Los Angeles Airport

I am arriving in LA in April and planning to drive toward Las Vegas, stopping overnight in a motel on the way. As I will be leaving at about 4.30pm I am worried about the traffic and the roads. Is it easy to get to the I-15? Is it well signposted? Is it very busy? Am I better staying overnight in LA and then going early morning the next day?

Los Angeles Airport

Hi! If this is your first trip to LA and you are not familiar with the area I would strongly recommend you book and airport hotel, hop on a shuttle after landing and retire for the day.

Even if your plane is on time and there is no line at immigration it will sure be 6pm before you can pick-up your rental car. Driving in LA maze of highways at 6 pm after an 11-hour flight is not something you wish to do for your first experience.

If you decide to stay overnight you have to options - to start early in the morning (before 7am) or to wait until the rush hours passes and start after 10am. Whenever I need to get to Las Vegas or Death Valley from LAX I never want to connect directly to I-15 as this means driving through the whole LA area. I prefer to take I-405 North from LAX, connect with I-5 and then I immediately take road 14 to Mojave. From there I road 58 to Barstow and only connect to I-15 in Barstow. I have done this many time and it is a much beter option. It is nearly not as busy, you escape LA megalopolis sooner and the Antelope Valley through Lancaster and Palmdale is very scenic as well.

If you insist you want to drive out of LA after your landing then at least take this route and stay overnight in Palmdale or Lancaster and don%26#39;t bother with catching I-15 that evening.

Regarding signs - the routes are well marked, however you have to know where you are going and for which turn-off or exit you are looking. Most of the time you will be driving in 5, 6, 8 or even 10 lanes which means you need to be on the correct site to catch your exit, so you have to prepare in advance and start changing lanes when you see the first sign announcing your exit in 2 or 3 miles.

Los Angeles Airport

I agree with above - do not drive to Vegas after a 12 hour flight. Stay overnight in Los Angeles, then set off in the early morning.

Thanks for this advice. I think you have convinced me not to drive far that day (I will have to drive the car to a hotel near the airport) but then will set off early and go the route suggested.

I agree with the responses above, but would also add that flying to Las Vegas on the day that you arrive would also be an option. The flights can be pretty cheap and depending on how long you stay more economical than a rental car and driving. If you are traveling alone this is especially true. You shouldn%26#39;t need a car in Vegas.

I agree with Easy. Why are you driving to Vegas? I%26#39;m sure you could find a cheap flight.

If you%26#39;re going to stay overnight in LA, just stay near the airport, don%26#39;t start your drive. It will be more convenient, and you don%26#39;t have to worry too much about when you leave in the morning. If you drive north on the 405 in the morning rush hour, you only have to make it through a couple miles of bad traffic going north, then you%26#39;re out of rush hour as most traffic is southbound into the city. The first 45 minutes of your drive will be tedious, then you%26#39;ll be fine.

Thanks for all the excellent advice. It is well appreciated, so I am going to stop overnight in LA near to the airport. I did think about flying, but would like the flexability of having the car so we can get to the Grand Canyon and other areas closer to Las Vegas. I can now sleep soundly in my bed without having nightmares about getting lost on a 12 lane highway!!

You can always fly to Vegas on the same day you arrive in L.A. and then rent a car in Vegas for your holiday. The rental rates in Vegas are cheaper than L.A.

I agree that you should fly to Vegas and rent your car there. If you are ABSOLUTELY against that idea then take the free airport shuttle that many hotels near the airport offer instead of picking up your car, and rent your car at a location away from the airport. It will be MUCH cheaper as you won%26#39;t have to pay airport fees. Good luck

I would just like to add that conditions to rent a car in US differ a lot for us over here in Europe. If you book the car in advance through a major tour operator you usually get extremly low all-inclusive rates for airport locations as these are the most frequented ones with Europeans.

I agree, as one who used to do the LA-London run three times a year when I lived in London and visited my da here...you%26#39;ll be in need of some down time so stay in LA one night. There are plenty of spots near the airport---just ask us, we%26#39;ll recommend one!

To help with the jet lag (which I found worse goig the OTHER way back to the UK), head to your local homeopathic chemist%26#39;s and ask for a remedy called NO JET LAG. It%26#39;s made in New Zealand and comes in a little flat pack with a blue stripe and a drawing of a plane on it. This stuff works! You may still feel a little weird, but at least you can function---and that helps alot.

Enjoy your visit! April%26#39;s a good month---not too hot yet in Vegas, and the days are getting longer.