LAX - Knotts Berry Farm

Does anyone know the cheapest way for us to get from Marina Del Rey to Knotts Berry Farm? We are a family of five.

Thanks.

LAX - Knotts Berry Farm

I like challenging questions like this.

Let%26#39;s see....

The problem is not: ';what%26#39;s the CHEAPEST WAY';; the problem is: ';How to transfer between these areas at all?';

Forget public transit.

Here are the options:

1. Hire a car (which will probably be one of the cheapest options and certainly the most direct -- maybe $75 including gasoline and insurance. Transfer time -- about an hour. You could drop the car off when you get there and you%26#39;re done.

2, Transfer to LAX by taxi ($15 -- 15 minutes). Take the Disneyland Express Bus $61 each way for everyone in your family (when purchased online as a return (round trip -- the ride is about 40 minutes once the coach finishes picking up passengers throughout the airport): http://graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.cfm

So, that%26#39;s $76 so far. Then, you can take the #460 metro bus from Disneyland to Knotts. ($1.25 per person = $6.25 -- about 30 minutes). So, that%26#39;s $82.25 and about 1-1/2 hours.

3. There%26#39;s an ';all public transit'; route -- the Metro #358 bus from southeastern Marina del Rey to a section south of downtown L.A. where you connect with the Metro #460 bus but that route takes 2 hours and 15 minutes (if it isn%26#39;t running late) at a cost of only $3.70 per person but it is likely that you would have to take a taxi to the starting point in Marina del Rey. These are ';city buses'; that have no provision for luggage storage and stop frequently. You are not even guaranteed a seat!

LAX - Knotts Berry Farm

Perfect! Well done and thank you!

cute hair

# Days at DL Anaheim vs # Days Orlando

Hi Team,

Need your help here...

We need to sooth the soul of our 9yo girl during our trip to USA in Sept (all of Sept) this year.

Currently, we have scheduled in 1.5 days at DL Anaheim and 3 days at Orlando.

Is this mix OK or should I have more at DL and less at Orlando?

I cannot budge on increasing # days at Orlando.

Kangarooo!

# Days at DL Anaheim vs # Days Orlando

I usually suggest to my clients, especially those that have not been to DL to spend at least one full day at each park, ie Disneyland and the California Adventure. As for WDW, I suggest one full day at each park, ie 4 days. EPCOT can take up to 2 days depending on how much time you wish to spend wandering through the different countries. I would say 1 1/2 days in Disneyland is good. If you have not been to Disneyworld before, 3 days will give you a good feel but your going to probably miss one park or not be able to see all that you would like to, depending on how you spend your days and what parks you chose to go to.

# Days at DL Anaheim vs # Days Orlando

thansk

It%26#39;s nice that you are going to both because depending upon the part of September you are going the Haunted Mansion will either be closed or decorated in Nightmare Before Christmas theme (i.e. the Haunted Holiday verson). So, hopefully, you can save a little time at DL by not riding the HM and do it at WDW MK.

If you are going to DL the first week of September it may still be crowded, but generally in Sept. one a half days should be good. You may want one full day at DL and then use a park hopper for the half day to see shows in DCA and also do favorites again in DL. Keep checking on the Internet to see when the construction on DCA is set to begin and how much that would affect your day. Also, be aware, weekdays during September often have shorter operating hours and sometimes entertainment such as fireworks are only on weekends during that time.

I think that you really need another day at WDW. It%26#39;s nice to visit both, but if you can return to California you may wish to just go to WDW and skip DL. (I can%26#39;t believe I said that!)

Opps, sorry, I just noticed this,

';I cannot budge on increasing # days at Orlando.';

That being the case, your plans are okay. Just get suggestions here on the best ways to make use of your one and a half days.

Hi Redhead.

Sent you a PM.

I will now allow possibility of increasing days in Orlando at expense of last section of LA stint.

I will send you a revised itinery after you read your pM.

Kangarooo!

Hi Roo,

Got it and I responded. Feel free to post your itinerary for others to comment on. I think you can get some good help here.

Downtown hotels

I have been told this is one of the best places to stay, can you recomend a hotel in this area we have a budget of 拢80-100 a night.

