Advice for a very short stay in Los Angeles

[Fuellady]

We finish our Route 66 road trip in LA (well Santa Monica really). We travel in to Santa Monica from the outskirts of LA on our 2nd last day, expecting to arrive there around lunchtime. Not planning on spending too long around Santa Monica pier before heading to our hotel (not booked yet).

Hubby is keen to stay around the airport but I think somewhere more central to the attractions would be better. Not sure how we want to spend our time here so open to ideas. Thinking maybe some kind of studio tour in the late afternoon? We should have from around 3pm that day until the evening to fit in some sights. Ideas please?

We would then have a couple of hours the next morning to fit something in before heading to the airport. We drop car at LAX at 1pm for a 3pm flight so I was hoping to do something in the morning (Hollywood walk of fame maybe?)

Any suggestions for activities and hotels very welcome. I've planned the rest of the trip but feel a bit lost with this end part .

[duchy]

LA traffic is so awful I’d probably write off the last day and stay at the airport and have a pool morning. I’ve had some close calls getting to the airports in LA with ridiculously heavy traffic.

[Fuellady]

Originally Posted by duchy

LA traffic is so awful I’d probably write off the last day and stay at the airport and have a pool morning. I’ve had some close calls getting to the airports in LA with ridiculously heavy traffic.

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Thanks. I'd heard that LA traffic is really bad but still thought a couple of hours to get to the airport would be fine... I might have to re-think that. We only have one night there and I think that staying out at the airport would prevent us from making the most of the afternoon and evening that we have available. If we can explore a bit then, we would be happy to leave for the airport early the next day and not do any sightseeing at all on travel day. Not fussed about pool time tbh, this trip is about cramming in as much as we can see in a short time.

[KarenG]

I wouldn’t stay at the airport because it’s just ... airport hotels. I wholly agree with Duchy you have to factor in awful traffic but there are some beach areas quite close to the airport where you could at least stay and have a pleasant final evening meal, then a nice wander around in the morning before heading to LAX for your flight.

(Id look at Manhattan Beach or Marina Del Ray but can’t personally recommend any hotels there). The area around LAX is really grim and I would go out of my way to avoid staying there.

ETA: I would not recommend Hollywood on your final day, I don’t think you will have time.

[Olympiad]

Agree with the above not to stay the immediate vicinity of the airport.

There are plenty of options that are only 15-20 mins drive from LAX including Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo beach etc. With your flight times you'll avoid the worst of traffic in the rush hour.

[megaflyer]

Dropping your car off at 1 for a 3 pm flight is too tight - it may take you an hour or more from car drop off to get to checkin and they advice 3 hrs minimum check in at the moment - LAX is a zoo both in terms of getting there (took me over an hour of excitting onto the ramp to pull up outside checkin in Jan - one prang it it was chaos )

If you are finishing your trip in Santa Monica it would make sense to stay there the last night . I would even consider getting car collected (or dropping off ) that night and having a car service or taxi next day - you could then maximum your time that morning - Santa Monica is a pleasant area to stay and lots of walkable places and very near to studio for a tour . LAX isn’t an area I would ever stay or hang around - it’s dodgy to say the least (you will see the type of housing when you fly into land ! )

[kiwiinabd]

Santa Monica is not that far from LAX and is definitely way more preferable to an airport hotel !

Santa Monica also had a good selection of restaurants !

I would not be venturing into Hollywood in the morning for a few hours before the flight !

[Fuellady]

Originally Posted by KarenG

I wouldn’t stay at the airport because it’s just ... airport hotels. I wholly agree with Duchy you have to factor in awful traffic but there are some beach areas quite close to the airport where you could at least stay and have a pleasant final evening meal, then a nice wander around in the morning before heading to LAX for your flight.

(Id look at Manhattan Beach or Marina Del Ray but can’t personally recommend any hotels there). The area around LAX is really grim and I would go out of my way to avoid staying there.

ETA: I would not recommend Hollywood on your final day, I don’t think you will have time.

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Thank you for the advice - we won't stay around the airport. I'm not sure why we wouldn't have time on our final day for some sightseeing. We'll be leaving San Bernardino at 8am, then a quick stop at Santa Monica before dropping the car/bags at our hotel (wherever that may be!). Even taking bad traffic into account we should be clear by 3pm latest and will have until well into the evening to be tourists - a good 7 hours or so. Is there something I'm missing that wouldn't make this possible?

Originally Posted by Olympiad

Agree with the above not to stay the immediate vicinity of the airport.

There are plenty of options that are only 15-20 mins drive from LAX including Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo beach etc. With your flight times you'll avoid the worst of traffic in the rush hour.

See more...

Definitely won't be staying around the airport now. Might look for some accommodation Santa Monica.

[Fuellady]

Originally Posted by megaflyer

Dripping your car off at 1 for a 3 pm flight is too tight - it may take you an hour or more from car drop off to get to checkin and they advice 3 hrs minimum check in at the moment - LAX is a zoo both in terms of getting there (took me over an hour of excitting onto the ramp to pull up outside checkin in Jan - one prang it it was chaos )

If you are finishing your trip in Santa Monica it would make sense to stay there the last night . I would even consider getting car collected (or dropping off ) that night and having a car service or taxi next day - you could then maximum your time that morning - Santa Monica is a pleasant area to stay and lots of walkable places and very near to studio for a tour . LAX isn’t an area I would ever stay or hang around - it’s dodgy to say the least (you will see the type of housing when you fly into land ! )

See more...

LAX sounds horrific! We'll make sure we leave plenty of time and drop the car earlier than planned. We definitely won't stay around the airport after all of the advice... Santa Monica is starting to look like a good option.

Originally Posted by kiwiinabd

Santa Monica is not that far from LAX and is definitely way more preferable to an airport hotel !

Santa Monica also had a good selection of restaurants !

I would not be venturing into Hollywood in the morning for a few hours before the flight !

See more...

Thank you... Santa Monica seems to be the most popular option for our last overnight stay. We would still like to visit Hollywood the previous day when we arrive in Santa Monica, but will go straight to the airport on travel home day with no sightseeing.

[Fuellady]

So if we get a hotel in Santa Monica, is there good public transport to the tourist areas of LA so that we don't have to take the car in?

Still looking for advice on things to do for a few hours in LA if anyone has suggestions?