Travelling Around LA

Lokolo

neilbond007 wrote: »

Looking at the itinerary -
Go to Las Vegas from Monday 6th June to Friday 10th June. Driving from LV to LA on the Friday.
Staying in LA from Friday -> Wednesday.

Personally I'd stay in Vegas another couple of days. LA is vastly over-rated and in truth is a bit of a crap hole...
Vegas - 4 blokes... 22 years old... knock yourselves out.

Have you checked what you want to do at each place? (Vegas / LA)
Vegas - Lay by the pool and drink at night. You can walk whereever you want to go (and get a bus downtown). I'm not a gambler but love watching other people gamble their cash away. You've also got the hoover dam close by. A day trip to the grand canyon etc..
LA- Universal / Disney... not much else... The Hollywood sign... you see it and it's done.

I was thinking of that myself. But I have planned it so that we are in LV on a non weekend (as I have been told by numerous people that LV on a weekend means high prices)

I have also found out there is a Coyote Bar in LV, so I suspect I will be in there Monday-Thursday....

We also need to be in LA on the Saturday 11th, as we are planning on going to watch LA Galaxy play. Then we have Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Morning to go to beach and universal studios.

EDIT-

just to say I have been to both these places, I don't think LA is that nice either but the others want to go.

only thign I can think of is to bring everything forward a day early, so I arrive in LV on Sunday, leave on Friday but then leave LA on Tuesday.

neilbond007

Lokolo wrote: »

I was thinking of that myself. But I have planned it so that we are in LV on a non weekend (as I have been told by numerous people that LV on a weekend means high prices)

I have also found out there is a Coyote Bar in LV, so I suspect I will be in there Monday-Thursday....

We also need to be in LA on the Saturday 11th, as we are planning on going to watch LA Galaxy play. Then we have Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Morning to go to beach and universal studios.

Weekend prices are higher than weekday but not if you look around for deals. Downtown you can still find some good deals (certainly much cheaper than LA hotels) and it's a cool place to walk around.
I was tempted to watch the Galaxy when I've been there but the feeling that I'll be sitting there watching the equivalent of conference football with a few thousand mexicans didn't appeal to me!
Coyote Ugly is in NYNY. Never been in it. One thing to remember is alcohol is expensive in casinos, especially the bars. What I always do in Vegas is either -
1. Watch the cocktail waitress. See where she's moving and sit at a machine in her patch. Put $20 in the machine. Order a beer (free when gambling). Wait for her to bring drink back. Tip $1. Cash out the $20.
2. Buy beers from the 7 eleven just down from Planet Hollywood. You can buy beers from anywhere (gas stations are cheap too - there's one just behind the flamingo) and walk down the street / in to any casino with your beers.
If you do any of those it'll save you a fortune.

For example. Me and the mrs were in MGM sports book watching the US Open golf last year. We bought 4 x 24oz (about 1 1/3 pints per can) from the 7-eleven for about $5 total. Bloke in front ordered 2 x 12oz beers. These were $7 plus tip. So, I got 96oz for $5. He got 24oz for $15...

Lokolo

I doubt LA Galaxy can be worse than Wycombe Wanderers so that'll be fine

neilbond007

Lokolo wrote: »

I doubt LA Galaxy can be worse than Wycombe Wanderers so that'll be fine

As a Stoke fan of 25 years I hear where you're coming from!

In LA make sure you catch a Dodgers game too. They're playing my team, the Reds, in a home series when you're there. Get the cheeapest tickets and enjoy! The Tuesday night they are giving away bobbleheads. Always a good souvenir!

Flyboy152

Lokolo wrote: »

Well we don't really want to pay more than £1k for 2 bedrooms (2 of us in each), there seems to be a jump from getting a cheapish hotel (like a holiday inn type one) to getting anything above that.

You could try some of the suite-type hotels. Some have two bedrooms and might work out cheaper than two separate rooms.

Lokolo

Flyboy152 wrote: »

You could try some of the suite-type hotels. Some have two bedrooms and might work out cheaper than two separate rooms.

I've just done that, the same hotel is £100 cheaper when 4 of us sharing one room. 2 Queens. Going to be cosey

edit - ignore me, its cheaper, but thats because ive put staying there a day less (might change the itinery!)

Starrystarrynight

@I was tempted to watch the Galaxy when I've been there but the feeling that I'll be sitting there watching the equivalent of conference football@

They weren't quite that bad, but they certainly weren't Premier League standard. Saw them play as the away team at home, didn't realise they share the Home Depot stadium, against Chivas Regal in October last year and had a great time. Becks played about an hour and was head and shoulders above the rest. The standard of the linesmen was shocking! Had a great afternoon, though. We were sat on the second row from the pitch and paid $25 each. We drove to the stadium to buy our tickets. We were offered the same tickets through an agent for $75!

Much as the roads over in California terrify me, we definitely found it an advantage to hire a car. It was great to drive along the coast, especially.

Flyboy152

neilbond007 wrote: »

Looking at the itinerary -
Go to Las Vegas from Monday 6th June to Friday 10th June. Driving from LV to LA on the Friday.
Staying in LA from Friday -> Wednesday.

Personally I'd stay in Vegas another couple of days. LA is vastly over-rated and in truth is a bit of a crap hole...
Vegas - 4 blokes... 22 years old... knock yourselves out.

Have you checked what you want to do at each place? (Vegas / LA)
Vegas - Lay by the pool and drink at night. You can walk whereever you want to go (and get a bus downtown). I'm not a gambler but love watching other people gamble their cash away. You've also got the hoover dam close by. A day trip to the grand canyon etc..
LA- Universal / Disney... not much else... The Hollywood sign... you see it and it's done.

There are loads more to do in the Los Angeles area. The night life in Santa Monica (Third Street) and the day life in Venice (Venice Beach for breakfast and/or lunch) and Santa Monica (Santa Monica Pier) are fantastic. A trip to Malibu, to gawk at the stars. Muscle Beach, to laugh at the dorks parading themselves. Time to relax on the fabulous beaches, as well the usual touristy stuff. It may not be your cup of tea, but when we go, we love it.

neilbond007

Flyboy152 wrote: »

There are loads more to do in the Los Angeles area. The night life in Santa Monica (Third Street) and the day life in Venice (Venice Beach for breakfast and/or lunch) and Santa Monica (Santa Monica Pier) are fantastic. A trip to Malibu, to gawk at the stars. Muscle Beach, to laugh at the dorks parading themselves. Time to relax on the fabulous beaches, as well the usual touristy stuff. It may not be your cup of tea, but when we go, we love it.

Santa Monica / Venice Beach are undoubtedly my favourite areas of LA. We normally park at Venice Beach and walk up to Santa Monica (a good hours + walk - but worth it). Walk back and have dinner at the Cheesecake factory in Marina Del Rey (also a nice area). That can all be done in a day.
You have to make sure you do this on a weekend too. The beach is very quiet on a weekday, but packed at the weekend.
Drove to Malibu. Saw no one. All the beaches are private so you see the back of a house and that's about it!

PS - You are right. LA isn't my cup of tea. But if we were all the same the world would be a very boring place

Starrystarrynight

My favourite places were Balboa and Balboa Island (part of Newport Beach). Beautiful. Must visit Malibu next time, though. Sounds lovely :-)