Hollywood Tour

[Psweets]

My family and me will be sailing on Carnival Splendor in July, we will be flying in a day early and want to take a Hollywood Tour.

Does anyone have any recommendations, we want one that lasts for a few hours, not half or most of the day. We are staying at the QUEEN MARY, so we are looking for something close to the hotel.

 

Pam

[Bruin Steve]

My family and me will be sailing on Carnival Splendor in July, we will be flying in a day early and want to take a Hollywood Tour.

Does anyone have any recommendations, we want one that lasts for a few hours, not half or most of the day. We are staying at the QUEEN MARY, so we are looking for something close to the hotel.

 

Pam

 

The Queen Mary is a considerable distance from Hollywood. The only tour provider I know of who will pick up from there is Sunseeker Tours...

 

http://www.sunseekertours.us/

 

Have fun...

 

Ps. If you are going to Hollywood, by necessity, it will take more that "a few hours, not half a day"...The drive from Long Beach to Hollywood will likely take about an hour each way. It's 32+ miles from the Queen Mary to Grauman's Chinese...and that route takes you right through the heart of Downtown LA...no way to avoid a little traffic... But, talk to Sunseeker and see what they might suggest within whatever parameters you have.

[PatriciaF]

You could be adventurous and take public transportation.

 

Here are the directions from the MTA trip planner (using today's date and time as the start):

 

Starting at HOTEL QUEEN MARY Ride LONG BEACH PASSPORT C [PINE AVE-DOWNTOWN] heading west

From: QUEEN MARY Lv: 09:40AMTo: PINE AV/1ST ST (SE corner) Ar: 09:56AMNo Charge , (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL BLUE LINE [LOS ANGELES] heading westFrom: TRANSIT MALL STATION Lv: 10:10AM

To: 7TH STREET METRO CENTER STATION Ar: 11:08AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL RED LINE [NORTH HOLLYWOOD STATION] heading west

From: 7TH STREET/METRO CENTER STATION Lv: 11:15AM

To: HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND STATION Ar: 11:31AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)Ending at HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM-HOLLYWOOD BLVD LOS ANGELESTotal cash fare = $3.00 *For this trip consider a Metro Day PassTrip

time is about 1 hour and 51 minutes.Trip distance is about 31.80 miles.

 

But note that you will be spending two hours each way just getting there.

 

http://socaltransport.org/tm2_text.php

[Bruin Steve]

You could be adventurous and take public transportation.

 

Here are the directions from the MTA trip planner (using today's date and time as the start):

 

Starting at HOTEL QUEEN MARY Ride LONG BEACH PASSPORT C [PINE AVE-DOWNTOWN] heading west

From: QUEEN MARY Lv: 09:40AMTo: PINE AV/1ST ST (SE corner) Ar: 09:56AMNo Charge , (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL BLUE LINE [LOS ANGELES] heading westFrom: TRANSIT MALL STATION Lv: 10:10AM

To: 7TH STREET METRO CENTER STATION Ar: 11:08AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL RED LINE [NORTH HOLLYWOOD STATION] heading west

From: 7TH STREET/METRO CENTER STATION Lv: 11:15AM

To: HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND STATION Ar: 11:31AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)Ending at HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM-HOLLYWOOD BLVD LOS ANGELESTotal cash fare = $3.00 *For this trip consider a Metro Day PassTrip

time is about 1 hour and 51 minutes.Trip distance is about 31.80 miles.

 

But note that you will be spending two hours each way just getting there.

 

http://socaltransport.org/tm2_text.php

 

 

Yeah...Two hours in each direction...as long as they don't get off at the wrong stops, get onto the wrong trains...not get lost and end up in Compton or East LA...or run into any unsavory characters en route...

 

Actually, I think they would only be spending two hours ONE WAY...Because, after the experience of getting there, they'd be paying a taxi whatever it would charge to get them back!

 

I sure hope the OP is NOT taking this suggestion seriously. :eek:

 

To be completely honest here, you have not left yourself a lot of time to "visit Hollywood"--especially if you don't want to even spend a half day...

 

Plan on AT LEAST a half day...because the travel time from Long Beach will consume a good portion of that. This is a BIG, spread out city...We have more cars on our streets and freeways than any other city in the world...Getting there an back, by any method, is time consuming...and the idea of going is to see things--which also requires some time...

 

Sunseekers can organize it all for you and make it as efficient as possible--seeing important sights, seeing them in a logical order, getting you efficiently from place to place and telling you what it is you are seeing...

 

If you really wanted to do it "on your own", to do that efficiently, the alternative would be to rent a car in Long Beach, bring a GPS, plan out your day carefully ahead of time...Then, of course, YOU will be dealing with the traffic...and be wary that parking in Hollywood is not often easy...and generally requires paying to park in lots...it can be done, but again, takes planning...

 

Good luck...