Downtown hotels

If I have done the conversion math correctly ,the price in pounds would translate to $160-$200. Tell me the dates of your tripand WHO is in your group,as prices change. In general the less expensive hotels downtown are the Sofia, and Horton Grand,(no pool)You might also try the BestWestern Bayview(pool)

Depending on who is in your group the nearby neighborhood of Little Italy may serve you well and be less expensive. There you can try the Porto Vista,Little Italy Inn.

there ar eother hotels but I need more info from you.

Downtown hotels

It is me and my boyfriend we are staying for 4 nights in september. We want to be in a nice area with plenty of things within walking distance, ie the beach, attractions and nice restaurants to walk to at night. hope this helps.

There is no beach downtown. The downtown area faces SanDiego Bay so there are water views but no beach. The closest beach is across the bay by passenger ferry and then about a 10block walk. OR you could use our hop on hop off tour .See:www.trolleytours.com

Downtown has lots of restaurants,bars,music venues etc.See:www.gaslamp.org

The area I mentioned ,of Little Italy ,is just north of the main downtown area and also has wine bars, a real pub,restaurants,and a music venue called Anthology.

It is on our lightrail(electric train)which strangely enough we also call a trolley so you could get downtown easily in about 10min.

The next neighborhood north of Little Italy is our OldTown Park area which is also on the lightrail line and has lots of restaurants with a Mexican feel(+others) an dbars but no real music venues. Here you will find motels WITH pools if that is important to you.Try the LaQUinta-oLdTown or the Hacienda Suites BUT only in a newer room(for the Hacienda) which you will find on the web site as being ';near the lobby/front desk';.

Thanks for your info, we have heard that the beaches in san diego are beautiful, how long would it take roughly to get to one from downtown?

IF you drove or took a taxi it would take only about 10min BUT by bus or ferry obviously longer perhaps 1/2 hour or more.The ferry only runs every hour and then it is about a 15min ride across the bay and then a walk. There are other beaches as well but I think the bus ride with stops would be at least 30min. IF the beach is very important to you ,then you could stay near the beach but then getting around to the other sights would be more difficult. Sadly,California is really the home of the auto so not tons of public transport.

Can you recommend any modern hotels then for our budget in downtown?

Thankyou for the beach info, since we are only there 4 days we would probably take a taxi as it would be quicker.

As the other poster mentioned, it%26#39;s a little inconvenient getting to the beach, but by all means stay downtown. It%26#39;s a blast, and almost everything is in walking distance. For your beach outing, enjoy the ferry ride over to Coronado, then walk or take a taxi to the beach area near the Hotel del Coronado (worth visiting). Nearby is a neat pub and ';home'; to the Nay Seals, Mc T%26#39;s, or you can have a lovely lunch or dinner near the ferry landing before taking it back over.

We stayed at the Sheraton Suites (Symphony Hall),downtown, just a few weeks ago. It%26#39;s lovely and was within your budget. The best deal was on their site at special deals or speical offers, something like that. Our room lacked a view, while our friend%26#39;s rooms were more scenic. I%26#39;d ask when I checked in. Good luck! The Gaslamp District at night is where you want to be.

Thankyou for your help, very informative will look at that hotel. Thanks again.

The Sheraton Suites is nice, but a little up from the Gaslamp. Look at the Ramada Downtown, the Courtyard, the Horton Grand, Residence Inn and as Riffsmom mentioned, the Sophia, the Bristol %26amp; the Best Western Bayside.

There is also La Pensione in Little Italy.

Thankyou i will check out all those hotels, it is so difficult to find hotels at the right price and in the right area!

thanks

LA Luggage Storage or Locker Service Required

Hi All,

We (my wife %26amp; myself) are planing our trip to LA in early 2008 and having a bit of trouble finding a locker service or luggage storage (or kind of).

Basically, we plan to arrive at LA around midday %26amp; depart to Las Vegas around midnight at Greyhound Bus Station - 1716 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA (Downtown, I guess?). So I have 12 hours approx to explore downtown LA and do not want to hang around with our big luggage. It would be much appreciated if anyone can advise whether there is anyway we can get around this situation by leaving our luggage at any locker service or luggage storage (I would imagine) near the downtown Greyhound Bus Station so it can be easily pickup when departing to Las Vegas.

