Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

We will arrive at LAX around 12noon. We will be getting a rental car. Does this take long?

We were going to drive up to Santa Monica Pier and have a late lunch and walk or bike or take the tram to Venice Beach. Is this a long walk, about how long?

After the beaches we will be checking into our hotel ,The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Then we wanted to drive up to Malibu and have dinner and watch the sunset. We have two children 11 and 14, do you have any suggestions on dining options with teens where we would be able to watch the sunset while we eat? Do you need reservations? We would prefer something casual, mid price or less, but nice.

I read that Zuma beach was beautiful, should we check it out?

Does this seem reasonable for one day?

How long will it take to drive up to Malibu from Our hotel (Hyatt Regency Century Plaza).

What time is sunset?

Thank you for any advice

Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

If you arrive at Lax by noon, considering there will be no delays, picking up your bags, your car and driving to Santa Monica, by the time you will be at the pier it will be easily 2.30/3pm. Taking in some late lunch by the pier is a great idea. You can take easily just drive to Venice(walking might be a little much for kids your age) and enjoy the scenery there.

By the time you reach your hotel it will be 6/7 pm, so i would take in Malibu another day. You can have lunch at Gladstones for fish which is perfect with kids your age, drive along the coast and spent a nice day at Zuma Beach

Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

That%26#39;s a lot of zigzagging. How about checking into your hotel when you arrive, then set out to Santa Monica? You can then go to Malibu for dinner, I would suggest Duke%26#39;s so you can be on the beach, or even Charthouse (which isn%26#39;t as far north, and just minutes from The Pier). These aren%26#39;t necessarily mid-price, nothing on the beach is, but they have burgers and things, too. Reservations are not required but expect about an hour wait for a table (I don%26#39;t think they take reservations). Sunset is about 8PM, depending on when you%26#39;re here...

If you want to drive further north, toward Zuma, there%26#39;s a great restaurant with the best view called The Sunset, in Paradise Cove. Reservations are required. The drive will be lovely.

Walking from Santa Monica to Venice takes about 30 minutes. A bike is fun, the tram is not recommended. If you walk, stay off the bike path, stay on the pedestrian path (clearly marked). My pet peeve is the tourists who walk on the bike path, 4 across, it%26#39;s extremely dangerous for all.

Driving from Century Plaza to the Pier is about 20 minutes. Malibu is about 20 minutes north of the Pier, more if there%26#39;s traffic (can take an hour).

With your original idea I think you could easily be in Santa Monica by 1:30. It takes only 15 mins to catch a shuttle, pick up your car and be on your way. Also 15 mins at baggage claim, and 20 minutes for the drive, 10 mins for parking etc. Make sure all your luggage fits in the trunk, don%26#39;t park with an SUV full of luggage-in-view.

How many days do you have in total? Because it seems you should take one full day for Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Malibu.

LA traffic can be pretty bad, especially during the weekdays, so you should allot extra time.

My rec for Malibu is Malibu Seafood, right off of Pacific Coast Hwy. It is a seafood shack right across from the beach. You order at the window and then sit at a picnic table with a very nice view of the ocean. It%26#39;s pretty cheap, and you can get out of there under $20 per person.

The other rec is Paradise Cove, if you have teenagers. The food is so-so, but the beach is very nice. You can sit outside and order drinks while the kids get into the water.

I agree with yogachik%26#39;s suggestion. It will take 30 mins or so to get out of the airport with your bags. Maybe more. Then you have to take a shuttle to the car rental place, so 10 mins. Then it takes about 15 mins to get your car. So say you%26#39;re ready to go around 1:30pm. It will take you 20-30 mins to get to Santa Monica and park. I would recommend to head to Main Street part of Santa Monica first and have lunch at Rose Cafe. Then walk around Main St for a bit. So it%26#39;ll be around 4pm when you%26#39;re done. Head to the Promenade and Pier for a couple hrs. Then drive to dinner in Malibu at Duke%26#39;s around 7pm after traffic dies down. Malibu is only 20-30 mins from Santa Monica. From your hotel, it will take over an hour, so take advantage of being in SM and have dinner in Malibu that first night and head to your hotel after dinner.

I would still suggest to do Malibu another day. Zuma Beach is 50+ Miles from Santa Monica. Make a great beachday out of it. It sure will not dissapoint

50 miles???? I think you%26#39;ve gotten hold of a bad map! 50 miles puts you up into Ventura, almost to Carpinteria!

Google puts Zuma Beach roughly 20.4 miles from Santa Monica, and a 34 minute drive along PCH (traffic favorable, lol).

Guess i was wrong, still think i would keep Malibu and Zuma Beach for another day and make it a great excursion day away from the city