LA airport hotels - are they too far out of the city?

We are looking at a Hawaii cruise from LA and are considering staying at an airport hotel for a couple of days beforehand.

We have never been to this part of the USA so are complete novices. We are very familiar wth Florida but this is a whole new ball game, so any advice would be most welcome.

We guess we will need to hire a car so how difficult is it to get from the airport to downtown if we wanted to see the sights?

Also, how far is the port and could we drive to it?

LA is a very large, spread out city. Most of the common tourist sites are not really in the downtown. So a rental car is almost a requirement .

What sites are you intending to see. I would suggest making a list, getting out a map and finding out where those sites are, then planning a hotel.

You can also do some research and see where the port is. But, there are two, so you need to know which cruise line you are sailing...that will determine which port you go to.

We are looking at a Hawaii cruise from LA and are considering staying at an airport hotel for a couple of days beforehand.

 

We have never been to this part of the USA so are complete novices. We are very familiar wth Florida but this is a whole new ball game, so any advice would be most welcome.

 

We guess we will need to hire a car so how difficult is it to get from the airport to downtown if we wanted to see the sights?

 

Also, how far is the port and could we drive to it?

You’re not missing much in LA. It’s overcrowded, traffic is a nightmare, and it takes forever to get anywhere. I used to live in SoCal. Tourist sites are spread out all over, and I would avoid downtown as there is really nothing to see.

I would HIGHLY recommend spending your time in San Diego or Laguna Beach and driving up EARLY the morning of your cruise. A rental car is a requirement in Southern California. Also, give yourself at least an hour to get anywhere, even if it appears to be a short distance away.

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Thank you both for that very helpful information.

It would be Ruby Princess so not sure which port.

Any advice on things we SHOULD try to see?

:)

Thank you both for that very helpful information.

 

It would be Ruby Princess so not sure which port.

 

Any advice on things we SHOULD try to see?

Your cruise terminal will be at San Pedro. (Approx. 40 minutes south of LAX)

Just a humble suggestion if you do rent a car...perhaps driving along the coast and stopping at Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, and Manhattan Beach...could make for a wonderful day.

Aloha, and have a great cruise to Hawaii! :)

If you are planning time in LA you will certainly need a car to see almost anything of interest. Transit is just not an option. Downtown has developed recently but unlike most cities it is not the center of tourism. Most tourists end up at places like Disneyland or Universal Studios but you might best spend time along the coast at some of the beach towns if you are looking for the SoCal experience. The airport hotels are for convenience only as there is nothing touristic nearby. Even museums like the Getty are out of the city center.

Thank you both for that very helpful information.

 

It would be Ruby Princess so not sure which port.

 

Any advice on things we SHOULD try to see?

You got helpful information from ONE person.

Los Angeles is a very popular tourist destination for lots of reasons. CruiserBruce was right that you need to figure out what you want to see so you'll know where to start and how many nights you'll need.

Popular tourist attractions include Santa Monica for the Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, the beach and then Malibu, just north of it. Malibu has the Getty Villa, Malibu Lagoon and more; the Getty Center in West LA; Downtown LA for LA Live, the Grammy Museum, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Grand Central Market, the Broad Museum, Our Lady of The Angels Cathedral, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA); just south of DTLA are the California Science Center (Space Shuttle Endeavour); Natural History Museum, campus of USC, LA Coliseum and more; Hollywood has the Chinese Theater, Walk of Fame, Dolby Theater, Hollywood Sign; central LA has the La Brea Tar Pits & Page Museum, LA County Art Museum (LACMA), Petersen Automotive Muesum, The Grove & Farmers Market and more; Beverly Hills has Rodeo Drive, the stars homes in the "flats" of Beverly Hills and more; West LA/Westwood has the Armand Hammer Museum, the campus of UCLA, the veterans cemetery, Little Osaka and more.

That short list doesn't touch on Pasadena, Burbank, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Long Beach and many other parts of LA County that draws millions of visitors annually.

Lonely Planet is a good guide, so is Frommer's LA and TripAdvisor is a great resource.

 

You got helpful information from ONE person.

So sorry if I made a mistake, I thought two people had posted, Bruce and Bryce so I was thanking both for answering my question.

Anyway, thank YOU for your very helpful information, it's much appreciated.

We are looking forward to exploring new areas.

