Category: Los Angeles

Information about traveling to and from Los Angeles, California

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to Phoenix

phoenixfreewayEspecially as the December holidays approach, more and more people start thinking about spending a bit of time in Phoenix, Arizona. Depending on where you are from it could seem like paradise there during the winter months, or like a waste of time. Plenty of people from Los Angeles make the trip each winter, and fortunately there are several decent options available for getting there. Let’s go over them below, shall we?

  • Miles apart: 364 miles / 586 kilometers
  • Driving distance: 372 miles / 599 kilometers

Quick summary

It’s actually quite a nice drive the first few times you take it, and the road is about as straight as can be, so you’ll get there fast. But still, there are usually great deals on flights to Phoenix so that’s the way to go for most people. You can often rent a car there cheaply as well, and save the wear and tear on your own wreck. Buses are cheap, but take a long time, and there is a way to get there on the train, sort of.

Flights between Los Angeles and Phoenix

Unless you love driving, this is probably the best way to go for most people. Quite a few airlines connect these cities nonstop, and US Airways (at least the former America West part of it) has a very busy hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) Airport, so there are cheap flights nearly every hour of the day. You can often get great deals out of any of the 5 major Los Angeles area airports, with prices starting around $60 each way if you buy in advance.

Flight time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Typical one-way fare: Starting at $60

Trains between Los Angeles and Phoenix

There used to be a train that went directly between these two cities, but lately the Amtrak service can only get you close. You can take the train that goes to Chicago and get off in Flagstaff, Arizona, but that takes 10 hours and then you have to take a bus from there to Phoenix, which adds another 3 hours or so. You can also take a train from LA to Maricopa, Arizona, which is a bit south of Phoenix, but from there you’d have to take a taxi as there is no scheduled service into Phoenix.

Long story short, as great as trains are, this route is so complicated and time consuming that it’s just not worth it.

Typical fare to Maricopa: Starting at $38 each way
Typical fare to Flagstaff: Starting at $59 each way
>>Amtrak website

Buses between Los Angeles and Phoenix

Greyhound provides service between several parts of Los Angeles and its main terminal near the airport in Phoenix. If you don’t have a car and your funds are low, this isn’t a terrible method, though there is a cheaper bus from another company. You’ll also be happy to know there are plenty of cheap Phoenix hotel rooms once you get there, as long as you avoid Scottsdale.

Typical fare: $40 online in advance, or $54 in person
Journey time: Around 8 hours each way

>>Greyhound website

GotoBus here is like an equivalent of the Chinatown buses in the Northeast. They go between mostly-Asian neighborhoods in many big cities, with surprisingly low fares.

Typical fare: $30 each way
Journey time: Around 6 hours each way
>>GotoBus.com website

Driving between Los Angeles and Phoenix

As mentioned at the top, the driving mileage is about 380, depending on exactly where you leave from. The nice part is that it’s straight and easy, and the desert scenery can be quite nice the first time you experience it, unlike the far plainer scenery going from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

There are no road tolls to worry about, unless you take that one cutoff down in Orange County, which you probably won’t. One highlight will be driving through that area near Palm Springs with thousands of windmills on either side of the road, as seen in the movie Rain Man, and elsewhere.

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Accommodation Los Angeles

Which area of Los Angeles should you stay in?

hotelsignRecently a friend was planning on visiting Los Angeles from the San Francisco area, and since it was their first visit to La La Land in about 15 years I decided to help out with some suggestions. It then occurred to me that this is one of the most confusing hotel cities on the planet and I should write something about this. My friend had everything up to his OAK airport parking handled, but didn’t even know which part of the city to stay in.

Where to stay in Los Angeles if you aren’t sure

Many first time visitors book their flights to LAX, and then look for a hotel near the airport because that sounds convenient. While it is convenient, and they’ve built dozens of hotels in that area because of that, it’s actually a terrible part of town to stay in unless you have specific business in that area. There are hundreds or even thousands of hotels in Los Angeles, and unfortunately they are spread out all over.

