aussiebec

My teenage daughter and I are travelling from Australia and will be spending 3 nights in Los Angeles.. I would really like to hire a convertible to enjoy the amazing drives in area..
I'm wondering if anyone knows of better place to hire one rather than normal airport chains?
Also where would be best for short drives in local area? Thinking Venice beach, mull holland drive, and just along the beachside.. I thought that it would also be advantageous transportation from airport to hotel and back? Staying near magic castle..
We are arriving on on Sunday 30th June early in morning.. I read somewhere that there's a great market on?? We need to make the most of every minute after all!

shanek

Hi aussiebec,
We hired through National. We subscribed to their "web mail" and waited until they had a deal that suited us.
If you hire through them or any of the larger companies, the system is very convenient. There is a bus that collects you from outside the departure terminal and takes you to their office.
One thing to note is that if hiring a Mustang, the boot space is very limited. Your large cases will end up on your back seat. With only 2 people, this will work.

clarkgriswold

Sunday morning is a good time for a drive, you'll be flabbergasted on Monday morning at how much worse the traffic is. Head up to Mulholland but it's not for the faint of heart, residents often come barreling around the curves like there's no tomorrow. Definitely do it Sunday morning, not Monday. Griffith Observatory (closed Mon and some Tuesdays) would be great for Sunday evening, it's not far from your hotel and is open until 10pm. The walk from the parking area can be tough but it's worth it.
What time is your flight on Wednesday? Traffic is going to be hell all day heading into the 4-day holiday weekend.
Hertz is already sold out of cars for most of that week so you'd better lock in a booking soon, and you probably won't find any convertibles still available (and one is never guaranteed the car that's requested, it's based on whether the previous renter returns on time).
Avis and Nationalcar.com look like good bets with all insurance included for Australians. Some others will look cheaper on first quote but if insurances aren't included it will run you $30 to $40 per day additional.

shanek

Clark may be correct about a scarcity of rentals during that time, but your advantage is that you will be returning on the Wednesday just before the long week end, so your chances are better.

I can only speak of my experience, and I have only ever hired 2 cars from National at LAX, but I have reserved a car "type" and both times, I had plenty of this type of vehicle to choose from.

One of these car types are "convertible", listed as Chrysler 200 or similar. Try reserving one now and then email them in the week leading up to confirm that you really want this type of vehicle.

With National, you can change/cancel your reservation easily if something better comes up so you are not locked in. Currently,for your hire period, you can reserve this vehicle type for $364US all up.

https://www.nationalcar.com/index.do...tralia&sissr=1

clarkgriswold

The problem is that a convertible can never be guaranteed. So you reserve it at $364 and when you arrive, they apologize and offer you a "better" lincoln towncar or huge SUV instead. So you're paying $364 for a car that you don't really want when you could have booked a regular compact for $156.

shanek

Couldn't you just opt for the compact if that happened? With all the cars that they have available, is it really a possibilty that compacts would sell out?

Would it be possible to "reserve" one of each and then call a few days prior to see if the convertible was a reality?

Just sort of thinking aloud here. There must be a way to ensure you get the catagory of car that you want.

amyb

I'm just back from a 5-day weekend in LA doing exactly what you'll be doing. We rented a convertible from Enterprise (also did this in March too). We didn't have a problem getting a convertible either time, but Mustang was not an option. This week we had a Chrysler 200, which was much more comfortable and not as low to the ground as the Eclipse which we had in March. Rent well in advance, you'll be notified when you rent online if a vehicle won't be available. I've never heard of Enterprise switching it out on customers last minute, at least it's never happened to us with Enterprise.

We spent one whole day driving from Redondo Beach up to Zuma Beach past Malibu. We stopped at every beach in between (Redondo, Hermosa, Venice, Santa Monica, etc) and stopped for lunch at Santa Monica Pier. This took most of the day and we drove back to West Hollywood in time for dinner. We did it on a weekday and didn't encounter much traffic at all, but left the hotel around 10:30 a.m. It was a warm, beautiful day and very enjoyable.

We also went to Griffith Observatory one morning for a great view (don't go if overcast, cloudy or foggy). We did a bit of Mulholland Drive so as to see the Hollywood Bowl overlook.

suzabella1

Any drive along the coast is beautiful and you will enjoy the beaches. There are plenty of restaurants along the way with ocean views. Depending on your interests in addition to the Griffith, there's a good natural history museum and The Getty (an art museum, but also an architectural experience). Some places require advance tickets. There's also Santa Monica Pier. Check out the L.A. Times website for current events and cultural offerings because there's so much to do and it often changes. Also go to the chamber of commerce website. Even though this is sunny California, if you come around June you may encounter the marine layer or overcast skies. It usually clears up by afternoon. But make sure you bring a sweater. Check out the weather channel website for a 10 day forecast. It's not always perfect but will give you an idea. In my opinion the only place you will really enjoy the convertible is the beach drive and maybe Mullholland Drive. The skyline of LA leaves much to be desired. If you can't get one, all is not lost. Once you get out of the car at a beach it won't matter what type of top your car has. Have Fun.

suzabella1

Oops, I forgot about the market. There's a Farmer's Market, but I'm not sure of the location. There also is Olivera Street which will give you a feel of the Hispanic culture. It's not far from the train station. Also check out China Town. Both these cultures have roots in the early development of LA.

sf7307

If you're talking about THE Farmer's Market, as opposed to A farmer's market, it's at 3rd and Fairfax, adjacent to the very nice and upscale The Grove mall.