Best way to transfer between Hollywood and Anaheim
 

We are a party of 3- mom and 2 teens travelling from Australia to LA for a 9 night stay. Had a 36 hour visit to LA last year on stopover from Europe and would like to return for more of a vacation.

We visited Universal City, Warner Brothers Tour, Hollywood trolley tour and movie star homes tour last year.

This time thinking of actually walking around the Rodeo Drive area and other shopping areas( instead of seeing them pass by on a bus), love to see TV show taping like Dr Phil, Baseball game and Venice Beach. Also like to visit Disneyland, maybe a day tour to Mexico and the O.C. experience or similar would be great.

Thinking about dividing hotel time between Hollywood and Anaheim, but what are the options for travelling between the two places. Are there companies that transfer from Hollywood hotel to Anaheim hotel? Guessing a taxi would be way too expensive.

Is it better to choose one location and organize tours from that point?

A rental car is not an option as I'm not prepared to tackle driving on the other side of the road ( to what I'm used to) in
Los Angeles.

Would really appreciate all input. Thanks!

lavender,

There is the Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. I don't think a taxi from Hollywood to Union Station would be that costly, although with L.A. traffic one never knows....there is also the subway system that goes from Hollywood to Union Station (red line).

From the Union Station there is the Metrolink and Amtrak. Metrolink does have a line that goes to Anaheim (Orange line), although if you look on their site www.metrolink.com, you will see that they have very limited hours. Either you get on early in the morning or late in the afternoon; the weekends are even more limited. This is because Metrolink serves mainly work commuters.

Amtrak is much better, runs through out the day. www.amtrak.com

I am not sure how far off the Anaheim station is from Disneyland, but I believe that there is a bus that goes from the station to Disneyland.

Now while there is the possibility of public transportation, for three tourists who have never used the system or know the geography well, it probably will be a bit too much. Just wanted to let you know of all your possibilities.

Other than public transportation, I don't know of any other ways to get between Hollywood and Anaheim without a car, except for taxis...which you don't want to do because of the cost.

So I guess I would suggest getting one hotel in Hollywood and then another in Anaheim, although I don't know how you'll get from your Hollywood hotel to the Anaheim hotel without a car. Maybe there are companies that provide transportation between the two points for tourists, I just don't know of any.

Sorry I'm not help!

What time of year is your trip to L.A. and what day of the week do you arrive at LAX?

There is another option besides rail service, but I don't know how much it would cost....although I can guarantee you it'll be a lot cheaper than a cab.

We have shuttle service (mini-vans) by different companies that service the airports. I picked one out of the dozen or so available for hire and sure enough, they service Disneyland. Here's their website.

http://www.primetimeshuttle.com/disneylandshuttle.htm

I would call/write other companies to price compare.

Your only options would be rail, shuttle, or car service if you elect not to rent a car.

Amtrak might not be all that bad an alternative. The stop is at Angels Stadium, which is not that far from the Anaheim Resort area. Although not a large train station, you can get shuttle and taxi service from there to any place near Disneyland.

Shuttle service - and there are lots of them - would also be a good option for you. They will drop you off directly at your hotel, which can be nice.

If you decide to see a baseball game in Anaheim, as opposed to LA, I personally think it is much more convenient because the stadium is closer to the Anaheim Resort area. Unless you have a preference for the Dodgers over the Angels, that is.

I know you say you don;t want to drive a car - but southern CA without one is really incredibly difficult. Public transit is designed for a few very imited commutes - and anthing else require lots of changes, LOTS of waiting and cabs at either end.

I would try to gather yourself together and go for the car. I've done it a bunch of times in England, including Central London - which is way more difficult than southern CA. You can do it if you really want - and it will make the vacation about 10 times more enjoyable - and let you see many more things.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful replies, should have mentioned that the trip is planned for mid January 2007 ( guess I messed up thinking we could catch a baseball game!)

Any other responses more than welcome.

lavender: I honestly think you are the VERY first Aussie I have ever read/heard/met who didn't look forward to driving in California. I have have serveral friends from Oz, have met hundreds of others, and as soon as I mention being from CA - they start asking about a driving holiday.

Now don't get me wrong - driving in LA is not like driving on a quiet country lane. But for a family visit - you really would have it MUCH easier w/ a car. The distance are HUGE and public transport not really geared for tourists. What there is, is mostly to get commuters across long distances to major employment centers.

get a car . . . . .