My best tip is that if you are coming into the city for something specific, and especially if you need to spend more than one day at that thing, stay near there. In other words, if you want to go to Disneyland or something else in Anaheim for two or more days, it’s not a bad idea to stay near there. The same is true of the San Fernando Valley for Universal Studios or other attractions near there.

Areas to consider

Santa Monica/Venice Beach

This is always my choice for those who can afford it, and fortunately there are quite a few discount hotels in the area, even though real estate prices are high. Santa Monica has good public transportation compared to the rest of the city, plus decent nightlife, dining, and shopping, and of course a really nice beach.

Hollywood

I lived for several years in Hollywood and unless you are after something very specific, it’s likely to be disappointing. If you want to attend some TV show tapings and that sort of thing, it can be fun, but don’t stay here if you want to see celebrities or things like that, because you won’t.

Downtown

This area is actually getting better, after several decades of work, but it’s still quite remote from most of the tourist attractions, in spite of being “downtown.” If you aren’t going to a convention or don’t want to learn about ethnic neighborhoods, it’s probably better to stay elsewhere.

South Bay

Assuming you are renting some wheels, this is another great choice. The cities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach all have loads of small hotels in them, yet the area still feels like it’s “locals only.” There’s great food and nightlife and excellent beaches and recreation. The only trouble is it’s not too close to much else. At least it’s way nicer than Downtown.

LAX area

As mentioned in the intro, there are many hotels around the airport, and unless you have some specific reason to stay near the airport, don’t.

The Westside

This is a confusing city and I can’t explain it all here. But suffice to say, if you can afford it and you want a bit of glamour then staying in West Hollywood is far better than staying in the real Hollywood, and staying in Beverly Hills or Westwood is great too. There are cheap hotels just a mile or two from the city limits of the cities mentioned above, and since they are technically in Los Angeles proper they can’t charge much more.

San Fernando Valley

There’s no reason to stay on the other side of the Hollywood Hills unless you have your own thing going on. Hotels are a bit cheaper on that side of the hills, and you’ll see why once you check in.

Orange County

If you want to see Disneyland and some beaches even better than those in Los Angeles, consider staying in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach. You have many options of places nicer than those in Anaheim, and you are still close to Disneyland.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Los Angeles side trips: San Francisco is quick and easy

carjumpRecently I discussed how quick and easy it was to combine a trip to San Diego, the Grand Canyon, or Santa Barbara with a trip to Los Angeles, and I got quite a few emails from people asking me about San Francisco. Well, yes, it is quite easy to combine those trips into one, though San Francisco is a bit farther than the others I mentioned, and also usually more expensive once you get there. Anyway, here are the details on adding San Francisco into your holiday.

A side trip to San Francisco

The cities are about 400 miles (620 km) apart, so this isn’t a drive you might do on a whim. The fastest route is the I-5 until you are almost there, but this stretch of freeway is almost scenery free, and there is a notorious speed trap in King City as well.

Flying between the two cities

The flight itself is only a bit over an hour each way, but the hassle of getting to and from both airports can make it feel like an all-day affair. There are also 5 airports in the LA area that have nonstop flights to the 3 airports in the Bay Area, so don’t just assume that LAX to SFO is your best bet. Sometimes it will be, but flights into Oakland or San Jose can be cheaper.

  • Los Angeles airports: LAX, BUR, LGB, SNA, ONT
  • San Francisco airports: SFO, OAK, SJC

One reason I didn’t mention this as an obvious side trip is that Los Angeles is fairly intense and also fairly expensive, and San Francisco is too. When I travel I like to mix and match destinations so part of my trip is a bit more relaxed and even cheaper. So with that in mind you might want to consider adding San Francisco to one of the other side trips discussed before. Cheap flights from San Diego to San Francisco are pretty easy to find, and the airport in San Diego is also very easy to reach from the tourist areas.