Anyone know whether any locker service @ Union Station or Greyhound bus station (so may be we can check in early %26amp; leave the luggage there, perhaps?)

By the way, our hotel in LA (when coming back from Las Vegas) is at Hollywood area so it seems to be far away and not convenient to leave our luggage there anyway, I guess.

Thank you in advance %26amp; much appreciated for any help.

LA Luggage Storage or Locker Service Required

Oz, there are storage lockers at the E.7th St station BUT....

Your plan is ill-advised for the following reasons:

1. I assume you are Aussies flying in from Oz. If that is the case, you will have been flying 15 to 17 hours, crossing 5 time zones and arriving at around 7:00 ';Aussie Time'; (after either a good or bad night%26#39;s sleep onboard), Why would you want to wander about on foot for 12 hours in L.A. without a place to rest or take a shower, etc?

2. If you%26#39;re spending this 12 hours so that you can see more of L.A., I would, instead, go directly to Las Vegas from LAX (by plane) and then return to L.A. earlier than your original plan to make up for the ';lost time'; here. Southwest.com has flights from LAX to LV for cheap -- and they depart hourly and take about an hour.

3. The Greyhound office on E 7th Street is in an undesriable area for the following reasons:

a. It%26#39;s not near anything. Not only is it in ';downtown'; which is the sleepiest of our neighborhoods in the evening, it%26#39;s on the east side of downtown which is like a graveyard in the evening. (Keep in mind that downtown is not in the center of our city. It%26#39;s near the eastern end of it).

b. This area is inaccessible by public transit unless you are already in downtown (on the west side of downtown). Even then, the evening buses don%26#39;t run very often and there is no metro rail service on the east side

c. The neighborhood is DANGEROUS at night.

4. After your jet lag, and ';time zone'; adjustment, why would you want to get on a bus at midnight and arrive in LV at 4:35 in the morning? Do you hate your bodies? Is that it?

5. If you must retain your current schedule (spending the 12 hours in L.A.), here are some recommendations:

a. Treat yourself to a cheap motel room. This will give you the ability to shower, rest, and put your luggage somewhere (but still have access to it) You%26#39;re going to Vegas (where you will lose hundreds or thousands of dollars. You can afford to spend $65 on the Motel 6 on Whitley Av in Hollywood).

b. Pick up the Greyhound from the Hollywood station on Cahuenga Bl in Hollywood -- much better public transit access, closer to Hollywood (of course) which is where the nightlife is and much safer area. The Hollywood station does NOT have luggage storage (like the E. 7th St station does).

c. Amtrak (amtrak.com) the national rail service has bus service departing from Union Station. They also have a baggage storage room (check their site for hours of operation). This would be my second choice as far as a bus to Las Vegas because Union Station, while downtown, is much safer than E.7th St, and easier to get to (it is the last stop on the %26#39;red line%26#39; metro rail system -- the train that runs through Hollywood)

d. If you%26#39;re against getting a hotel room, you might consider the following: Walk up to a bellman at any major hotel and ask him if he can hold your bags for a few hours. Since most hotel rooms aren%26#39;t available until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, it%26#39;s not unusual to ask for this service. I have never heard of anyone being asked whether they are a guest of the hotel or not (and, if they aren%26#39;t, turned away) but, of course, there is that risk. Frankly, I can%26#39;t imagine that happening especially if you have a $10 bill ready as some incentive.

Hope this is helpful.

Good luck in LV

LA Luggage Storage or Locker Service Required

Wow...thank you %26amp; very much impressed with the outcome, which helps us a lot.

So the locker service seems not to be an issue anymore with the choice @ the station %26amp; Union Station.

I think your 5B idea, followed by 5D are great and sound much more positive (than hanging around that area as you suggested) but on our Greyhound Confirmation, the pick up location is at E 7th Str.

If they can pick us up at a different location rather than the above address then I will head to somewhere say Hollywood or Santa Monica instead. I did try to call a few times Greyhound but never get to the operator to ask. Perhaps I will try again with this option.

Again, thank you very much for your help to shape up our plan in US and please let me know what you think of the above.