You've gotten some very helpful information (for the most part!). One approach to plan your trip is to take the lists of things/places you've seen here, and check them out on TripAdvisor.com. Click on "things to do" and enter the location. You will then see a list of all the attractions in the area, most of them with extensive reviews. Guide books can be great too, but don't have the multiple reviews.

TripAdvisor also has Travel Forums where you can ask questions just like here. On the home page, click on the "…" menu link at the top of the page, right next to Things to Do. The Travel Forums are the first option on that menu. Here's a link to the Los Angeles forum:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g32655-i61-Los_Angeles_California.html

The list of Top Questions on the right side of the page has some great hints.

Don't stay at a hotel at the airport unless you are arriving very late at night or have a flight out very early in the morning and need the convenience of a fast trip to/from the airport. Though the hotels themselves are fine, it's not the greatest area - nothing to see, noisy and pretty ugly, and not a place you'll want to walk around at night. Manhattan Beach or Santa Monica would be much better options.

So sorry if I made a mistake, I thought two people had posted, Bruce and Bryce so I was thanking both for answering my question.

Two people did answer, but only one was helpful, and that was Bruce's post.

Bryce's "You’re not missing much in LA. It’s overcrowded, traffic is a nightmare, and it takes forever to get anywhere. I used to live in SoCal. Tourist sites are spread out all over, and I would avoid downtown as there is really nothing to see." was WAY off the mark and way dated.

Downtown LA might have been an area to skip over 30 years ago, but not anymore. It is one of LA's most vibrant and fastest growing neighborhoods.

You WOULD BE missing a lot to skip over the LA area. I posted the 20+ sights I did to point that out. There is a reason Lonely Planet has a 184 page guide to LA and that Fodor's and Frommer's are twice that; there is a LOT to see and do in LA.

Two people did answer, but only one was helpful, and that was Bruce's post.

 

Bryce's "You’re not missing much in LA. It’s overcrowded, traffic is a nightmare, and it takes forever to get anywhere. I used to live in SoCal. Tourist sites are spread out all over, and I would avoid downtown as there is really nothing to see." was WAY off the mark and way dated.

 

 

Downtown LA might have been an area to skip over 30 years ago, but not anymore. It is one of LA's most vibrant and fastest growing neighborhoods.

 

You WOULD BE missing a lot to skip over the LA area. I posted the 20+ sights I did to point that out. There is a reason Lonely Planet has a 184 page guide to LA and that Fodor's and Frommer's are twice that; there is a LOT to see and do in LA.

I was simply giving MY opinion, having lived there in 2015-2016. Not so dated.

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I was simply giving MY opinion, having lived there in 2015-2016. Not so dated.

If not dated, then very ill-informed to say there is "nothing to see". You might not like what Downtown LA has to see, but to say there is nothing there isn't factual.

Well as a newbie to California I am most appreciative of all those who have given advice.

Thank you ScottCA and Kartgv in particular.

I'm sure I'll have loads more questions.

Our big worry at the moment is how to get to the port. It seems a problem renting a car at LAX and dropping it off at the port....

But maybe some of you experts will have some ideas!

Thanks in advance!

The area around the airport is basically warehouses, office buildings, strip malls and strip clubs.

Scottca75’s list is a good jumping point.

What are your interests? In the Greater LA area we have two Presidential Libraries, Nixon’s and Reagan’s. Lots of little museums. Miniatures, rabbits, sex, hot rods etc. Could spend two days in Griffith Park alone-Zoo, Gene Autry Western, Travel Town (big trains), Observatory.

Check out Olvera Street, Union Station, eat at Philippe’s, check out Chinatown.

Could even spend a day on Catalina or go north to Santa Barbara. Could do a Mission Tour- San Juan Capistrano, San Fernando, Santa Barbara, La Purisima (my favorite). Check out Solvang.

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The area around the airport is basically warehouses, office buildings, strip malls and strip clubs.

 

What are your interests? In the Greater LA area we have two Presidential Libraries, Nixon’s and Reagan’s. Lots of little museums. Miniatures, rabbits, sex, hot rods etc. Could spend two days in Griffith Park alone-Zoo, Gene Autry Western, Travel Town (big trains), Observatory.

 

 

Check out Olvera Street, Union Station, eat at Philippe’s, check out Chinatown.

Could even spend a day on Catalina or go north to Santa Barbara. Could do a Mission Tour- San Juan Capistrano, San Fernando, Santa Barbara, La Purisima (my favorite). Check out Solvang.

Cruise Critic needs a like button. There is so much to LA.