Going to Phoenix in between

This would be highly recommended as a way to string together a nice trip. You can rent a car in Los Angeles and then drive to the Grand Canyon on your way to Phoenix. Then you can take a quick trip to San Francisco from there, often with lower airfares. Flights from Phoenix tend to be cheap, partly due to the fact that Southwest and US Air have big hubs there. You can even pay for PHX airport parking while you are in San Francisco and the whole thing will still be far cheaper than nearly any other option. Phoenix is big and parking is plentiful and safe.

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Los Angeles Things to Do

Combine Los Angeles with a few side trips to get the most out of your vacation

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and even though I often find the place quite frustrating, I always tell anyone who’ll listen that it’s a city that you just have to see with your own eyes at least once to be taken seriously as a “traveler.” I’ve met quite a few people who say that they “just aren’t interested in Los Angeles” and I don’t believe that for a minute, though I do see why people might not love the place. Still, it’s a great idea to combine a few side trips with your LA visit to get the most out of the whole holiday, so here are some recommendations.

The Grand Canyon

grandcanyonIf you are coming from across the country or across an ocean to get here, you should definitely consider adding this to your itinerary, at least for a couple of days. You could drive all the way there, but it’ll take you at least 8 hours on the road, and it’s actually not very scenic on the way. A better idea is to look into flights to Phoenix, which tend to be very cheap. You can rent a car there, usually for less than you’ll pay in Los Angeles, and then it’s about a 3-hour drive that is actually quite nice.

There are plenty of Grand Canyon hotels from which to choose, but especially during summer those are going to be very expensive. I recommend spending one night at one of those hotels so you have two days to experience the national park surrounding the canyon, but before and after I’d recommend checking out one of the cheap hotels in Phoenix. Prices there are usually much less than in Los Angeles or the Grand Canyon, especially during summer. I’ve lived in Phoenix for about 5 years as well and there is plenty to do, though the summer heat will get to you after a few days.

San Diego

If you’ve spent a few days in Los Angeles already then San Diego won’t feel like a shock. I’ve spent plenty of time there and it’s pretty much exactly the same place, but with fewer crowds and generally more of a laid-back atmosphere. There are plenty of nice beaches there, but really no better than some of those you’ll find in Los Angeles. It’s just generally a nice and large city by the beach, and perhaps the most interesting thing for travelers from far away is that you can drive about 20 miles south and you’ll be nearing Tijuana, Mexico. Locals will tell you that it’s better to park on the US side (to avoid insurance issues plus a few other difficulties) and then walk across the border since Tijuana is right there.

If you are coming from far away you might just look for flights to San Diego instead of Los Angeles. It’s usually a bit more expensive, but the airport is smaller and nicer, and if you are visiting anyway it’s often worth a bit more money. Don’t fly from Los Angeles though. The flights are expensive and will take longer than taking the train or driving anyway.

Santa Barbara

About 90 miles up the coast from Los Angeles you’ll come to one of the nicest cities on the West Coast. Santa Barbara has great beaches and a lovely downtown that is filled with excellent restaurants and surprisingly good nightlife considering the place is mostly filled with the idle rich. There is a big university just north of town, so the college kids need places to go, and the downtown area accommodates them nicely.

There are plenty of really nice and really expensive hotels in Santa Barbara, but there are also a handful of cheaper places on or near State Street, which is the main street that connects the lovely pier with the downtown area.

You might also just consider Santa Barbara as a day trip, since it usually takes less than two hours each way by car, as long as you don’t go on a Friday afternoon or try to come back on a Sunday evening.

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Los Angeles travel guide

Things to Know Before You Book a Hostel in Los Angeles

losangelesIt’s understandable that the first thing most people think of when they’re planning a trip to Los Angeles isn’t what hostel they’re going to stay in. This is the city where the streets are paved with gold, right? And where you’ll bump into movie stars everywhere you go, right? And where there are Hollywood agents on every street corner just waiting to give you, the latest unknown potential celebrity, a starring role in a movie, right? Hostel? Screw a hostel, gimme the keys to the Ritz!