Regards

ozbuffy

I have a question similar to the original post, and that is: where can I find a safe place that is walking distance to store a backpack full of valuables (MP3 player, Headphones, Ect.) while I%26#39;m at a club. This would be near Highland and Santa Monica Blvd. from roughly 11:00 PM Saturday to 3 AM Sunday. I am taking buses and a train to get to and from home that night (DUI avoidance), but would like to bring some sound with me for the ride.

Matt

san fran/vegas

we%26#39;re planning a trip 1st-21st april flying into and out of sfo. (we can get a cheap return flight to las)

should we stay in SF for 2 weeks and vegas 1?

or vice versa? or split the 3 weeks equally?

any advice appreciated...thanx

san fran/vegas

I would stay 2 weeks in San Francisco and 1 week in Vegas. There is so much more to see and do in the bay area.Golden Gate bridge,Alcatraz Island,North beach,Muir Woods,Tiburon,Napa Valley,Carmel,Pebble Beach,Sonoma,Sausalito and so on.Las Vegas you have The casinos and Hoover Dam.

:))))

san fran/vegas

Unless you love gambling (and have a two week bankroll) or plan a side trip to the Grand Canyon, I think a week is plenty for Las Vegas.

Definately two weeks in SF. There is so much to do. I usually go to Vegas every few years bcs DH really like it. But we usually stay for three or four days only bcs I get tired of the glitzy hotels/casinos, shows, and buffets. I guess I not much into gambling.

thanx all. appreciate it.

I go to Vegas regularly. My husband likes to gamble and I love to shop! I find 5 nights to be longest I like to stay. The city is very fast-paced and a bit over the top, but I do love it! I find 4 nights/5 days to the perfect length of time, so with that being said, I agree with PPs that 1 week in Vegas would be good, especially if you check out Hoover Dam too. Spending the other 2 weeks in SF sounds like a good plan to me!

thanx all, think 2wks SF and 1wk vegas it is!

pimple

palo alto and surrounding area

I%26#39;m going to Palo Alto with my daughter in October on business, but will have two days to ';play';. Any good suggestions of what to do? Thinking about going to SF one day. Should I drive in? A good friend says not to take the Cal train because of the area we%26#39;ll end up in. Is there parking available? Second day, would like to see the Pacific coast. Suggestions of where to go? Thanks.

palo alto and surrounding area

What would you two enjoy? outdoors? theater? clubs? music? shopping? tourist stuff? Chinese/Mexican/Italian/Irish food? ???? You will have a car with you?

Caltrain%26#39;s not bad. It%26#39;s an especially good idea on a weekday when parking will be a pain; and traffic and navigation may give you anguish.

Caltrain%26#39;s SF terminus is at 4th and Townsend, a couple blocks from the PacBell baseball stadium and maybe a five-ten minute walk past the Moscone Convention Center to Union Square. If you walk along 4th St, it%26#39;s fine, maybe a little dusty, but that%26#39;s what you get in an urban environment. Instead of the 15-20 minute walk, a taxi between Union Square and the train station might cost about $5-7. If you take the train, be sure to review its schedule. It%26#39;s somewhat frequent during the day, but trickles out to maybe one every two hours from 7pm to maybe 1am. It can be a lousy way to get marooned. Taxi back to Palo Alto will run about $100.

If you stray more than a block from 4th St, the neighborhood gets a bit sketchy, yes. There%26#39;s no reason to stray. Once you get to Market and cross it, make a beeline for Union Square. Straying from that path will get you into the drug-deal-land Tenderloin or a not so interesting business center. Beyond the drugs and immediately physically intimidating areas that you%26#39;ve just avoided, there%26#39;s going to be street people and racy elements in almost all parts of SF. The 1+ hr walk between Union Square and Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf is kind of interesting. You could of course, catch a Cable Car ride too.

The coast. Take a look at a map. If you take Hwy 92 from Palo Alto to Half Moon Bay, October fills the path with pumpkins and other crowd-attracting colorful stuff.

palo alto and surrounding area

Caltrain will take you to Fourth and King in San Francisco (last stop, all the northbound trains will go there), it%26#39;s a block from the baseball park and hundreds of fans take Caltrain to the games all the time (home season is over now, though, so the danger of being puked on by a drunken fan is past). Also hundreds of people commute to the city every morning and evening on Caltrain. There is no reason to avoid this area, although the blocks going north between the station/ballpark and Market Street are not the most scenic or happening and it gets a bit run down especially as you pass under the Bay Bridge approach.

