kittycat1

We are considering a 3 night pre cruise stay staying at this hotel. Can anyone tell me how we would get to Sunset Strip, Beverley Hills etc from there - we won't be hiring a car, so will be reliant on public transport. Is it a very long journey - could we go in the day, come back and go again at night?

cher_cher

There's no way you could do it. I'm sorry Especially if you intend to go, come back, go again, and come back again, all in one day. On the map it doesn't look so bad, as a crow flies and all that, but it actually is and you'll be stuck on the bus for hours. If you want to hit some good nightlife, try the Hermosa Pier. You could walk to it on the strand and then take a cab back to the hotel. My favorite Cheesecake Factory is a couple steps from your hotel, too, right on the water.

lvk

As I'm sure you have heard, public transportation in Los Angeles is awful. It will take you a very long time and several transfers to get from Redondo to Beverly Hills & Hollywood. You can map out your routes on www.mta.net. The Crowne Plaza is on the corner of Beryl/Harbor Drive. To get the the corner of Rodeo/wilshire in Beverly Hills would take you several hours and bus transfers, traveling through some dodgey areas.

For 3 nights in Redondo Beach, I would seriously consider renting a car. To travel beyond the beach cities on public transportation will take a lot of time and effort.

The good news is that there are several good restaurants with beautiful views that are a very short walk from your hotel, should you choose to remain in the area.

Are you cruising out of Long Beach or San Pedro? If Long Beach, you might be better off getting a hotel there. Then at least you could take the Metro Blue line train to the Metro Red line to get to Hollywood.

Sorry to put a damper on your plans. Maybe someone has some good experiences to share with you about public transit in LA. I just don't have much faith in it.

I can help you, however, if you need recommendations for what to see/do in the Beach Cities.

kittycat1

Thanks for your help - unfortunately the hotel is the one allocated by Princess Cruises and I've checked with them and they don't use another one in LA. We're now unsure if it's worth having a pre cruise stay at all, and just doing the cruise. Is there much to see in the Redondo Beach area - we do like nice scenery and walks - do you think we could get a tour from Redondo to downtown LA? Things don't look too good for us at the moment do they!

lvk

Kittycat1,

Things do look good for you, I didn't mean to discourage you! Redondo Beach is a very nice area. It is just not convenient to all the LA "tourist sites" that you would like to see.

You might be able to find a bus tour that would pick you up in Redondo Beach. Check starlinetours.com, grayline tours, hollywoodtours.com. Google Los Angeles bus tours and you might find more. I'm not sure that they venture that far south. However, you could take a cab ride to an LAX area hotel (where they DO pick up) for about $10-15.

You can take nice walks from your hotel along Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach pedestrian and bike paths (the Strand) You could also rent bicycles.

It's about a 15 block walk (along the beach) to the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. If you're going to be there on a Sunday Eve., you could even see Jay Leno trying out his material.

There are lots of good restaurants within walking distance. If you let me know what kind of food that you're interested in, I can offer some suggestions.

kittycat1

Thanks for that info, it really has put a new light on things. I've looked at some of the sites you suggested and it looks as if we can have a day trip, picking up from our hotel, and there seems to be several nice walks in the Redondo Beach area. Any recommendations for dining would be nice - we have pretty varied tastes, but would like to get away from burgers and the like, but somewhere with a view would be nice. Thanks again - things are definitely more promising!!!

lvk

Here's a previous thread with Redondo Beach waterfront restaurant suggestions:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34518778

All are a short walk from your hotel.

lvk

oops, let's try this again. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34510212

kittycat1

Thanks, that was just what we needed - now it's Redondo Beach here we come, and we can't wait!!! Without all your help and advice, we'd have probably given up, thanks so much.

repete

a good place for a quick bite is that little seafood market/ restaurant right across the street at the harbor (Captain Kidd's). It's a great place for grabbing very fresh seasood -- or getting some smoked halibut or tuna to munch on.

not fancy, but cheap and fun.