Derek (UK)

Towards the end of January we have a full 24 hours in LA and as it's our first visit would like to see as many touristy things as possible. We are staying in an LAX airport hotel and would like some tips as to how to get around - i.e. hire a car - use cabs etc. Any ideas?

Shannon

Hire a car. It will definitely be cheaper than using a cab. Remember, we drive on the right side of the road! Steer clear of the 405 freeway during rush hour (which these days, seems to be all day), and stick to Sepulveda Blvd. to take you where you want to go. Sepulveda is reportedly the longest street in the world. Head north on Sepulveda. If you want to see Westwood Village and UCLA (although we are still recovering from that crushing loss yesterday at the hands of the Trojans!), turn right on Wilshire. If you want to get in the thick of Hollywood, turn right on Sunset. You will drive past Westwood, through Beverly Hills to the Sunset Strip. A good place to have lunch or dinner and buy records at Tower Records or Virgin Megastore, or go to a club (Whiskey, Key Club, Viper Room, House of Blues). Continue on to Highland and up to Hollywood Blvd. for your ultimate touristy tacky experience (tourist love this street -- we who live here hate it).

Do you want to visit an amusement park? See the beach? See the canals? Let us know.

jt

Don't need a car or taxi! Amazingly some of the best spots have civilized and convenient city bus service from LAX. The wonderful ped-friendly Santa Monica are served by bluebus 3. Bus 561 is an express to the UCLA/Westwood/Getty Center area which has been covered extensively here. Getty is a must for a total LA experience, even if you don't go for the art. Search here or the web.

Derek (UK)

Thanks for taking the trouble to respond. I'm a bit lost with the language, please forgive me - UCLA.... Trojans.... help!

universities

Derek,

UCLA = University of California Los Angeles (Westwood is a great area.)

Trojans= University of Southern California (USC) mascot

UCLA and USC have a big rivalry!

Deborah

Hire a car. LA is too spread out and you'll spend too much time waiting for the bus. Go to Santa Monica (Third Street Promenade) and Venice Beach. You could go to Malibu and have lunch at one of the beach restaurants. Pacific Coast Highway is a beautiful drive. Take one of the canyons back over to the freeway and go down to Hollywood and drive up in the hills on Mulholland and look at the view. It's awesome if you have never been up there. Any questions, just ask me.

Shannon

Sorry, Derek. I forgot that you wouldn't know UCLA and Trojans any more than many Americans would know who the Gooners or the Spurs are.

Most people from the UK love to go to Venice Beach, especially on a sunny day. While in Venice, I'd highly recommend walking the canals.

Russ

Native Angelino here... I say rent a car if you don't mind driving on the wrong side of the road for 24 hours. Given that you are here in January, the weather will probably be comfortably cool and there is a chance you might catch rain.

My personal favorite would be the Getty Museum, off the 101 in the foothills of LA between Sunset Blvd and Ventura Blvd. Either talk to your hotel concierge or call the museum to discuss the best way to get there, as parking there is on a reservations basis. Even if you are not an aficianado of art, other aspects of the museum such as the walking gardens and the views are spectacular. Mind you, the entire complex is perched on a foothill with stunning, almost 360 degree views from the downtown skyline, across the city basin, and all the way to the rocky Malibu beaches. If it is sunny, it is an incredibly romantic place to be at sunset to watch the sun set over the ocean on your right side while the lights of the city skyline emerge on the left. There is an affordably priced restaurant here as well, but it books quickly and, again, I'd suggest a reservation.

If it isn't raining, I'd suggest a day trip to the trendier beaches, start with Venice during the day to see the more colorful LA scene, lots of great touristy shopping and lots of people-watching the more free-spirited segment of the city population. Ten minutes from there is Santa Monica, which is more fashionable. The main locus of activity is the 3rd street promenade which has more upscale shops, better restaurants, and evening street performers. Perhaps between the two you could stop at one of the restaurants on the Sunset blvd strip or Melrose... I find the back courtyard dining area of Caffe Luna (trendy Americanized-Italian) on Melrose to have good food with nice ambience at a relatively affordable price.

Hope this gives you some food for thought. Enjoy your stay in the States.

All the best, Russ