from $1,657
If you love sunshine, showbiz, and shopping, Los Angeles is an unbeatable destination. The City of Angels has a unique appeal thanks to its superb climate, sandy beaches, and movie-making history. You can tour showbiz sights and hear tales about the lives of celebrities, enjoy the thrills provided by rides at Universal Studios, or treat the kids to a trip to Disneyland California. Fashion lovers also flock to LA for its boutiques. Hit the stores on Robertson Boulevard, and discover the latest designs by Chanel, Kitson, or Tommy Hilfiger, or head to malls like the Beverly Center. It doesn’t matter whether you are there to shop, catch a glimpse of your favorite actor or perfect your tan, Los Angeles is a year-round destination like no other.
Across the world, Los Angeles is most famous for its movie industry. Check out the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, take snaps of the Hollywood Sign, watch a movie at the Chinese Theater or dive into the mall at Hollywood and Highland. You can also take guided tours of stars’ homes and the studios which launched their careers.
LA isn’t always thought of as a family destination, but it should be. Kids will love getting to know the characters and experiencing the rides at Disneyland, while Universal Studios features attractions based on popular kids’ movies like Despicable Me and Shrek.
Only Phoenix and Las Vegas can boast more sunny days a year than Los Angeles and the average temperature in the city is a comfortable 71 degrees. Rainfall is rare, storms aren’t a factor outside of the middle of winter, and the beaches of Santa Monica or Venice are almost always packed.
It’s not all about blockbuster movies and Disney in LA. The city also has some excellent galleries. You can see Impressionist masterpieces at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, see Asian artworks at the Chinese American Museum (425 N Los Angeles St), or check out lesser known artists at contemporary galleries like Perry Rubenstein (1215 Highland Ave) or Marc Selwyn (9953 S Santa Monica Blvd).
LA is the place to go for America’s best Mexican food, so be sure to taste the tacos at Guisados Tacos (2100 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue) or a bowl of chilli from Chili John’s (2018 W. Burbank Blvd). There’s plenty of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Jewish, Greek, American, and even British-style pubs to discover as well.
Getting around Los Angeles by public transit is possible, but not as easy as it could be. Buses have pretty good coverage, but may only serve particular stops every 30 minutes or so, while the Metro doesn’t cover the whole of the inner city. If you do plan to get around by public transportation, get hold of a Metro Pass ($7 for a day, $25 for a week) or a TAP Card that can be recharged (only applies to rail and subway connections). However, Metro passes won’t apply for DASH or FlyAway airport buses, so you will need to buy separate tickets to use those services.
Taxis are an excellent way to get around Los Angeles. Expect to pay $2.85 for the meter drop, then $2.70 for every additional mile, as well as $0.30 for every 37 seconds of delays. There’s also a $4 surcharge for all trips that involve the airport. For a cheaper option, you can give Uber a try. Their cheapest cars have no base fare and only charge $0.15 per minute after that, so they can be a good way to save money.
Renting a car is even better than taking taxis for most visitors to LA. You can rent vehicles from major rental companies like Avis, Enterprise, and Budget at LAX and LA’s other airports and the cost can be as little as $20 per day. Gas costs around $3 per gallon in Los Angeles, so factor this into your budget as well. If you do choose to drive, remember that seat belts are mandatory under California law, right turns on red lights are allowed unless signs indicate the contrary, but pedestrians have right of way at all intersections. Parking in central LA costs around $7 per hour, but it’s cheaper near out of town Metro stations, which may be a better place to leave your vehicle.
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