Confused about where to stay in LA - please advise!

Hello everyone...

I know you have probably read so many similar posts before but I am planning a trip to california in august and have researched so much but still cant decide where to stay when in LA. Plan to spend 5 nights/6 days and want to visit Santa Monica/Venice one day, Hollywood/Farmers Grove another, Disney another, Long Beach (Sand sculpture competition) another day, Newport/Laguna another day and then Hermosa/Manhattan/childrens lagoon on last day before flying back to the UK. Would prefer to base ourselves in one place for whole of the time and we will have a car and don%26#39;t mind journeys of up to an hour. We have 2 children aged 4 and 5. If we stayed around Hermosa/Manhattan beach I thought we could leave our luggage at hotel until late afternoon flight to save having it in our car. Would be nice to stay near to a beach but most important to us is a pool as the children prefer to swim in a pool. Holiday Inn express, Hermosa looks a possibility but then so do so many... Aargh.. don%26#39;t know what to do and want to get it right. Please help! Any advice welcome.

THANK YOU

Confused about where to stay in LA - please advise!

Personally I like Manhatten Beach, but find it a bit harder to drive to all the Orange County attractions you are considering.

I%26#39;d suggest looking at basing yourself in Hollywood for 4 of the 5 nights and putting you more central. Magic Castle is a nice family lodging (kitchens, living rooms with sleeper couches, bedrooms; breakfasts; snacks; and swimming pool.) Easy to walk to lots of sights.

Then on the last ngiht if you have an early flight, relocate to a place closer to the airport. Perhaps an airport hotel since you have a car.

Confused about where to stay in LA - please advise!

I think your first instincts are correct. I would stay at the beach in August. Hollywood could be awfully hot in the summer, and with two young kids you%26#39;d have more comfortable options for activities at the shore.

Depending on traffic, every locale you mention is within an hour of the Beach Cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo) except for Laguna/Newport so it%26#39;s a good central point for your stay.

The Holiday Inn Express is in south Hermosa Beach on a busy thoroughfare. It is a short drive to the beach but a longer drive to get on the freeway to the places you want to go.

You may want to consider accommodation in North Manhattan Beach, which has better freeway access. The Sea View Inn has a family suite, is 2 blocks from the beach and is walking/stroller distance to family restaurants.

The Summerfield Suites (El Segundo) or Residence Inn (Manhattan Beach) have large family suites as well and both have good freeway access. While neither are walking distance to the beach, they are both popular with visiting families. Manhattan Beach also has a few parks perfect for your kids ages.

As with many 1st time visitors to the beach area, plans often change once you arrive. After a few day trips, some folks prefer to spend the rest of their days on the beach. But good to have a plan before you arrive!

Feel free to ask more questions.

Thank you.

How safe is it to leave our luggage in the trunk of the car in Manhattan Beach/Hermosa - obviously we won%26#39;t leave any on display. We will need to leave it there on our last day as we have an evening flight. Also where would be a good place to hire the bikes where parents sit on a bench at the back and cycle and the children ride at the front? Do you recommend Seaside lagoon? Thanks!

While it is generally safe to lock your luggage in your trunk, things CAN happen. It is probably a safer bet to leave your bags in the luggage closet at your hotel and pick them up before leaving to return your rental car. It%26#39;ll take you an extra 15 minutes and give you piece of mind.

Bikes can be rented in Manhattan Beach at FunBunns. Phone (310) 372-8500 and located at 1116 Manhattan Ave. or in Hermosa Beach at www.hermosacyclery.com .

I do not believe either rent the kind of ';buggy'; you are describing (I%26#39;ve rented one in Santa Barbara), but have not seen them on the bike path down here.

I can%26#39;t vouch for Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. I know that it occasionally ends up in the local paper for having high levels of contaminants due to the warm water and lack of circulation. But it%26#39;s still a popular destination.

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