Instead, I would advise walking up King Street past the ballpark (take a tour if you like and one is available), to the Embarcadero along the bay, there are several pieces of sculpture to see and you will pass under the Bay Bridge as it soars overhead. Then you will come to the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, where you can get a bite to eat from oysters to hamburgers. Then you can take the F-Market antique trolley line to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf in one direction or the Castro in the other. Or take the California Street cable car to Chinatown and/or the top of Nob Hill (Grace Cathedral, Fairmount and Mark Hopkins hotels and more). If you don%26#39;t want to walk, there are always cabs at the Caltrain Station, along Townsend Street, the other side from King, which will take you anywhere you want to go.

Parking is very scarce in San Francisco and you will miss a lot if you attempt to drive around the city. When I drive in, rarely now, I find an unrestricted parking space and leave the car there for the rest of the day, walking and/or taking public transit to get around.

For the coast, well, you could take Page Mill Road west under I-280, and up over the top of the ridge to Alpine Road, down past Heritage Grove of redwoods to Pescadero Road out to the coast, but this is a very steep winding narrow route and you would possibly be cursing me the whole way.

Instead again, take 280 to 92 up over the ridge and down to Half Moon Bay where you can get a bite to eat. Then head south along the coast towards Santa Cruz. On the way you can visit the elephant seals at A帽o Nuevo (you need reservations) and see redwoods at Henry Cowell, just outside of Santa Cruz. Go to the boardwalk at Santa Cruz. Take Hwy 17 or Hwy 9 back over the ridge to the 85 freeway back to 280.

For Caltrain, you will need to buy a ticket from the machines at the station before you board. You will want a ';day pass'; to zone 1.

Caution, the doors are about to close.

Or you can take Altrain to Millbrae and then hop over to the BART which will take you to Union Square.

If you want some ideas for Palo Alto:

I love the Stanford Mall - great place to walk around and beautiful with all the flowers.

Also, how about walking around Stanford%26#39;s campus? I love the campus - flowers, water fountains, palm trees, great architecture, what%26#39;s not to like! And don%26#39;t miss the gorgeous chapel there - all the visitors I ever took there loved it!

Shoreline Park in Mountain View is fun if you want to go to a park - my favorite park in the area.

Downtown Palo Alto is neat - at least drive through, but I would recommend walking around and getting an ice cream or something to eat (pizza my heart or taxi%26#39;s would probably be fun places to eat for your daughter).

As far as the Coast goes, you don%26#39;t ';need'; a day if you are just wanting to drive down it a bit and make a few stops. Depends on what you are looking to do. You can always make a detour on your way up or down from SF.

Another idea to experience Palo Alto - if you will be there Thursday - Sunday evening. Dine in one of the many restaurants/cafes downtown. Then take in a double feature at the Stanford Theatre. They play old classics. Between shows, an organist performs. It is well worth your time. And the refreshments are a bargain!

drawing a circle

3 nights no car west hollywood or h/wood

Hi all, we are a m\c in mid forties staying in USA for the first time, we are not into clubs or rap but love to walk to pubs ( bar%26#39;s ) cafes and restaurants.

we are looking at Chamberlain w\h or Renaissance hollywood, any suggestions for people our age.

We will be doing as much touristy stuff as we can universal, Guamans,walk of fame etc.( thats what we came for )

We also want to see Santa Monica, we were going to spent 2 nights S M and 2 night Hollywood but don%26#39;t want to change Hotels too many times. Is it possible to take public trans to SM in morning and get a cab back to hollywood, rough price for cab if they go back late evening. p.s. were going to stay at either Loewes or shutters so if cab is less than $100 I call that saving money.

If your wondering about rental, I am on vacation and will have drink with lunch, afternoon drink and drink with dinner etc. ha ha Anyway your steering wheel is on the wrong side of car.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

Paul and Deb

3 nights no car west hollywood or h/wood

Stay at the W hotel in Westwood.