But of course you’ll wake up from that daydream soon enough, and then you’ll realize that not only won’t you turn into a celebrity overnight, you’ll also need an affordable place to stay in this notoriously expensive city. Which is, as you’ve probably guessed, where the hostels come in.

The next challenge (especially for those of us who don’t know L.A. very well) is to figure out which hostel to choose. There are enough options, but also enough differences that it can be hard to know what you’re getting into. So to help you begin your hostel search with a little more information, here’s a list of important things to know about hostels in Los Angeles before you go.

1. Get familiar with that famous L.A. sprawl

We’ve all heard about it – how unbelievably enormous Los Angeles is, and how it just seems to keep going in all directions. There are all sorts of issues that go with that kind of sprawl, including environmental concerns (because essentially everyone needs a car to get anywhere) and community concerns (because it’s harder to develop a sense of community when everything’s so spread out), but those things don’t really impact tourists. How, then, is it important for you to get a handle on L.A.’s sprawl?

It’s important for a couple reasons, first and foremost because not everything that says it’s in Los Angeles is actually going to be in the city proper. There are countless suburbs that make up the L.A. metro area, and while you may decide one of those ‘burbs is where you want to stay, it’s the kind of thing you’ll want to know in advance.

The other big reason why learning about the sprawl in L.A. is a good idea has to do with your sightseeing “to-do” list. With just a cursory look at a map of Los Angeles, you should be able to plot out exactly where the attractions on your list are in the city. It’s unlikely that they’ll all be in one concentrated area, but if you find that most of them are (or at least the ones that are higher on your priority list), you’ll want to concentrate your search for L.A. hostels in that area to make your sightseeing tasks easier.

2. Is that an L.A. address, or what?

This one is kind of related to the first one, but enough of its own thing that I’m giving it its own number (so there). While you’ve got that map of Los Angeles out, cross-reference it with some of the addresses on the hostels you’re looking at. It doesn’t matter if a hostel turns up under a search for “hostels in Los Angeles,” it may very well be in a completely different city.

Now, you may want to stay in a completely different city – who, for instance, wouldn’t be tempted to stay right on Venice Beach instead of congested L.A.? I’m not saying that if a hostel’s address doesn’t include the words “Los” and “Angeles” in its address that you shouldn’t consider it – only that you should know that kind of thing before you put your money on the table.

3. You got there just fine, now for the getting around part…

Yes, this is sort of another sub-topic of item #1. (Which just emphasizes how important #1 is, no?) Here’s the thing – you might expect a city the size of Los Angeles to have a top-notch public transportation system that’ll have you from one end of the I’ve-already-told-you-how-big-it-is city to the other in no time, so that you, a visitor with no desire to rent a car or negotiate L.A. traffic, won’t have to do any of the driving yourself.

Sadly, L.A. isn’t that city. Sure, there’s a public transit system, and sure, plenty of people use it every day. But it’s neither particularly convenient (especially for visitors) nor terribly speedy. So even if you think you’re doing yourself a favor by finding a hostel that advertises how close they are to a bus stop, that may end up being more of a curse than a blessing.

The good news is that many hostels in L.A. know this about their city, so there are actually quite a few hostels that offer shuttle services to and from some of the more popular tourist destinations in the area. This is a life-saver for travelers who don’t want to rent a car, aren’t old enough to rent a car, or can’t afford to rent a car. So if you fall into any of those groups, be sure to check on the shuttle options at the hostels you’re looking at.

4. Expect higher prices

Unfortunately, the going rate for a hostel bed in L.A. is more than most veteran hostel-goers are used to spending, especially if your travels have taken you to Europe, South America, Asia… Well, pretty much anywhere outside the United States. (Heck, even in the U.S.) Prices like $40-45 per bed per night are not only not unheard of, they’re the average.

Obviously, you’ll have to work that into your budget before you even leave home, and this will certainly give you more incentive to find out whether the hostels you’re looking at have free perks (like WiFi, breakfast, shuttle service, etc.) – but even beyond that, knowing that the prices in L.A. are higher than you might ordinarily expect will make it so you don’t dismiss a place out of hand because you think they’re charging too much, when they’re really just charging what everyone else is charging.

