Yes I know that this is the Aussie post area but I wanted to ask our American cousins who have been lurking around here for some help.
I am going to L.A. and Las Vegas in a couple of weeks and although will be tied up at Disneyland for some of the time in L.A I would like however to get to Hollywood or Beverley Hills.
I don't want a tour but would like to know if there is any buses which don't take all day to get there OR any other public transport?
As for Las Vegas I wanted to know if there are any good Closeout places there?
Is there anything near Las Vegas that would have snow on top yet?
I am going with a very excited 15 yr old young man so I should be well and truely tired by the time I get home.
Any good suggestions or any suggestions at all as although I have been there before I have not been dragged around by a teenager who likes to see things that he sees on the TV.

Dea rLiz,

LA=car; Car=LA. There is an expanding subway (metro) but may not go where you want to go. Buses are difficult. Car rentals are generally cheap, but 2 weeks ago gasoline was $US2.45/gallon. I think car is the way to experience LA and probably most practical. There's always that nice sinking feeling as you drive into a standstil on the 405.

May favorite few blocks are turning onto Beverly Blvd off Sunset. There are 4 or 5 blocks of double rowed palms until you hit the commercial development. My favorite thai restaurant is Nathalie on Robertson in the lowest part of Beverly Hills.

AndrewDavid

PS the noodle shop in the Mandalay Bay Hotel is good and reasonable

AD thank you for your suggestions! However in May this year when I was staying at an Airport Hotel in L.A. I had to get to Huntington ( about 15 minutes drive away) and then to Beverley Hills ( a tad further but not much).
Not only did I leave my driver's licence at the business place in Huntington but that 15 min. drive took 4 hours, a hair's breath from a divorce and even closer to beating the hell out of hubby for his " navigating skills or lack thereof". Finally in the afternoon I took that leisurely drive to Beverley Hills. Now, your petrol may be cheaper than ours but I reckon that I used a complete tank getting from Huntington to B.H. so all in all I never want to get behind the wheel in L.A. ever again - I did it in Paris and that was nothing compared to L.A.
Soooooo - any other good ideas for public transport? Or should I just get on a bus and go around and around until I find a place I like?

Taking a bus from Disneyland to Hollywood or Beverly Hills could take all day. A/D is right - you need a car to get around in the greater LA area.

Lee Ann

Liz - I assume by closeout places, you're referring to a factory outlet? If so, there is one very close to the Las Vegas strip - it's a nice, big mall and it's air conditioned, unlike some factory outlets in the US that are more like strip centers ie, individual stores situated side by side, but with no common entrance). The following site gives directions and a store listing.

http://www.insidervlv.com/belzfactory.html

As far as snow, the closest place I know to Vegas that might offer snow is Mt. Charleston, which is less than an hour from Vegas.

Here's a site that might help:

http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/MtCharleston.html

Can't help with CA, but can't blame you for not wanting to drive there.

Thanks all for your input. Hopefully the problem will not arise as my young 'charge' will probably dictate where we will go and hopefully it will all be at Disneyland so that I don't have a problem. If not then we can always venture on the Public system and see the City whist taking the day getting to Hollywood!
AD can you imagine me driving in LA on 9 #$&*^@ lanes of traffic ( wrong side of road ) and then being in the line that has to exit onto another Freeway which goes in the opposite direction and takes 3 hours to get back to square one? I turned gray from the last effort!

Hi from one "Liz" to another. . . I've avoided LA since I was a child, but I've been to Vegas a number of times and would be glad to help you out with any questions other than the Closeout places or snowy places-- simply because I really have no idea!
Have you chosen a hotel yet?
The next time we're traveling to Vegas-- May '05, we are meeting our good Aussie friends there. I can't wait!

I have to agree with the above posters. You need a car to get around LA. Have not lived there for years but I believe the 405, 10, etc have gotten worse but if you drive in off peak times it should not be too bad. I took my daughters on a brief trip to visit my old haunts around UCLA last summer on our way to OZ with stops in Venice, Santa Monica, Westwood, Bel Air, Beverly hills and the traffic was not that bad from the airport. You might wish to rent a car with GPS if navigating is a problem for you and you might ask the concierge or desk people at your hotel for advice about driving,

oooooooooKKK I will let you all know how I get on but if I get plasted all over one of those police chase TV things I am going to blame all!
Thanks one and all .....Liz

Why is the tour not appealing? Is it that you don't want the tourist sites, but do want to be in that area? If not, then a tour right from your hotel would be the most efficient way of accessing the sites.

The teen with whom you are travelling would probably enjoy a visit to Warner Brothers studios as much as Disneyland. He would see a lot of the sets used on TV and movies, and perhaps even some of the actors walking through the lots. It is a very informative studio tour.

Try to avoid Disney on the weekends or holidays to cut down a bit on crowds. We went on a Saturday in April, and I only managed to get on two rides! My teens did better, as they frequently rode as "Singles," instead of as a family. The two rides I did get on were through the Fast Pass reservation system. Be sure to take advantage of that as much as possible. Get there 15 minutes before the park is scheduled to open, and grab a Fast Pass for the most popular ride at the park, and then go directly to whatever other attraction he really is excited to ride.

Have a wonderful trip! And I'll keep my eye on the news looking for you...

Thanks for the tips dreamer - I'll be the one who looked the most frazzled, ranting and raving in some foreign, but slightly English accent, and saying that it was all those Fodorians that made me do it! That should get me a couple of nights free accommodation I think.
I have printed out my maps and have printed out some tours ( hate those things though ) and also printed out the time-tables of trains and buses so am organized I hope.

Oh - another thing... If you do Disney on a weekday, you might have the weekend for your driving into Hollywood/Beverly Hills. Traffic is a LOT better on the weekends, especially Sundays. I agree with you, I thought driving around there was horrific! (I'm from the east coast.)

AND, I almost forgot that the Warner Bros tour requires a reservation, so try to call a few days ahead if you want to take it in.

Have Fun!