[PatriciaF]

I'd never do it, but it is an option. But the Blue Line portion you would get on at the beginning of the line and get off on the end. There are plenty on the tripadvisor forum in Long Beach that recommend it--certainly the tour through the south and east side of LA would be eye opening.

 

yes, a rental car would be a good idea if this is a must do--plenty of major rental car agencies downtown Long Beach for pick up and drop off.

 

Perhaps the OP should stick to Long Beach and do the Aquarium of the Pacific, Museum of Latin American Art, and the Long Beach Art Museum.

[indigosails]

Honestly, there is little of interest to see in Hollywood.

[PatriciaF]

Honestly, there is little of interest to see in Hollywood.

My thoughts exactly until we had our cousin from Munich visiting. She was fascinated by everything. Other friends have reported the same experience. Plus it was the premiere of Iris, cirque du soleil, there, so we got to see the whole celebrity interviews etc.

[Bruin Steve]

I am not a big fan of Hollywood proper...BUT...in EVERY city, there are certain iconic sights that any first time visitor must see...Almost "required" visits...In Los Angeles, it's the Hollywood Sign, the Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater--all in Hollywood...and I would take any first time visitor to see those...

 

Of course, when someone says "Hollywood Tour", it's typically not just Hollywood...Most organized tours INCLUDE Hollywood, but will also go to other areas of Los Angeles--like West Hollywood/Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive and more...

 

Tourists staying in the Hollywood area usually do so to also visit nearby sights--like Universal Studios and CityWalk, Warner Bros. and NBC Studios in Burbank, etc.--and probably spend a lot more time in those places--which is why I usually suggest staying in Universal City and just buzzing down to Hollywood for a partial day to take in the iconic sights...

 

But, if someone is staying in Long Beach, I would not recommend travelling all the way up to Hollywood for a quick peek at Grauman's and the Sign and running back to Long Beach...But taking a real tour--one that includes a lot more than the basic sights IS worth it...There is a lot more to see and do--if not in Hollywood proper, then at least in the surrounding areas--to make the trip back and forth worth the time...

[Cruisin' Chick]

One's person's interests may just bore the next person. That's why if someone asks a general "what do we recommend to do in LA?" we'll ask about their interests.

[KreinKrunker]

The Queen Mary is a considerable distance from Hollywood. The only tour provider I know of who will pick up from there is Sunseeker Tours...

 

http://www.sunseekertours.us/

 

 

Contact Sunseekers. They set up a four to five hour tour for us in March. It was the eight hour tour, less the trip to the beachs and Santa Monica.

[Rosefloater]

Yeah...Two hours in each direction...as long as they don't get off at the wrong stops, get onto the wrong trains...not get lost and end up in Compton or East LA...or run into any unsavory characters en route...

 

Actually, I think they would only be spending two hours ONE WAY...Because, after the experience of getting there, they'd be paying a taxi whatever it would charge to get them back!

 

I sure hope the OP is NOT taking this suggestion seriously. :eek:

 

 

I have taken the taken the Red Line/Blue Line/Passport C bus from Union Station to the QM and back (with luggage no less) and didn't have any problems. There is no way they would get lost in Compton or East LA.

 

IF (and that's a big if) the OP decided to take public transportation, they would never get off the Blue Line (which goes thru Watts and Compton) until the end of the line in either direction.

 

Having said this, I wouldn't want to waste about 4 hours on public transportation in a city that I will only be visiting for 1 day.

 

You could be adventurous and take public transportation.

 

Here are the directions from the MTA trip planner (using today's date and time as the start):

 

Starting at HOTEL QUEEN MARY Ride LONG BEACH PASSPORT C [PINE AVE-DOWNTOWN] heading west

From: QUEEN MARY Lv: 09:40AMTo: PINE AV/1ST ST (SE corner) Ar: 09:56AMNo Charge , (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL BLUE LINE [LOS ANGELES] heading westFrom: TRANSIT MALL STATION Lv: 10:10AM

To: 7TH STREET METRO CENTER STATION Ar: 11:08AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride METRO RAIL RED LINE [NORTH HOLLYWOOD STATION] heading west

From: 7TH STREET/METRO CENTER STATION Lv: 11:15AM

To:HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND STATION Ar: 11:31AMPay $1.50, Monthly Pass: $75.00, (EZ Pass accepted)Ending at HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM-HOLLYWOOD BLVD LOS ANGELESTotal cash fare = $3.00 *For this trip consider a Metro Day PassTrip

time is about 1 hour and 51 minutes.Trip distance is about 31.80 miles.

 

But note that you will be spending two hours each way just getting there.

 

http://socaltransport.org/tm2_text.php

 

OP - If you want to try the public trans., here are the websites for the Blue Line and Red Line: http://www.metro.net/

&

Long Beach Passport C bus: http://www.lbtransit.com/Schedules/Default.aspx?routegrp=34