ediebrown

Hi there! My family and I are getting ready to fly to Australia for a cruise. We are flying from the East Coast and will be arriving at LAX on a Tuesday at 2:35 PM. Our flight to Sydney does not depart until 10:20 PM. I was thinking of checking our bags with the airline and then renting a car and driving into Hollywood for a few hours.

My question is - if we drive to Hollywood, when should we plan to head back to LAX? I know that LA traffic is a challenge! I would like to be back at the airport by 8:00 PM.

I am guessing by the time we pick up the car it would be approx 3:30 PM - is this going to allow enough time to head to Hollywood. Look around a little while and head back?

Thank you so much for all of your replies!

Edie

Tomsd

Leaving the airport - when one has an International flight - is always a bit daunting for moi.

Also - when you get the car at 3:30 PM - that's the start of evening rush hour traffic and what might normally be an hour to get from LAX to Hollywood could take a lot longer.

Getting back to LAX should not be a real problem - leaving Hollywood around 7 PM/7:30 or so - to be safe.

Others who live in LA can comment further. When driving in LA LA land - which I/we have done a lot - I always make sure to tune into AM 1070 on the radio - where they give traffic reports every 6 minutes during the day. You might also try to get a good LA freeway map if you are venturing around - as if one freeway gets an accident or some such - you can try to plan around it a bit but it also does have an effect on the others.

You might alternatively consider getting up to the amazing Getty Museum - only a 20 minute drive (under normal conditions) from the airport. It has a view of downtown. http://www.getty.edu/

easytraveler

First thing is: will the airline allow you to check in baggage that early before flight time? I've run into airlines that won't store luggage for a later flight.

Secondly: will you have a GPS or a good map of LA? Although the streets in LA are pretty straightforward, you don't want to be taking too many wrong turns.

Thirdly, travel times will vary depending on what it is that you want to see in "Hollywood". If the airline allows early checkin, then you can give yourself some margin until 8:30pm, but no later as you still have to return the car.

ediebrown

Thank you so much for your replies!

janisj

Instead - (IF the airline will check the bags) why not go somewhere closer - and nicer - than Hollywood? Santa Monica or even nearer - Manhattan Beach.

I'd take a cab to Manhattan Beach myself. But if the airline won't pre-check the bags, you could rent a car, which would double duty as a 'luggage locker', and drive over to Santa Monica.

3:30 and after is the start of the heavy afternoon commute traffic so I wouldn't go much farther than the beaches. Driving back to the airport won't be too bad.

Gardyloo

Unless you're on two separate tickets, your bags ought to be checked through all the way to Oz.

Since most cruises in Oz/NZ occur in the southern summer, i.e., northern winter, I'm assuming this will be during the fall/winter, in which case it will be getting dark pretty early. I too would opt for staying closer to the beach. Hollywood isn't that much to see anyway, but you could instead go to Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, or even drive the coast up to Malibu, watch the sunset, get a meal, and still get back to the airport in time to drop the car and check in.

See the sun set over the Pacific before you see it rise over the Pacific a couple of days later.

ediebrown

I did not think about Santa Monica. I could take my daughter to the pier! Cool!

I understand that Venice Beach is also near by?

easytraveler

Yes, but Venice Beach is south of the airport and Santa Monica is north.

If you don't go to Hollywood (and really it's just the name that makes it sound more attractive than it is) and just stay along the beach, driving along Sepulveda Blvd, you may be able to go to both provided that you don't spend too much time in either town. I'd suggest doing Santa Monica first and going as far as even Malibu. Or drive straight to Malibu on the freeway and then start southbound along the coast.

sf7307

Venice Beach is not south of the airport, it's between the airport and Santa Monica.

janisj

sf7307 is correct. Venice Beach is practically walking distance from Santa Monica (but not walking distance during your short time frame 2.5/3-ish miles).

easytraveler

sf7307 is correct.

I was thinking of the "Beach" towns: Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo.

PeaceOut

LA traffic can be unpredictable, and since you do not know your way around, I think you would be taking a risk to get a rental car (which can also take awhile) and drive yourself.

And I agree that Hollywood is overrated, also.

You could cab to Venice Beach and walk along the beachwalk to Santa Monica pier. Get a bite to eat, and cab back to LAX.

easytraveler

Excellent suggestion about taking a cab, provided the airline will allow you early checkin of your luggage. Taking a cab save you the time to pick up and drop off a rental car.

If the beach is what you want, cab straight up to Malibu and then walk down along the beach to Santa Monica and beyond. The attractive part of Santa Monica is along/close to the beach anyhow.

The further south you walk, the less it'll cost you to cab back to LAX, so overall, you wouldn't be spending that much more for cab fare vs rental car.

If it's not so much the beach, then just cab to Santa Monica.

jamie99

Malibu is way too far north of Santa Monica to walk, and I would skip Venice, not what it used to be, now full of medical marijuara doctors and drug paraphernalia shops and will be few if any performers around that time on a weekday.

Stick to Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach

Jeff801

When I was in school in the East, Hans Bethe, a Nobel Prize winning physicist, returned from sabbatical at UCLA and claimed to have discovered a new law of physics. "Everything in LA is at least one hour away from everything else." After living there for 14 years, I think he understated the time interval.

vivi

I would take a cab to Manhattan Beach.

zatrams999

If you have only a few hours in LA, I'd suggest go to Santa Monica. Walk around on 3rd street Promenade where the street performers are, check out some of the interesting stores, go to the pier and maybe try the roller-coaster or some other fun stuff, walk by the ocean if it's not too cold, grab a bite to eat somewhere in Santa Monica, then get back to LAX in time.

And taking a cab would be a lot easier than renting a car, in my opinion - why deal with maps, traffic and parking if you're only there for a few hours? Manhattan beach sounds like a good option too.

socialworker

Ditto to zatram! Definitely the most workable plan and easily done by taxi. IMO, do NOT rent a car.

ReneeS

I would make a more specific plan. Is there something in LA you particularly want to to see? Some reason you were thinking of Hollywood? With limited time, I wouldn't just take a cab and get dropped off to wander around, especially as it gets dark. I would avoid Venice Beach too and walking from Malibu to anywhere else is not an option.

PeaceOut

One note: if you are taking a cab, you will want to call and order one to meet you in advance, because cabs can be hard to find in L.A. Not at the airport, but most everywhere else.