And in the end, you might take the higher prices on L.A. hostels to be a sign that you might as well opt for a budget hotel instead. If you’ve been traveling for awhile and haven’t had a private room in months, or you’re going to L.A. with friends and can share the expense of a 2-star hotel room, then that’s definitely an option to consider. (Of course, you’ll want to keep in mind that most hotels don’t offer shuttle services to their guests – especially the cheap hotels – so the hostel route might still be your best bet.)

Now you’re ready!

Alright, that might be an overstatement. But it’s true that knowing the things listed above can really help someone who doesn’t know the L.A. area plan their trip better and find a hostel that’ll suit their travel needs and budget. Now go have fun in Los Angeles, kids, and bring me back a pair of mouse ears, won’t you?

photo by kla4067

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Los Angeles

Choosing which Los Angeles airport to fly into

airplane-landingAs someone who was born in Los Angeles and who traveled more than my fair share while living there for most of my life, it’s not surprising that I get quite a few questions about which of the airports to use when people are looking for a cheap fare for their visit.

There are five major airports serving the metro Los Angeles area, and that is not counting dozens of general aviation airports where private pilots and private planes dominate. Sure, Los Angeles International (LAX) is by far the largest, and in fact it’s the busiest airport in the world when only counting passengers beginning or ending their journey (rather than just changing planes), but the other four each have good uses, depending on where you are coming from and what you plan on doing in LA.

If you are coming from anywhere other than the United States, the cheapest flights to Los Angeles will almost always be into LAX. The lowest fares to Los Angeles from outside the country are almost exclusive to LAX, but that’s not always the case from US destinations.

The 5 major Los Angeles airports and when to use them:

Los Angeles International (LAX)

This giant is located in West Los Angeles so it’s quite close to most beach destinations in LA County, and it’s also fairly close to Downtown Los Angeles. This is also most popular for those flying in to the busy San Pedro cruise port. With all the family cruise deals lately, it’s getting even more crowded. And in spite of Disneyland being much closer to Orange County Airport, this is the closest to where the Disney Cruises leave from in Los Angeles.

Burbank International (BUR)

This airport is in the San Fernando Valley and is now officially known as Bob Hope Airport (he lived in part of Burbank called Toluca Lake for much of his life), but the locals always just call it Burbank Airport. It’s only about 8 miles from Hollywood and even closer to Universal Studios, so if the “entertainment business” is your main thing, this airport puts you closest of all.

Long Beach Airport (LGB)

This is a small airport that is about 20 miles southeast of LAX and it’s very quick and easy to get in and out of, though the traffic on the freeway nearby is almost always bad. This airport has become trendy in the past few years since this is the only place in the area that JetBlue flies into.

Orange County/John Wayne Airport (SNA)

This airport is the fanciest in the area, but airfares are always on the high side due to strict limits on the number of flights each day. This means every departure has to make a certain amount of money for whatever airline, and they can’t afford to offer bargain basement prices like the other ones. Also, this airport is in the middle of a very crowded and affluent area, so it seems there are always people willing to pay $50 or $100 more for the privilege of flying here. This is also closest do the main theme parks in Orange County so it’s very popular for Disneyland vacation packages.

Ontario International Airport (ONT)

This airport is out in what’s locally known as the “Inland Empire” which is a very densely packed area of suburbs. If you are going somewhere east of Downtown Los Angeles then this might be your best bet of all, as airfares are often low and it keeps you out of the worst downtown traffic.

Bottom line

If you are coming from somewhere within 2,000 miles or so, it’s not a bad idea to check the airport closest to where you’ll be staying in addition to LAX. Once in a while you’ll actually find a lower fare and save a lot of hassle in the process.

