Tips for Getting Around and Driving in L.A.

When I was planning my trip to Los Angeles, originally the plan was to Uber and bus everywhere.  I was only staying 4 nights and thought, why go through the headache of driving in hectic LA traffic, why worry about parking and pay for the rental?  I changed my mind and am glad I did. 

Here are some tips for getting around in LA:

1. RENT A CAR

• Los Angeles is massive, bussing around won’t be easy, unless you are staying in one particular area and Uber/taxis will cost an arm and a leg. Also, finding parking wasn’t hard, we parked just down the street from our hotel in Venice beach, we found parking in Hollywood one evening, in Sunset Boulevard when we went for breakfast, and paid for parking in a lot in Santa Monica.  We chose Ace Car Rental.

2. Expect hidden costs and long waits at the rental depot

• When we reserved our rental car online, the price seemed too good to be true. And it was.  Then when we got to the rental place, the lineup was long, we were frustrated and we ended up paying a lot more that quoted.  It was still a decent price, we paid close to $150 USD per day but would have paid more than that in Ubers.  Part of the cost came from upgrading our car too.

3. Get a comfortable car with some balls

• We upgraded to the Charger. It was nice, roomy and was a lot of fun to whip around LA.  Also, the horsepower helped.

4. Be prepared to drive aggressively

• Having the Charger helped while navigating 5 and 6 lane freeways. Driving wasn’t that bad; the traffic wasn’t as bad as I thought and having a car with some balls helped when cutting into lanes on the freeway and making turn offs and merging when we needed to in a pinch.  The highways are huge, be safe but step on the gas drive aggressively when you need to.

5. Use your car to explore and enjoy the different neighborhoods

• Having a car was so nice because we got to see lots of Los Angeles. LA is massive, and the traffic isn’t as bad as I expected; it took a long time to get to some places, but that’s because you have to drive numerous kilometers to get there.  When we were in LA we went to the Hollywood sign, Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, Universal Studios, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and a Chargers game.  We didn’t worry about parking and found it every time.  The only time we had “trouble” was one evening in Hollywood, but we just had to drive a few laps around until we found parking a couple of blocks off the main strip.

6. Research on the map and stay in a good area, close to your main attractions

• The main attractions for our trip were the Chargers game and Universal studios. We didn’t want the chaos of Hollywood, and we weren’t going to stay in Inglewood so we chose Venice Beach.  When you look on a map Venice Beach is relatively close to downtown, Inglewood, it’s next to Santa Monica and isn’t too far from Hollywood.  It is also close to the airport.   In reality, everything is further than it looks, but it was definitely a convenient location, and picking other locations would have been even further.  For instance if we stayed in Hollywood, it would be in Hollywood and close to Universal studios, but further from the Airport, the game and Santa Monica. If we stayed in downtown, traffic would have been crazy and parking chaotic.  We ended up staying in a nice budget hotel that was cheaper than Santa Monica.  It was easy to get to our destinations, it was cheap and parking was easy to find.  So, when you book, look on a map and be strategic with your location to save time driving, save money on the accommodation, and to stay in a nice area at the same time.

7. Park and Ride

• For events, like a Chargers game or a concert, make it easy on yourself and Park and Ride. We wanted to save money on parking and not worry about traffic and planned to take the metro then the bus to the game.  Good thing we didn’t because it would have been way consuming and confusing.  Instead, we parked in a designated Park and Ride lot in Inglewood several blocks from the stadium and then took a free shuttle bus to the game.  It was cheap, easy and a good use of time. 

8. Budget some money for parking

• It wasn’t anything crazy, but if your stuck trying to find parking, find a lot and pay the fee. We paid $10 USD to park in Santa Monica, $25 USD for Park and Ride at the game and the one that cost the most was Universal Studios which was $60 USD, but we had no choice for that one.

When you go to LA don’t waste your time trying to save money and bus everywhere.  Save yourself some time so you can make the best of your vacation and rent a car.   Gas is cheap, the roads are in great condition and with a bit of aggression fun to drive on.