Planning to visit Los Angeles? Take a look at some of the best Los Angeles Travel Tips Before you head off to the ‘City of Angels’. Known as a top global city, Los Angeles is a massive metropolis with its own ambiguity regarding stereotypes. It is home to one of the most disparate and extraordinary groups of neighborhoods in the United States. The Hollywood set is replete with the popular ‘Hollywood’ name trademark and movie set backgrounds resembling La-La Land. Famous art galleries like the ‘Los Angeles County Museum of Art’ and architectural masterpieces of art like the ‘Getty Center’ are located there. Los Angeles also offers tourists behind-the-scenes clips of films and television broadcasts from studios such as Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios. Apart from these, the city is famous for its sophisticated and highly acclaimed food outlets. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, one can refresh oneself at beaches like Malibu and Santa Monica.
Spread over more than 500 square miles, Los Angeles is huge and exploring the city can be exhausting. But the rush of tourists visiting this city has proved the phrase “the more the merrier” to be true as Los Angeles is one of the most visited cities in the United States. It is especially packed between June and October as it is favorable for visitors to see the many tourist attractions. If you want to enjoy your stay there, it would be better to plan it in advance and choose places that suit your interests.
8 Best Los Angeles Travel Tips
Don’t worry if you are traveling alone to Los Angeles or visiting Los Angeles for the first time. To make your trip to Angeles comfortable and memorable, below is a list of some tips.
1. Best months to travel
So the first Los Angeles travel tip is to know when to go to LA. LA is best visited in the months of March to May and mid-September and November. During this period, the air is clean and the crowd is also friendly. The average temperatures recorded during these months range from low 50s to low 80s, making walking and traveling outdoors favorable. It’s also worth visiting during winter, but be sure to bring an umbrella as January and February see some rainfall. Spring is a great time to visit Los Angeles as there are fewer crowds and nicer weather, with average temperatures ranging from the low to mid 70s. There are many fun festivals to be encountered during the summer season and autumn is also another lovely place to visit Los Angeles with smaller crowds and soothing weather.
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2. SIM Card and Go Los Angeles Card
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If you are traveling to Los Angeles for the first time just ask someone as soon as you arrive in LA, there is an area in one of the terminals where you can get a SIM card. Some SIM cards are valid for 10 days and some for 30 days. Get one as per your convenience. All these SIM cards are prepaid. Check the offers and other features available with the SIM card. With most SIM cards you can make international texts and calls and if you have a US SIM card it will be easier for you to get UBER and also you will not have to pay a lot for internet data.
If you’re planning a trip to Los Angeles, try to get a multi-attraction discounted package. If you’re visiting certain attractions with confirmation fees, consider purchasing a multi-attraction discount pack. The ‘Go Los Angeles Card’ offers lots of activities. Whatever it is, try to use them enough to make it profitable before buying.
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3. Food
Los Angeles has a diverse culinary spectrum and is the birthplace of VIP culinary wonders, with luminaries like Gino Angelini, Wolfgang Puck and David Myers at the helm of the city’s premier kitchens. Visitors enjoy sophisticated Italian options at Osteria Mozza in Hollywood and are often on the lookout for restaurants where a celebrity might come (to catch a glimpse of them). For star-studded dining, one can try ‘The Palm Restaurant’ or ‘The Ivy’ in or near ‘Beverly Hills’, ‘Fig & Olive’ in West Hollywood or ‘The Polo Lounge’ at ‘The Beverly Hills Hotel’ . Sunset Boulevard. ‘Santa Monica’ and ‘Venice Beach’ are home to numerous food trucks serving everything from overloaded hot dogs and BBQ to sushi burritos and delicious quinoa bowls. Los Angeles is also home to some of the top drinks and best cocktail bars in the city, including The Varnish and ETA.
