Los Angeles City Break

Are you planning your first trip to Los Angeles? Then we help you find the best tips for your trip. We have been to Los Angeles and California multiple times. Time is often too short, and the sights and things to see are too numerous.

Often we hear that visiting Los Angeles is not worth it. We want to prove the opposite. Our travel reports for Los Angeles and its surroundings show you the city as you may have never seen it before. Because Los Angeles is not just the Walk of Fame, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.

Enjoy our tips and experiences for Los Angeles.

Here we have summarized a few things that are useful before the trip to L.A.

If you are here for less than a month, you won't have a chance to see everything. Moreover, there is no central area like in other cities.

The city has 4 million residents, and more than 17 million live in the metropolitan area. Thus, L.A. is the second largest metropolitan area in the USA after New York.

While Downtown can be seen as the center of L.A., if you want to see the sights, you need a car.

Los Angeles also consists of several 'cities.' When people talk about Los Angeles, they often mean Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, or Malibu as well. However, these are separate cities and not a neighborhood of L.A.

L.A. is made up of 15 individual cities. Many consider the southern Orange County as part of Los Angeles, but this is also its own region.

One might think that there are no public transport systems like metro in Los Angeles. However, it has a relatively good network, but it's rarely used. Nowadays, you can even travel from Downtown to Santa Monica, all without traffic!

Los Angeles also has many buses and a good system. But you'll still get stuck in traffic on these buses, which is why they are usually empty and not the preferred method of getting around in Los Angeles.

Metro: Reloadable Card $1, single ride $1.75 or daily pass $7.

You can also rent cars by the hour using Zipcar.

Do you have a rental car? You have to park it somehow. In Los Angeles, there's almost exclusively valet parking, and that's expensive. However, you should pay close attention to what the street signs say regarding parking.

The signs on the streets print times when you are allowed to park and when you are not allowed. Cars will be towed mercilessly. Friends have already had this costly experience. Use the expensive parking lots or garages to be safe.

eSIM card for your phone via the Telekom USA app

Google Maps / Waze or Apple Maps for navigation

UBER & Lyft

Parkme / Bestparking / Parkwhiz

GasBuddy

LA Welkes Events, Restaurants

5 Every Day

Airbnb Experiences (tours with locals)

LIME / Bird eScooter

Eatwith

OpenTable and Yelp for restaurant tips and table reservations

In Los Angeles, you won't find the cheapest food, but the quality is often excellent. Especially Downtown offers a growing food scene with top-notch quality. There are many options for good food in Venice Beach as well, whether it's snacks, cafés, or restaurants. Here, everyone can find something to eat.

At Grand Central Market, you will find food from all around the world. Check Yelp or TripAdvisor for tips from locals.

If you want to go to the Walk of Fame, do not make the mistake of driving to East North or West Hollywood. These places are far from the actual Hollywood you want to visit.

It's best to enter Hollywood & Highland into your GPS to be safe. However, with Google Maps or our map at the end of the article, it's no problem finding the right place.

In Hollywood itself, you will hardly see actors or stars. Be prepared to also see many homeless people here.

Have you heard of the 'Valley'? When locals talk about coming from the Valley, they mean the area around San Fernando Valley, north of L.A. This includes North Hollywood, Burbank, and Studio City.

Places like Hollywood, Venice, Santa Monica, or Beverly Hills are really safe. Still, poverty can be significant in some areas. There are some places you should avoid, especially at night.

Sid Row is a neighborhood with one of the highest numbers of homeless people in America. Areas near Downtown like Pico-Union, Westlake, South Central, and Boyle Heights should also be avoided! We walked through many homeless areas and tent cities. It was not pleasant and shouldn't be done as a tourist. We didn't pay attention and only had our goal in sight.

At the Hollywood Walk of Fame and on the metro, pickpockets have often been caught. However, we have not had any bad experiences. Nonetheless, be cautious with your belongings as you would at all famous landmarks.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the largest airport in the California metropolis. It is the second largest airport in the USA and the fourth largest in the world.

Do you have a rental car? Drive yourself, but think about the traffic. What time do you arrive in Los Angeles? How many people are traveling together?

If you're traveling with several people, a private transfer may also be worthwhile. We like to use UBER and Lyft for this. They are usually cheaper and more reliable than public taxis.

