Have never been to the states and are really looking forward to our holiday 5nights in L.A,then driving to Las Vegas for 6 nights,returning t L.A for 3 nights.Am a little worried about driving.We are due to land 5.30p.m at L.A and our hotel is in Studio City.Looks very easy route on map but feel this is probably not the case.Had considered staying at airport hotel for first night but worried that might %26#39;waste a day%26#39;.What are your thoughts?
Are we mad to drive?We find driving in the US very good, roads are well sign posted, but the turn off%26#39;s from the freeways are almost on top of you after the signposts. If you get lost there are always motels along the highway where you can pull off, at very resonable rates I might add. Hope this has helped, have a great holiday.
Are we mad to drive?Driving in LA is not so bad if you are not in a hurry! You didn%26#39;t say whether you are arriving at 5:30pm on the weekday or weekend? If on the weekend, you shouldn%26#39;t have too much traffic driving to Studio City, but on the weekday, you will have rush hour traffic.
But I agree with you about the ';waste of day';. I would just get to your intended destination so that the next day you are ready to just go out and be a tourist!
Enjoy your vacation! I hope someday, I will be a tourist in your country!!
If your plane lands at 5:30, by the time you clear customs, get your luggage and your rental car, traffic should be almost done. You%26#39;ll have no problem getting to Studio City, it is an easy drive.
If you don%26#39;t already have your flight booked for Vegas, fly out of Burbank. It is close to Studio City and much smaller and easier to get in and out of.
you could take the super shuttle to your hotel, then pick up the car the next day. supershuttle.com
I really hate to drive after I%26#39;ve flown for 10 or 15 hours.
check out my list of fun things to do in Cali
www.thingsyoushoulddo.blogspot.com
Have fun
Shawin
Know the feeling.
I drive 40,000 miles a year in the UK and the thought of switching sides scared me witless.
Going for the fourth time this year, and I willbe driving again.
My thoughts.\
driving is not difficult in the States - you will have an automatic, so one less thing to worry about.
Roads are generally wider (and outside rush hour quieter).
Signs are in English making instructions understandable.
Have a good map (we use a deLorme map 2miles to 1 inch) available in the UK.
Take trips in small chunks - our first drive to Las Vegas we stopped for 2 days Palm Springs (planned 1 but loved it) and 1 night at Lake Havasu City.
Keep your itinery flexible.
Signs for streets hung across the road indicate the road you are crossing not the road you are on. (This was the only significant mistake we made, which got us lost in the rush hour!!)
In answer to your main question, this year we are taking a taxi to North Hollywood, where we will stay 3 nights, going to Universal by subway, walking around the sights, and then picking up a car and driving out of LA to the coast.
Saves 2 days rental plus allows acclimatisation and jet lag recovery.
We will be there 30/6 - 27/7/06
For me, driving in HK was the best preparation, though driving on the %26#39;other%26#39; side of the road was not nearly as bad as I had thought, largely as there are few roundabouts!
1. Get SatNav or GPs for your car from the rental company
2. You can turn right on a red light when looking to see if the coast is clear
3. When turning left, there is a seperate %26#39;bay%26#39; indicated by a thick unbroken line and an arrow painted on the road.
Turning left takes concentration, especially when the oncoming lane is turning right at you.
The freeways can be crazy and need concentration (though people drive much slower at night), keep right if you have to.
Drivers are polite, though some can hoot you if you dont turn right on a red light.
All in all, you will get used to it :)
Thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions.Think we%26#39;re gonna brave it and keep our fingers crossed that we don%26#39;t start our hols with an arguement over my map reading skills(or lack of)!!!!
One thing no one has said so far and is the most important: Fly to Vegas, don%26#39;t drive. It%26#39;s a long, somewhat treacherous, very ugly and uninspiring drive. It%26#39;s faster and cheaper to fly. There are flights all the time and it takes only 45 minutes to an hour to get there. You won%26#39;t need a car in Vegas and you%26#39;ll save TWO days by flying (it%26#39;s a full day getting there and a full day back, when you drive).
Hi Yogachik,
We thought we would drive as with 4 in our group ,thought flight would be too expensive.Also thought having a car might be nice so that we could visit Hoover Dam.
Bit worried by your comment of route being %26#39;trecherous%26#39;though,what do you mean by that?
The drive to Vegas is not that treacherous (only if you end up in a major rain storm or drive on a long holiday weekend). While the drive is monotonous, for people who have never been through the California desert, it is actually very pretty. It is about a 5 hour drive and there are places to stop and stretch. People do tend to drive VERY fast on the the roads, so stay to the right and be aware of your surroundings, but I would not be too worried, we drive it all the time and have never had a problem.
When we fly, we fly out of Burbank (much easier than LAX) and get tickets way in advance. On SWA it is about $49 one way.
Flying definately takes less time, but I would not deter you from driving if you prefer to drive. Plus Hoover Dam is definately worht a stop. There are also several outlets along the route if you enjoy shopping. Also, there is Calico, an old ghost town that is interesting.
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