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Do I need to rent a car in Los Angeles as a tourist for 1 week?

  • Me and my 2 girlfriends want to get away for my birthday in May - we want lots of beaches, shopping, great night life and good food. We are from Vancouver and we don't want too much travel time so we figure since most of what we want fits in with LA, we would go there. Also because last year we went to Vegas (which was awesome - but we want something a little less fast-paced this time). We have had no problem finding good flight and hotel deals..we just want to know if we can get to most places by cab or foot. We don't know where we are staying yet so I guess any suggestions on a good central location would be nice. Our first priority is to be close to a beach and good food. We don't mind cabbing a short distance to go out to clubs/lounges and bars at night but we don't want our whole trip to end up being spent on cab fare. Also, we want to be able to have a short cab ride or even walk to a mall or great shopping areas. So my questions are: 1. What area in LA would you suggest we stay in based on our criteria? 2. Would cab fare be too expensive for 7 nights? 3. Do we really need to rent a car? Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

  • Answer:

    There is no such thing as a central location here. If you only want beaches, shopping, great night life and good food, but none of the typical attractions such as Disneyland, Magic Mountain, etc. you could stay in the Santa Monica/Venice area. The area has everything you are asking for and you can take a shuttle from LAX to your hotel. Although cabs are expensive here, taking them a few times for short distances will not be too bad. However, if you want to go anywhere outside the immediate area you must have a car.

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Yes. But unless you have big-city driving experience - and nerves of steel - you may want to reconsider. Also, you generally have to be 25 or over in order to rent a car.

MomSezNo

Stay at the Hotel California in Santa Monica. Don't worry it's not anything like the Hotel California in the Eagles song, although that would make for an memorable vacation. It's more motel than hotel, but it's decorated in a beach theme and it sits on the beach next to the Santa Monica pier. You can walk to Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, Main Street (less tourist trap) and Venice Beach where you'll find plenty of bars, shopping and restaurants. Their website has only listed a few of the things that are within walking distance. There is a paved beach path and places to rent beach cruisers. Taking cabs is very expensive. If you want to explore Los Angeles and Hollywood you need to rent a car.

Muppet

Most people cannot grasp the sheer sprawl of LA. The city itself is 500 square miles, but many attractions are outside the city limits, such as Disneyland and the beaches. For example, it's 36 miles from Universal Studios Hollywood to Disneyland. A cab ride will cost over $100 for one ride. And you'll need another $100 for a return trip. Considering that a decent rental car will only cost $30-$50 per day, you can see that it's much more economical to rent a car. 1. Since LA is so spread out, there is no single place that is close to EVERYTHING. Most people who come here tend to stay in Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Anaheim. In Hollywood, I recommend the Orchid Suites, Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, or Hollywood Heights (formerly Holiday Inn Walk of Fame), all near Hollywood and Highland. In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced. In Anaheim, I recommend the Howard Johnson (HoJo) Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. There is also a nice place in Burbank called the Best Western Media Center, very close to Warner, NBC, and Universal Studios. 2. Yes, too expensive. See above. 3. Yes, you really should rent a car. You could take public transit, but if you're staying in Hollywood, for example, it would take 2-3 hours to get to the beach, and 3+ hours to get to Disneyland.

Obviousman

I've not been to LA, but, from what those who have tell me - cars are ubiquitous there. Places are pretty spread out, and apparently EVERYONE drives. Hence the crazy traffic there, but... just the way it is, I'm told. Definitely get other opinions, but, I've heard this from several. And, with 3 people to share the cost, it might be worth it anyway.

capitalgentleman

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