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Los Angeles

Fall Travel Deals in San Diego

sandiegoA quick jaunt from Los Angeles and a city full of fun for all ages, San Diego is an ideal U.S. city to explore. I have always loved San Diego. Lots of sunshine, tattooed surfer boys, bikes along the boardwalks and great bars—and while the San Diego I love now is not the San Diego I loved as a kid (the zoo, Seaworld, the sea lions, the beach) it is certainly a city that can please all different kinds of demographics of travelers—from wild 20 somethings to families. And, with plenty of sunshine and the summer crowds gone, fall is actually an ideal time to spend some time in San Diego.

Bike along the beach at Mission Bay, hit the bars in Pacific Beach, catch one of the great ethnic heritage festivals in September or October, or check out some of the restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter. For those who are mourning the end of summer—blue skies and bikini weather lasts well through the autumn months in San Diego, making it an ideal place for a little getaway.

Plus, with strong completion into San Diego Airport between Virgin America, United, Southwest and Alaska Airlines it usually isn’t too difficult to find affordable flights to San Diego. I recently wrote about all of the great fall travel deals to San Diego—and from plenty of great hotel deals and cheap flights it may be hard to resist an autumn getaway to the Southern California city.

For those who want nice accommodations for not a whole lot of money, the cheap hotels in San Diego tend to be centered about 3 miles from downtown in the Mission Bay beach area. Here you can find hotels that are not only super close to the beach, but are also just a short cab ride or drive downtown and walking distance to Pacific Beach. The Best Western at Mission Bay has a three-night-for-the-price of-two offer for stays through December 31.

Another hotel in Mission Bay offering up discounted rooms is the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, which is actually the property where my cousin got married just a few years ago. I can attest that this hotel is absolutely beautiful and with rooms now being offered $129/night (the same rooms can go for as much as $239/night). Jen Leo from the Los Angeles Times tested some of these rates and found that while it was difficult to find the discounted rates on the hotel’s web site, she found the $129 San Diego waterfront resort and spa deal easily for both mid-week stays and weekends on Hot Wire’s Travel Ticker web site.

Another way to save money on a trip to San Diego is to book your hotel and airfare as a package. With hotels and airlines bundling your trip for you, you’ll not only save time, but you could also potentially save money by booking one of the many San Diego vacation packages.

Deals on Cruising From San Diego

San Diego is also a launching point for many cruises heading south to Mexico to warmer waters and temperatures this time of year. While cruise line executives have been making plenty of statements on how well they are faring in the recession, it’s clear from all the crazy sales on cruises that some cruise lines are frantically slashing prices to fill up ships.

If you are still hoping to get away for the upcoming holiday weekend, there are plenty of great deals to be had on last-minute cruises departing from San Diego.

If you’ve got a little more time on your hands and want to take more than a 3-7 day cruise, you can sail for 14 days from San Diego to Miami on board the Celebrity Constellation, visiting Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Putarenas, Cristobal and Cartagena. The cruise departs December 6, and will offer passengers the opportunity to check out fabulous beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean, as well as make stops in two continents and several countries for $899.

If you would rather opt for a shorter, more family-orientated cruise, Disney cruises also depart from the Port at San Diego. Plus, not only can you score some deals on Disney cruises (and all cruises fdor that matter) right now, but San Diego is the perfect city to explore with the kids before the ship ever leaves port. MSNBC recently ranked San Diego as one of America’s 10 Most Kid-Friendly Cities. With the fabulous San Diego zoo, Sea World, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy outside, San Diego is an ideal place to vacation with the kiddos.

If San Diego is not your thing, check out more travel deals from Los Angeles.

photo by Nick Chill

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Accommodation Los Angeles Things to Do

Los Angeles Here We Come!

downtown-los-angelesCalifornia, the largest US state by population, is famous for Disneyland, Malibu, Hollywood, Golden Gate, Napa Valley and the incredible weather. With so many things to do, the first time traveler should find a focus city and plan the vacation around that place. If your vacation plans include some days spent at Disneyland, then it’s a good idea to choose Los Angeles as your base.

