Getting from downtown LA hotel

LA experts on this site are great! I think I%26#39;ve determined that staying in downtown LA will give me the most bang for my hotel buck--provided I can get a room there end of July beginning of August. If I do that, how hard is it to use mass transpo to get to Hollywood sights and to Santa Monica? We will have rented a car to get from San Francisco to LA and was wondering if we should keep it for the 3 days we plan to be in L.A. or rely on public transportation.

Getting from downtown LA hotel

If you already have a car you might aswell want to keep it for the additional days, it can not really be to more expensive. That said, you can easily take the subway from downtown l.a. to hollywood which is probably faster then taking the 101 fwy. There is also a expressbus provided by the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus that get%26#39;s you to Santa Monica via the # 10 fwy or you can take the Wilshire # 720 Metro Rapid Express which runs every couple of minutes and also stops in Beverly Hills

Getting from downtown LA hotel

Thanks! Is parking difficult in LA and as expensive at hotels as it is here on the east coast?

Yeah, parking will be expensive at any downtown hotel as there is not that much streetparking available and they will take full advantage of that

Hotel rates are cheaper though, so it kinda evens out.

Rest of L.A. is a carcity, so you will find plentyfull parking at all the major touristy sights and attractions

You should not have any problem finding a room downtown. Public transit to Hollywood and Santa Monica is a snap. The Red Line will take you to Hollywood. The #10 Big Blue Bus will take you to Santa Monica and is probably your best bet.

As Alex suggests, you might want to hang onto your car for at least a day or two. It is a good idea. Some parts of the city are best experienced via a car.

I%26#39;d also point out there is a lot for you to see and do in downtown, which you are probably unaware of. It might be worth your while to do a little research on this point. If you have questions, I%26#39;d be happy to help. I live downtown.

HTH

Example, I think parking at the Bonaventure hotel is close to $40 a day.

Hitch, bring on the Downtown tips--particularly the cheapeats and foodie must tips.

You can%26#39;t miss Philipe%26#39;s in downtown l.a. by Olivera street. It is a L.A.Institution and the birthplace of the french dip sandwich. Plus 10 cents coffee!!!

http://www.philippes.com/