not have Finnish but does have a short course in Swedish; Swedish is the second language in Finland) that I will do before my trip next summer to Finland.

The problem with Perth is its isolation--which is probably why it is interesting as well. It is just not a place that I would consider for a first trip to Australia, although I would certainly consider an offer there if one arrived in email now that I have been to Australia once. Next time I will do a trip to the Reef either on the way to my swap or on the way home though. Ayers Rock would have to wait for a third trip--should I be so lucky as to have one.

Good luck with your vacation plans. Some people on Fodors are just silly with their "advice".

Lauren..
This is about a couple who is looking for advice..NOT about you and your home exchange advice and thoughts of Australia..

DEFATs travel advisory for Mexico

* We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico because of the high level of violent crime.
* Pay close attention to your security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
* The Mexican Government has deployed large numbers of military personnel and federal police to the cities of Acapulco, Monterrey, Culiacan, Morelia, and Tijuana and other cities bordering the United States in an effort to curb a significant increase in drug-related gang violence. Although this violence is not normally targeted at foreigners, foreign residents and tourists have been among the victims.
* You should avoid all large public gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
* The hurricane season is June to November when landslides, mudslides and flooding may occur. In the event of a hurricane, monitor local media reports and follow the instructions of local emergency officials. Information on hurricanes or other severe weather conditions can be obtained from U.S. National Hurricane Center and Tropical Prediction Center. See the Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate section for detailed advice.
* Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
o organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
o register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency
o subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.

Thanks again everyone...we have now set our itinerary..

Just back from 3 glorious weeks in Bali (business and pleasure!) and have set the final details..
We fly into LA on May 19 thru Honolulu, and are staying at the Wiltshire Grand??? Hotel for 2 nights, renting a car at the airport.
We then drive to Las Vegas for 2 nights on the 21st, and will drive out to the Grand Canyon and spend some hard earned money at the casinos!
Staying at Planet Hollywood and then drive back to San Diego for 3 nights till the 26th...bearing in mind the wise comments about the Memorial Day weekend posted on here!!

We stay at Days Hotel In San Diego...leave the car at the airport here.

We fly from San Diego on the 26th to Los Cabos, hire a car at the airport and stay 8 nights at Best Western Real Posada...then fly back to LA on the 3rd to connect to a flight to Sydney, Australia.

We realise that it is going to be full on, but us Australians have plenty of time to rest when we are dead!
We are used to rushing all over the place, but hope that Los Cabos will give us some time to relax and maybe surf a little.

Thanks again for all your help..any comments on the itinerary would be appreciated, altho we have paid now!!

cheers

Bruce and Barb

Please report back and let us know how your trip worked out.

Have a great time.

MY

Thanks Michelle,
we are getting pretty excited about it now..we have a trip to Bali on business (and some fun!!) on April 26th..get home on the 15th May..head off to the US on the 17th...have to be home by June 5th as our containers we put together in April wil be ready for sale...so we are a little time restrained...but after Bali on 213 trips, something different is pretty exciting.

It will be fun to compare the two countries...and can hardly wait.

cheers

Bruce and Barb

Dear Bruce & Barb:

If we end up in Cabo at the end of May, we will look you up!!

MY

Hi everyone..

well....its almost time.

We have literally just walked in the door after our trip to Bali on business and pleasure..three weeks of very hot and humid weather and now looking forward to the next part of our adventure, the trip to the US and Mexico.
Of course the minute we arrived in Bali we heard about the swine flu....grrr..we had already paid for all travel and accommodation so no point worrying really....we are off and will worry about that later..
A bus can run you over anywhere in the world if you worry about everything.We will just be sensible and take normal precautions.
Thanks to everyone for their great helpful comments.
We have allowed to stay a few days extra in Mexico if we love it like we are sure we will.

The car rental thing is our only worry at the moment.
Whether to arrange it at airports or look around.
We have heard it is better in LA to pay the $50 to get transport to our hotel and then look around for an older car to drive round LA, onto Las Vegas and back to San Diego where we fly out to Los Cabos.

We spoke to an Australian couple in Bali who have just come back from mexico and they said they had to pay $3000 for car rental in Mexico as they could only rent a new car and insurance killed them.
We are happy to rent an older car and dont want the hassles over insurance etc.

Any suggestions?

cheers and thanks once again

Bruce and Barb

oh..anyone going to be in Mexico when we are there?..would love to catch up

B and B

Dear Bruce & Barb: Well, we are not heading down to Cabo. The swine flu is pretty much over and no cases reported in Baja. We just have to save $$$, and the airfare just did not get cheap enough for us to go now.

Check on tripadvisor for car rental info. We rented from a guy named Dominic. No hassle, but we had to pay in cash. I am not sure he is still in business. Tripadvisor people would know. Here is his info:

Dominic - car rental Los Cabos
From US - 949-338-8075
Cell in Mex - 044-624-110-72-44
e-mail - domosanlucas@prodigy.net.mx

Please report back on your trip!!

MY