Arriving in Los Angeles

When flying into Los Angeles, there are several airports to choose from. The largest is Los Angeles International Airport, better known as LAX. The airport is located about 16 miles from downtown and is a major hub for United Airlines. When looking for cheap flights to LA , it’s a good idea to start with United Airlines or other airlines which have bases here, such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines.

For those planning to get to Disneyland without stopping in LA first, John Wayne Airport is the better alternative, located just 14 miles from the theme parks. It is the airport which receives Southwest Airlines flights , so make sure to check their offers especially if you fly from cities such as Phoenix, Chicago, Las Vegas or San Diego (which the airline uses as focus cities).

Finding a place to stay

Los Angeles is a large city so finding the perfect place to stay can be quite a daunting task. Cheap hotels in Los Angeles can easily be found in the areas around Glendale or Pasadena. But these are far from downtown and beaches so you need to take into account that you’ll have to travel quite a bit to get to the tourist attractions. With a bit of research you can find some affordable places to stay in the Downtown or even the Hollywood area, but most likely you’ll have to get used to the public transportation system if you want to see as much of the city as possible.

Even if your vacation plans aren’t centered on Disneyland, chances are you’d want to visit the park sooner or later. There are easy ways to get from Los Angeles to Anaheim , which is, technically, where the park is located.

If Disneyland is on your agenda, you might want to look for a place to stay right within the park. Hotels in Disneyland come in many shapes and sizes, but generally speaking, the ones within the park will be a bit more expensive than those located outside the park. Lately, however, many hotels offer packages which include not only free nights but also tickets to the theme parks and other services.

Better yet you can look for deals on hotels in Anaheim and you’ll be saving some money on accommodation, for sure.

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Los Angeles Things to Do

How to spend a vacation in Los Angeles on a low budget

los-angelesWith the glitz and glamour of the entertainment business, a large collection of high end stores, hotels and restaurants, it might seem close to impossible to plan a vacation in Los Angeles on a low budget. But never underestimate the power of planning in advance and doing your research.

Getting to Los Angeles

The fastest way to get to the famous city is by plane. You can find airline tickets to Los Angeles offered by a variety of carriers so looking for a good deal is only a matter of how much time you are willing to spend online.

The largest airport in the area is Los Angeles International Airport and the flights to LAX tend to be cheaper than the ones to the other airports. It’s a major hub for United Airlines so make sure to check their fares first when you start planning.

You should also look into renting a car, as the city is very large and you probably wouldn’t want to relay just on the public transport. Ideally, you should also book LAX parking as soon as you get your plane ticket.

If flying is not your thing, there are other ways to get to LA. However, getting from New York to LA takes 3 full days if you choose the bus or the train. San Diego is closer so you are looking at only 3 hours by bus or train.

Where to stay

The rental car I mentioned above really comes in handy if you want to stay in a cheap hotel. Those can usually be found in the Glendale or Pasadena areas but those neighborhoods are far away from both the beaches and sights.

There are plenty of hotels in Los Angeles but you’ll soon realize that many are quite cheap especially if you want to stay close to the downtown area.

There are also a bunch of hostels in Los Angeles but you need to plan in advance and carefully look for something that is located close to the sights.

What to do

If the budget is low, then the parks are really lovely places to explore. There are hiking trails you can try and of course, you can always enjoy the green space for free (although some gardens do have hefty entrance fees, so watch out for that).

A trip to LA is not complete without checking out the beaches . If you want some peace and quite, you might need to avoid the very popular places such as Venice Beach.

Make sure to visit Chinatown and keep your eyes open to spot some interesting meals or souvenirs.

And if you have some spare time, walking in the Hollywood is a good idea. Plus you can always try to find the star of your favorite actor or musician and take a photo there. When hunger strikes, try the Pink’s Hot Dogs . They are a nice choice for a low budget (but not so nice if you are watching your weight).

