How To Plan Los Angeles Trip For First Timers?

Los Angeles — The home of Hollywood, celebrities, showbiz, palm trees, ocean and mountains has plenty of things to offer for its first time visitor. Whether you’re planning to visit the city of Angels for a day or two or for an entire week for your perfect getaway, it is important to know about few things to keep in mind while planning your trip.

Based on my recent trip to LA, here’s a list of few things that you need to know to plan your perfect LA vacation!

1) Understand the geography of LA

Before you start planning your trip to Los Angeles, you should know that there are 88 cities in Los Angeles County, California. The city of Los Angeles stretches north to the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains and is bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the east. The city lies on a coastal hilly plain with the Pacific Ocean as its western and southern boundaries. The main areas to explore in LA for any first-time visitor are Hollywood, Downtown LA, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach to name a few.

2) Prioritize your itinerary 

If you’re planning to visit LA only for the theme parks attractions of Disneyland, Universal Studios and Legoland, you need to plan your trip accordingly. Disneyland is located in Anaheim which is 33 miles from the LAX airport and Legoland is located in Carlsbad which is around 93 miles from the LAX airport. The only theme park located in the vicinity of the Hollywood attractions is Universal Studios Hollywood. If your itinerary consist of non-theme park attractions, the city of Angels has quite a lot of things to offer. Therefore prioritize your itinerary based on the things you want to explore!

3) Choose your hotel wisely

I’m sure you must be aware of LA traffic. Therefore the location of your hotel is going to play an integral role in your trip. The only mantra is choosing wisely as you don’t want to spend most of your vacation on the road. If you’re planning a beach vacation, look for hotels in Venice Beach and Santa Monica. If you want to see Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Dolby Theater and  Grauman’s Chinese theater, book your hotel in Hollywood. You can find hotels in the vicinity of attractions quite pricey, therefore look for the hotel’s several blocks away that means you can walk and explore your destination as well as save money on your room. Some tourists even prefer switching hotels so that you don’t have to drive back and forth. Moreover, if you’re visiting LA for all the theme park attractions, book any theme park resort as you’ll get many additional perks through it. You can also check out my ultimate guide to a list of things to pack for your hotel stay.

4) Use the Airport Bus

The FlyAway bus is a good option once you land at Los Angeles International Airport or LAX as it is about 15 miles from downtown and 20 miles from the San Fernando Valley. If you’re renting a car or taking a cab, it can take as long as an hour, depending on your destination and traffic. The FlyAway buses go to several locations such as Van Nuys, located in the Valley; Westwood, about halfway between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills; and Union Station in downtown LA. Each one-way ride costs between $7 and $10 per passenger, and you can catch a bus heading your way once every 30 minutes or so. You can find the pickup locations of FlyAway bus under FlyAway signs outside each terminal at LAX. Make sure to carry debit or credit card as they don’t accept cash.

5) Ride the Metro

Unlike New York City, the Los Angeles subway system doesn’t cover all the parts of the town. It will take you from Hollywood to downtown LA or south to Long Beach but stops miles short of Santa Monica and Venice. If it goes where you’re going, it will save your time and money.

If you’re fond of street art, don’t forget to visit Hollywood / Vine Station!

6) Take the public bus

The best part of public buses is that they cover the entire city.  The only hack is knowing which bus to ride as there are several bus routes and it might be little confusing for the first time traveler. In order to make it easier on yourself, visit the Metro website and clicking on “Metro Trip Planner.” Enter your starting point and destination, and the site will route your trip.

7) Use Uber/Lyft or Starline Hop On, Hop Off buses

Uber and Lyft are also a good idea in LA if you’re not fond of public transport. If you’re planning your trip for a day or two, you can buy tickets from Starline city sightseeing hop on hop off bus tours. You can choose their 24 hrs, 48 hrs or 72 hrs package and can take a glimpse of all the major attractions that city has to offer. I bought 72 hrs package and really enjoyed their tour as well as it was pretty easy to commute between all the major attractions.

8) Don’t forget about the Carpool Lane if you’re planning to drive 

If you’re renting a car, don’t forget to drive in a Carpool Lane whenever you’re on the freeway with at least one other passenger in the car. Try to only drive during non-rush hours in LA. The freeways are at their most crowded between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. So plan your ride accordingly!

9) Buy Go Los Angeles® Card to save on few attractions

The Go Los Angeles® Card provides an access to the list of few attractions that you can choose based on your preference. The perk is that you don’t have to pay anything at the gate plus it saves a few bucks. After buying Go Los Angeles® Card, book the tours of your favorite attractions to avoid any last minute hassle on your trip.

10) Carry a bundle of energy

The city of Angels is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With its gigantic metropolis from the high snowy peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains to the sun-kissed sands of Venice Beach, it is blessed with a diverse topography and culture. Whether you’re visiting the city for a day or for an entire week, don’t forget to carry a bundle of energy to enjoy fullest!

Do share any tip apart from my list if you’ve visited LA before or stay there in the comments below? If not, do you want to visit LA someday in your life?

Till then, happy wandering!
Ana

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