How much spending money do I need for 2 weeks in LA?

To further clarify, it'd be good to know what other holiday makers have spent in a similar situation

Budget US$60 (£40) per day per person for basic meals and minor incidental expenses. Does not include meals at upscale restaurants, alcohol, or partying. Check car rental costs for the period you will be in the USA as it varies according to demand. Best is to use an agency website such as www.avis.com, www.budget.com, or www.hertz.com rather than a travel website like Expedia. Budget $4 per gallon and assume the car will get 20 miles per gallon, so every 100 miles you drive = $20 in fuel costs. Remember to budget for parking, and make certain the car is FULLY INSURED. Getting in an at-fault collision while abroad (anywhere) is a bad time to discover you are under-insured You need to check taxi fares based on where you will travel from/to and back. Please realize the extended Los Angeles metro area is the size of Switzerland and has a population of 20 million people. The front desk staff at your hotel can provide estimates. Disney, Universal, etc. do not offer discounted tickets, except for multi-day tickets. Price tickets on the park websites. DON'T buy tickets from Craigslist or e-Bay as they are generally counterfeit. For shopping, use store sites like www.macys.com and www.target.com to compare prices. Remember sales tax is added at the cash register in the USA and is usually about 8%, so an item with a price tag of $100 will actually cost about $108. Sales tax is also added to the bill at bars, clubs, hotels, and restaurants. --------- Citizens of about 35 countries can travel to the USA for up to 90 days at a time as a tourist or for some business purposes by registering for ESTA > before < their trip begins. The cost is US$14, which is similar to the fee for the Australian ETA program. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=129 Registering is accomplished online, you don't need the details of your trip, the response is usually immediate, and the confirmation is valid for multiple trips to the USA over two (2) years so don't wait until the last minute. The online application has a question about arrests and convictions. It ONLY applies to major crimes and drug arrests/convictions as an adult (age 18 or older). Answer NO to the question unless your personal history includes an event which counts as a major crime committed as an adult or drug offense committed as an adult. http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/ineligibilities/ineligibilities_1364.html Print the confirmation - or at least record the number - and keep the information with your passport. Having a return or onward ticket leaving North America is a requirement, so have a copy of your airline itinerary at passport control. If you are planning a long visit then DON'T schedule your departure day for the 90th day (any part of a day in the USA counts as a whole day, so if you arrive at 23:59h on the 1st and leave at 00:01h on the 10th it is 10 days in the USA). Schedule your departure not later than the 88th day as there are no (zero) provisions in the Visa Waiver Program for someone to voluntarily extend their stay. If you miss your flight due to something Immigration might consider avoidable (ex. flat tire on the way to the airport) they may ban you from using the VWP in the future. Check with your health insurance to find out if it covers you in the USA and pays for medical evacuation to home (should that be necessary). If yes then take proof of coverage with you. If no or not sure then get trip medical insurance, which is cheap and sold by airlines & travel agents. The USA has wonderful medical care but it isn't free or even cheap. Please do not skimp on this as an otherwise-silly accident could turn into a crisis if you don't have medical insurance. This is a link from the US government, but the info is good for anyone traveling outside their home country: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html .