Anyone been to LA ?

86JR

86JR

86JR

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I graduate from uni in June and want to go to los angeles. But i have no clue, ive never been abroad on my own. The cheapest flight i can find is £950 one way economy cheapest. This in itself is a worry, im 6ft 8 and im not sure if i will fit into a seat!!

This seems a bit expensive to me ? Was with virgin.

I want to go one way so i have flexibility on my return, was hoping to stay untill about 6th of july, so I can be there to photography the 4th of july events.

I also want to hire a car whilst im there, i dont really care what aslong as its not diesel or electric, and im comfy in it.

Living wise, i will try and stay in hostels / sleep in the car / sleep at some girls house etc.

Any ideas / experiences ? I have ages to plan it, which is good :D
 
How old will you be when you're there? Depending on your age, you may have trouble renting a car. I've read some don't rent to those under 25.
 
Yes, LA is massive, seriously if you look how big it is, and place that 'area' over South East England it covers most of our population! Worth seeing but certainly wouldn't be my first choice of places to visit in the USA! What are your objectives? If you want a wild time and to lose all your money, go to Vegas. If you want to get laid, go to New Orleans or Nashville. Don't even think about hostels in the USA - they are the dodgiest places imaginable. Seriously they are full of very weird people. It's not like Oz or practically any other country in the world where hostels are banterful. They will be dirty and disgusting.

Hiring a car is fine as long as you are over 21, but it can be expensive. Prepay for a young-driver package before you leave if under 25. Diesel in Cali? You must be joking!
 
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lcg said:
How old will you be when you're there? Depending on your age, you may have trouble renting a car. I've read some don't rent to those under 25.
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You need to be over 21, 21-25 expect to pay between $5 and $30 surcharge
 
With regards to flights - you can't just buy a one way ticket as a tourist on the VWP. They won't let you in unless you have a flight booked out of North America. Look on travelsupermarket.com, you'll find the flights are a lot cheaper if you book return flights. One of those illogical pricing structures!

Check before booking what the terms are on the ticket. Last time I flew stateside was with USAirways and they only charged me $50 to change my ticket. So book approximately and then change.
 
Sone said:
You need to be over 21, 21-25 expect to pay between $5 and $30 surcharge
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If you pay it when you land, it will be min $25 PER DAY and then you'll have to pay about 15% tax on top of that depending on the state. It's not sales tax, it's other weird vehicle rental taxes that they add on locally and unhelpfully never declare on the website. Sure you can look them up somewhere, but 15% is a good guide.
 
My cousin has been over there illegally for a while (went over legally but quit the band he was in and his visa has now expired) and he loves it. He did say that hostels are almost non existent though so budget for that.
Are you really that tall, I'm convinced people give themselves an extra few inches unless they get properly measured. Nonetheless, you'll fit in the seat but it won't be comfortable. Just take advantage of the free booze.
 
I lived in LA for 6 years, most of that time was as a student (party party party). I visited Vegas a few times but didn't really venture out of California aside from that. Find a half decent motel and you'll be fine as they aren't overly expensive. You can bus around LA using the Metro and The Big Blue Bus buses. My info will be out dated as I left there 8 years ago with my American-Taiwanese wife who I met out there :D

The food out there is awesome, my main reason for allowing myself to be dragged back each year with the wife to visit the relatives :D
 
Freefaller said:
LA's a dump. Good for a long weekend - that's about it.
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Have you ever been?

Obviously not. Or if so then you've been to all the wrong places.

LA is huge and I mean absolutely huge.. I've had the privilege of seeing most of it. From Beverley Hills, to riding up into the local mountain ranges Angleas Crest and Santa Monica Mountains then down Malibu Beach, Santa Monica Pier. Downtown etc. I had an awesome time. Can't wait to go back...

Yes avoid East LA, but other than that enjoy...

Remember it is a city though and you can get yourself into trouble.. but no more than say London.
 
From experience I find people's views of LA generally fall into 2 categories:

Want to go there because they're attracted to the Hollywood glamour and celebrity lifestyle/culture

Been there and say it's a dump

I'm sure it's possible to go there and enjoy it but I would say you either need to be the kind of person who likes celebrity names written on paving slabs or have a car, the local knowledge and money to do the awesome things.

If you really want to go, I would include it as part of a trip that also includes San Fran, San Diego and other west coast places that take your fancy. There's a really good hostel I've stayed at just off Hollywood Blvd I recommend: http://www.usahostels.com/hollywood/index.html. Lots of activities and friendly faces for the lone traveller.

One way plane tickets are always stupid prices compared to returns and as you're looking at coming back, look at return ticket prices ;)
 
I spent 2 weeks there as others have said its a waste of time.

LV is very cool, florida is fun as is NYC but I'm just not a fan of LA
 
Im going there to see for myself what its like, and to get a load of photos. When i go out in plymouth, exeter etc, as a photographer, i struggle to find cityscapes, when i look at photos people have taken in LA they are immense. Ever since i watched HEAT i have always wanted to visit the place.

I am 25 in July so is it worth waiting untill then ?
 
thedoc46 said:
Have you ever been?

Obviously not. Or if so then you've been to all the wrong places.

LA is huge and I mean absolutely huge.. I've had the privilege of seeing most of it. From Beverley Hills, to riding up into the local mountain ranges Angleas Crest and Santa Monica Mountains then down Malibu Beach, Santa Monica Pier. Downtown etc. I had an awesome time. Can't wait to go back...

Yes avoid East LA, but other than that enjoy...

Remember it is a city though and you can get yourself into trouble.. but no more than say London.
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No I'm a couch keyboard troll that states things from things he reads and not experience...

Of course I've been. In fact I've been several times (for my sins), as I have been, around the world.

I just don't like the place!! Is that not acceptable?

Love San Jose, San Fran, and most of the California coast. Love lots of other parts of America - I just find LA horrid.

I could list the several dozens of countries I've been to around the world and list which ones I liked and didn't like - some people would agree/some disagree... everyone has a different opinion on their own perception of somewhere. Don't take offence because I don't like LA. I just don't like it!
 
Freefaller said:
No I'm a couch keyboard troll that states things from things he reads and not experience...

Of course I've been. In fact I've been several times (for my sins), as I have been, around the world.

I just don't like the place!! Is that not acceptable?

Love San Jose, San Fran, and most of the California coast. Love lots of other parts of America - I just find LA horrid.

I could list the several dozens of countries I've been to around the world and list which ones I liked and didn't like - some people would agree/some disagree... everyone has a different opinion on their own perception of somewhere. Don't take offence because I don't like LA. I just don't like it!
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Fair doo's. ;) I just really liked the place.
 
taximike said:
If you pay it when you land, it will be min $25 PER DAY and then you'll have to pay about 15% tax on top of that depending on the state. It's not sales tax, it's other weird vehicle rental taxes that they add on locally and unhelpfully never declare on the website. Sure you can look them up somewhere, but 15% is a good guide.
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nope enterprise charge $5 per day and can normally be sweet talked into dropping it
 
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