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting From Los Angeles to New York

Los Angeles is a large city located in California that is full of traffic and mayhem. However, many people love to visit on vacation. Los Angeles is home to an estimated 3,849,378 people, some of which are celebrities. Los Angeles has a number of beaches around the area. Some of these beaches are full of people that would be fit for any Hollywood movie, definitely a sight to see. Los Angeles offers hundreds of places to shop for the top name brand products. This city is ranked very high on the places to see list.

Why would anyone want to leave Los Angeles for New York, and what is the best way to get there? The answer is this; New York really isn’t that different from Los Angeles. New York just like Los Angeles is full of Traffic and even more mayhem. The population of the New York metro area is an unbelievable 19,490,297 people, far more than Los Angeles. This city also ranks very high on the places to see list. How do you get from Los Angeles to New York?

By Plane

By far the most popular way to get between these two famous cities is to fly. Since this route is so popular, quite a few airlines have nonstop flights going between the cities all day every day. If you can find a nonstop flight then it should take about 5 hours in the air, though of course the time spent at the airports will add many more hours to that. If the best deal is a flight that connects along the way, you could be looking at 7 to 10 hours from LA to NYC.

Because these two airports are so large and so busy, it is easy to find extremely cheap direct flights. It is not uncommon to find direct, round trip tickets for around $200 at the absolute minimum, but $300 roundtrip is a more normal cheap fare, and during peak travel seasons you might have to pay $500 roundtrip even for the cheapest flights.

Search tip: Los Angeles has 5 major airports and New York has 3, and you can check all combinations if you use the codes QLA to NYC instead of LAX to JFK, but unfortunately the QLA code (for all Los Angeles airports) doesn’t work in all search engines, so if it doesn’t then search for LAX to JFK and use the “search nearby airports” button.

By Bus

Maybe flying isn’t for you, if not you could take a bus. Buses leave out of Los Angeles heading for New York regularly. However, I must warn you, taking a bus ride from Los Angeles to New York will take almost 3 full days. The bus will stop in many different locations along the way, which makes the drive much longer than if you drove straight through to New York. This is more than likely the cheapest way to get from Los Angeles to New York, the cost for a bus ticket runs about $175 each way on Greyhound’s normal fare, but they do sometimes have promotional specials. You will have to add cost for food, drinks, snacks, or anything else you may need on the long ride.

Check the official Greyhound website for all the details, but be warned that the site is confusing and hard to use.

By train

If you fancy the idea of crossing the country by train, just like the Ricardos and Mertzs did when Ricky had ended his Hollywood stay on “I Love Lucy,” then you might be disappointed to know that it’s slow and way more expensive than you’d imagine. First off you take one train from Union Station near Downtown Los Angeles all the way to Chicago, which takes a bit over 42 hours. Then you change there for a different train that goes the rest of the way to New York City, and this leg takes just over 20 hours. There is usually a few hours between these trains, so you are looking at almost 3 full days to get from one city to the other.

The normal fare is around $240 each way, so it’s usually more expensive than flying as well. And of course that’s just for a normal seat in coach, which might not be so comfortable after the first 18 hours or so. Still, the scenery across most of the country is great, and it can be very relaxing as well. There are occasionally good promotional fares on Amtrak, so if you are lucky you might find something cheaper than this. All the information can be found on the official Amtrak website.

By Car

Next you could just drive yourself from Los Angeles to New York. This is another cheaper way to travel, but again you will have to add in for food items as well as hotel rooms you may need, for a break along the way. Driving will take about 43 hours of drive time, the trip is 2,788 miles one way. The fuel cost for the trip in a vehicle with 20 MPG will cost around $300 or more, depending on gas prices at that moment. Most of the drive will be on I40 East, where you will pass through Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. On this drive you will also go through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

While taking this drive you will definitely want to take you’re time and enjoy the ride. With all these different states you will be driving through, there are numerous things to see on the way. The deserts of New Mexico and Arizona are actually quite beautiful, full of wild life. Just keep you’re eyes open, that way you can catch a glimpse of some natural wonders and beauty that you will definitely pass by on you’re way from Los Angeles to New York.