4. Security
A little caution and safety tips help when traveling. In Los Angeles, the outskirts and even parts of the city center can be a bit dangerous as criminals frequent these areas. One must beware of pickpockets and protect their belongings. If possible one should carry minimum cash with them as credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. In addition to your own safety tips, avoid any strangers on the street claiming to be from a production studio or agency. And if you’re in doubt, ask for their business card and check their credentials before proceeding anything further. Cheating people in the name of casting is a common crime there so beware of such fraudsters.
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5. Wander around
When traveling to Los Angeles alone, you should know how to get around Los Angeles. The best way to get around in Los Angeles is by car. Los Angeles is a very big city but the public transportation system they offer is quite limited. And so to make your travel convenient, it is best to rent a car from rental agencies present around Los Angeles. You can also take a taxi from the airport but it can be a bit expensive. Another option is the metro and bus systems serving the airport.
Due to the large size of Los Angeles, getting around the city can be quite difficult. So if you want to tour the city, a car is essential. But this can also be a bit of a problem as driving in LA is not that easy as traffic is at its peak during rush hours. To avoid traffic, it is better to leave early in the morning or evening. Also, the GPS system is very useful for getting to places in LA.
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6. Public Transport
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Another tip for traveling Los Angeles is knowing how to use public transportation. As one of the top global cities, LA offers a very good transportation service. Even though rail routes to major tourist destinations are limited, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority runs six color-coded subway lines through the county. Metro service typically operates from around 4 a.m. to 1:30 or 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, with extended hours until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You’ll need to get a reloadable TAP card to pay for train travel in LA.
The last thing to know about public transportation is that there are a lot of buses in LA, but you may not want to get on the buses. Buses can be a great and efficient mode of transportation in many parts of the world, but in LA you’ll probably be sitting on a bus next to people who smell and the bus is generally not considered a major mode of transportation.
7. Weather and Packing List
Summers in LA are quite hot, but a cool breeze can be experienced at the beaches in the evening. It rains mostly in winter and the essence of June is missing. It is best for visitors to check the forecast for the exact location as temperatures vary within a few miles. If the temperature in ‘Santa Monica’ is 72° Fahrenheit, somewhere nearby it may be 80° Fahrenheit. Apart from some morning fog, there is sunlight for about 300 days a year. During winter, it can be gloomy with a few rainy days, but during summer you will not experience rain. The temperature recorded by the sea remains around a comfortable 70 throughout the year. One can expect occasional triple-digit days in the late summer and early fall.
Be sure to pack warm clothes as it gets quite cold every night and you definitely don’t want to wear shorts during that time. So make sure to carry a sweatshirt even on the hottest days. LA is considered a dessert so it is very dry. So you’ll want to have some moisturizer with you because your skin can get really dry here, especially if you’re not used to this kind of weather. You’ll also want lots of sunscreen, especially if you plan to go to the beach. And take sunglasses with you because the sun is quite bright here in LA and you’ll want to do a lot of the activities that would normally happen outside.
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8. Housing
Where to stay in Los Angeles? You can follow this simple guide to find the best rates for Los Angeles hotels to get great lodges at a “cheap” price. Yet, as every shabby administration has additional hidden rates, the lowest looking inn rate may be accompanied by a powerful daily stopping expense, internet fees and other charges, while a place with a slightly higher daily rate may be free. Provide breakfast, free web, and free stay.
Exceptional discounts in Los Angeles: For big discounts on bay tours, guided tours and group shows and exhibitions, you can use ‘Goldstar’ to set aside some cash. This is the least expensive arrangement one can get. Some things you can see for free include a network show taping and the ‘Rose Parade’, despite lesser-known ways to get into the ‘Hollywood Bowl’ for free.
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With so much available, Los Angeles will never disappoint. You’ll never run out of places to visit in Los Angeles. With its never-ending surprises, Los Angeles is a perfect vacation destination. Every penny spent here is worth the entertainment and fun you experience. Don’t worry about where to stay when you’re in Los Angeles for the first time. Just follow the Los Angeles travel tips above. So what are you waiting for? Grab a bag and make the most of your vacation in Los Angeles. Your trip to USA will be one to remember.
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