The Flyaway coach takes you and your luggage to Westwood, picks up right outside your airline terminal($4). Then, if your luggage is heavy you have a $5 cab ride to the W, or you can walk the 4 blocks with wheeled luggage.

Public transp from here will take you to Santa Monica in 12 minutes, Bev Hills in 7 minutes, along the sunset strip to Graumans in 20 minutes (plus one block walk up La Brea)....Universal can be done at the same time via 5 min metro ride from Graumans.

You also have a 5 min bus ride to Getty Center (a must for Fri or Sat dinner)....and a quick Flyaway Coach back to LAX airport (20 min).

Best of all, the hotel is walking distance to pubs, restaurants, bookstores, souvenir shops. Maybe 50 places to eat within 3-4 blocks. Very safe neighborhood next to the University and Hospital.

Hilgard House is the other hotel in the immediate area, more budget-friendly than the W but no pool.

3 nights no car west hollywood or h/wood

If you want to walk to bars, cafes and restaurants, then you really should stay in Santa Monica. I wouldn%26#39;t look elsewhere.

Visiting Walk of Fame takes about an hour, tops, so it doesn%26#39;t make sense to stay in that neighborhood just to see something that takes no time at all, and you can have a tour pick you up from your hotel (wherever your hotel is), and take you there, combine it with Universal -- all for less than the cost of a taxi.

If you must stay in Hollywood, then Renaissance is a great hotel, but the bus will take forever to get to Santa Monica for the day (over an hour or so). West Hollywood is better, and the Chamberlain gets great reviews, but consider looking at hotels along Sunset Blvd.

A second vote for the W in Westwood. This is a central location between Santa Monica and Hollywood. Westwood Village, the adjacent grid of streets that is next to UCLA (Univ of California, L.A.) has some great bars and resrtaurants. Within an easy walk from the W, consider Palomino for drinks and the Napa Valley Grill for dinner.

Have fun!

For what you are looking for the Sunset Plaza area of West Hollywood or Santa Monica would be perfect.

There are plenty of hotels on the Sunset Strip that are close to great bars and restaurant that all have outside patios to enjoy the scenery

Santa Monica is a walking town, Third Street Promenade, Main Street, Montana Ave are all full of restaurants, bars and shops so Shutters would be near perfect for yor stay

IT is not that hard to get from Shutters for example to Hollywood buy bus. No need for a taxi

The #720 Wilshire Bus leaves two blocks from your hotel every couple of minutes. You take that bus to Fairfax Ave(where you could also check out the Los Angeles County Museum) and transfer to the # 217 Fairfax bus that drops you off on Hollywood/Highland, which is basically downtown Hollywood

Both buses run frequently late way into the night. So you would not even need to take a taxi getting back to your hotel

Forgot to mention that if you take the bus, get a $5 daypass from the driver which let%26#39;s you take any bus/subway in the area all day long. That way you could also stop on 3rd/Fairfax and enjoy the Farmers Market and Grove shopping

You could even take a quick subway ride from Hollywood/Highland after exploring the area to Union Station and visit Olivera Street, which is the birthplace of L.A. All for $5

I%26#39;m an aussie and I%26#39;ve been to the States twice now. I would recommend staying at Santa Monica too. Lots of restaurants, pubs, etc and a beautiful beach with many others near by.

On one trip we relied on public transport and the next visit we rented a car.

LA is a great place to drive a car and you will have no problems at all. The public transport (whilst slow) gives you an opportunity to view the suburbs of LA whilst getting to your destination. As stated by another poster - you get all this for $5 - its a bargain!

enjoy your trip!

Thanks everyone for such great info, I did not even know about Westwood, so will check that out as well.

More homework to do now, can%26#39;t wait till June.

Cheers

Hollywood is perfectly safe to walk around at night. As you stated, tons of tourists do so each and every night

What is safe, and what FEELS safe to a visitor, well, that%26#39;s two different things. If you%26#39;re from a small town and you git skeered in big cities because of all the tattoos and baggy pants and homeless wanderers and nose piercings, then Hollywood is not the most comfortable place to spend your hard-earned vacation days.

Compton is ';perfectly safe'; most of the time, too...that doesn%26#39;t make it a great place to spend your vacation, even if it had a walk of fame and some disney characters prancing around.