Always the simplest and most convenient option.

This shuttle bus follows a fixed route. Check if the bus is worth it for you on their official website.

Are you starting a road trip in California along Highway 1 to San Francisco, San Diego, or Las Vegas (Nevada)? Then this is the most convenient option. You definitely need a rental car in Los Angeles, making it our best choice!

We like to book our rental cars at Cheaper Car Rental or Sunny Cars (definitely compare prices).

Driving in Los Angeles overwhelms many first-time visitors. The freeways are enormous, and the traffic is chaotic. In Los Angeles, nothing is measured in distances, but in the time you need to cover them.

Rush hour from Monday to Friday is in the morning from 6 to 9 AM and in the evening from 4 to 7 PM. The worst day is Friday. The traffic starts even at 1 PM on Fridays. The absolute worst is the day before Thanksgiving.

The left lanes are the fastest, the right lanes have the most exits. The carpool lanes are in the left lane. You can only use these if there are 2 or 3 people in the car. You can pass on both the left and right.

For the Fast Track, you need a transponder in the rental car.

Speed limit 65 miles/h on freeways.

Residential streets 25 miles/h.

'Go with the flow', we always say. Adapt to the laid-back driving style.

In front of schools, it's 25 miles/h, and these areas are often monitored by the police. Make sure not to speed here.

If a traffic light is red and you want to turn right, you can still turn if there are no cars coming from the left. If it's prohibited, there will be a sign indicating that.

Red light cameras - speed traps. In some places, there are now speed traps. This will also be indicated by a sign before the traffic light. There are no speed traps for speeding violations, just aerial surveillance via helicopter.

As with us, you must pay attention to crosswalks. They have the right of way like in our country. As a pedestrian, be cautious, as not everyone stops.

E-scooters are only allowed on the road. Watch out for E-scooters.

Stop signs - first come, first served. The car that arrives at an intersection first goes first.

Prepay for gas - can only be done with a credit card with a five-digit zip code that you can enter. Or international credit cards. Check out our recommended credit cards for the USA here.

Los Angeles has many routes and roads. Make sure to download Google Maps as offline maps on your phone before your trip. This will prepare you perfectly. Also, you need to pay close attention to which exit is the correct one. It can often be confusing, as GPS and car navigation systems are not very accurate.

In your GPS, make sure you enter the city as well. Not just the street, as it exists in both Los Angeles and Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. Avoid ending up in a completely different place than you intended.

The biggest challenge is finding affordable accommodation with a good location. An average 3-star hotel costs about $150.

Since all attractions are widely spread out, there isn't the best location for accommodation.

We like to stay near the beach, so we prefer Venice Beach and Santa Monica. We also really enjoy Newport Beach, which, however, is in Orange County and a bit too far for a first visit.

Alternative neighborhoods: Downtown (up-and-coming hipster area), Beverly Hills, Hollywood, or West Hollywood.

Best travel time: March - May and September - November. Fewer people, pleasant temperatures, and the air is better. Ideal for exploring the city.

Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate, mild to hot and always very dry. The warmest months are July - September. The wettest month is February. In winter, average temperatures are around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and in summer about 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smog is an ever-present issue in Los Angeles. Don't be surprised if in the morning you can't see the sunrise due to the smog.

From California, and especially Los Angeles, it seems that it is always warm and sunny. However, this isn't entirely true. Especially at night, it can get cool. In winter, you will likely wear long pants and jackets in the evening.

It is generally cooler along the coast than inland.

If you want to go into the ocean, you should know that the water is cool or cold. California is not Hawaii. That's why locals always wear wetsuits when surfing.

Make sure to bring sunscreen and a head covering. Don't underestimate the sun! It is also quite dry. Bring cream to avoid dryness.

During this time, it is usually warm in L.A., with a little sea breeze. July and August are particularly suitable for a beach vacation in Los Angeles when the maximum temperatures can reach up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

California is huge, and Los Angeles feels like a separate state because it's so different.

Do not miss Venice Beach. There is nothing comparable to the boardwalk by the sea.

California Road Trip: Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles

USA Travel Tips - everything you need to know (with routes)

ESTA Application USA: Step-by-Step Guide

Is it worth buying a CityPass for the most popular theme parks in California?

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