I'm heading to LA in early November for a conference - staying at the Century Plaza (site of the conf. and the hotwire rate was too good to be true!) and my 17 yr old daughter is going to fly out with me just to relax. So my question is - there's one day I don't have meetings after 1pm - is there a way to get to Venice or another beach without a car - and get back in the evening to the hotel after dinner - easily?

Thanks for any help you can offer!
...Christina

Check Santa Monica's bluebus web page for nearby routes - very nice service LAX-Venice-SantaMonica-UCLA and beyond.

If the MTA strike is over by then, you can also pick up one of their buses on Santa Monica Boulevard or Olympic (www.mta.net). If you want to pay for one, cabs would also available.

One more thing, I believe Hertz has a rental car office at the Century Plaza, so you could rent a car for the day.

The Big Blue Bus is not on strike, it's better and cheaper (by half) from the MTA rapid transit buses. Right around the corner from your hotel on Constellation Blvd. you can catch the number 5 bus. It will take you all the way down to Santa Monica, 4 blocks from the beach. It's not Venice beach, but you can walk to the Santa Monica Pier (2 blocks south and 4 blocks west), and you can also venture down to the beach on either side of the pier. Just to the south of the pier was where the old "muscle beach" used to be as well as the original Hot Dog on a Stick stand. You can also rent bikes and ride the bikes on the bike path right there at the sand; a slow 15 minute ride south and you'll be at Venice Beach.

If the weather holds up (it was 90 today, 80 at the beach and CLEAR!!!!), it would be perfect. But even if it's cooler, it's still fun to do.

I'd just get a taxi (they always have plenty waiting at the Century Plaza hotel) down to Santa Monica. Coming back you'll be able to pick up a taxi at one of the big hotels on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.

Venice is a little different story (even though it is right next to Santa Monica). Renting a car would be better if you want to go to Venice because it's not going to be that easy to get a cab in Venice.

Forget the buses.

Thanks to all for advice - got swamped with work and didn't have a chance to say thank you before this. Our beach excursion is growing to quite a group so renting a car looks likely! (but if I can sneak away for an extra afternoon... there's that blue bus....)