Won a trip to LA
 

Won a trip to LA to see a taping of Will & Grace. Have never been to California before and the trip is only for 4 days, 3 nights.
Haven't heard for sure, but don't believe any ground transportation is included in the trip. Tentative hotel is Sheraton Universal.
How difficult/expensive will it be to travel around the city to see some sights? I've looked at Fodor's "best 3 day" intinerary for some ideas. Any others?

Congratulations! That should be so much fun!

The good news is, you can walk from the Sheraton Universal to the Metro Station (at the bottom of the hill) and use that to get you downtown as well as to the sites along Hollywood Blvd (Grauman's Chinese, new Kodak theatre, etc). If you take it to Union Station, you can see our fabulous and underused train station (lovingly restored), and walk over to Olvera Street. You can also take it to the Staples Center to see a game or concert (depending on when you're going).

The downside is, if you want to head points West (i.e. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Century City), you will probably need a car. Also check with the hotel to find out the cost of overnight parking, which can be expensive. Nonetheless, I'd recommend renting a car so you can see points West. It's easy to get there from the hotel, heading down Cahuenga past the Hollywood Bowl. Cahuenga turns into Highland, and you can take that to Sunset, hang a right and drive all the way down to the beach.

When are you coming here?

The Metro train can also take you to Old Town Pasadena (lots of restaurants, shopping, movies), Chinatown, Long Beach (Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific), Manhattan Beach (sun, surf, sand, old-time pier) and LAX Airport.

In downtown L.A. alone there is the aforementioned Union Station, Olvera Street and Staples Center plus the Music Center (theater and concerts), the new Disney Hall (concerts and spectacular architecture), the new cathedral, MOCA, Japanese-American Museum, Little Tokyo.

You'd need a car (or perhaps more economical by taxi when you factor in rental cost, parking and gas) for the Getty Center, LACMA, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, although with only three days you can keep very busy just seeing sights accessible via Metro. If you have a choice of days, I'd include one or more weekend days when getting around by Metro will be less crowded.

If possible from your city of departure, try to get them to fly you into Burbank instead of L.A.

Much more convenient to your hotel and to NBC.

I'll be arriving on Feb.18 and leaving on the 21st.

Just an FYI--Will & Grace tapes at CBS Studio Center in Studio City. If you are not provided with transportation you will need a car to get there from Universal City.

But flying into Burbank is still the way to go.

DebbieJ in LA

I am jealous!!!

We did the Warner Brothers tour in Sept and we had the very lucky fortune to be asked if we wanted to see a taping of Friends(they needed people in the audience that day). I jumped on the chance and it was great! The area you are staying in, is close to attratctions but not within walking distance. I would think you might have to take cabs or busses and we had a rental car so I wouldn't know how to find that info. You will be very close to Warner Brothers (which I highly suggest doing their tour but I think it is at least $25 a person) which was a really good tour and it's never exactly the same so you could run into whoever is there that day. Also close to NBC studios so you could go to the tonight show but you might have to wait in line for awhile (you get the tickets the day of the show at their ticket/tour desk). NBC's tour is not worth it so don't bother spending the $8. You will also be very close to Hollywood Blvd so if you are interested in sightseeing you can spend some time walking around there. Have fun! Hope you get to see everyone on the cast!

We will be coming in the middle of February--flying in Wednesday, flying home Saturday

Finally got the specifics on my trip, and I will definitely be flying into LA and staying at the Sheraton Universal Hotel...was told that it is 2 miles from Studio City where the show is taped. Is there public transportation available to get me there? How is cab service in LA? Also, my 18 year old daughter MUST see Rodeo Drive...how difficult/expensive will that be? Planning on hiring a limo from the airport instead of the supershuttle (only a few dollars more)..because I heard the supershuttle takes forever? True?

I would rent a car for the 3 days. It probably will be cheaper in the long run and is really a necessity.