Long Beach to LA?

[LakeWobegon]

Hello! We are excited to be sailing on Panorama in March. Getting there Thursday night. We had planned to stay over two nights with a day of sight-seeing in LA, using the hop on, hop off bus tour. I'm sort of torn on where to stay pre-cruise but am leaning toward Long Beach so we are just there cruise day. I see there's a train you can take from Long Beach to LA and that it takes about an hour. Can anyone share their experiences using this method of travel between the two cities? Or on our plan in general. Surely appreciated in advance. Thanks!

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, LakeWobegon said:

We had planned to stay over two nights with a day of sight-seeing in LA, using the hop on, hop off bus tour. I'm sort of torn on where to stay pre-cruise but am leaning toward Long Beach so we are just there cruise day.

If you are going to sightsee in LA, just stay in LA. Long Beach is out of the way in terms of touring the major sights in downtown LA/Beverly Hills/Hollywood/Santa Monica. Who wants to spend 2 hours on a train when you can wake up there? It's 22 stops on a commuter train that takes nearly double the time what it would to drive or be driven. 

 

The morning of the cruise its an easy $35 Uber ride from LA to Long Beach cruise terminal for you and your luggage. 

 

2 hours ago, LakeWobegon said:

I see there's a train you can take from Long Beach to LA and that it takes about an hour. Can anyone share their experiences using this method of travel between the two cities?

The metro trains are fine but aside from the peak of rush hour, it's generally quicker to get there by car. 

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, LakeWobegon said:

Hello! We are excited to be sailing on Panorama in March. Getting there Thursday night. We had planned to stay over two nights with a day of sight-seeing in LA, using the hop on, hop off bus tour. I'm sort of torn on where to stay pre-cruise but am leaning toward Long Beach so we are just there cruise day. I see there's a train you can take from Long Beach to LA and that it takes about an hour. Can anyone share their experiences using this method of travel between the two cities? Or on our plan in general. Surely appreciated in advance. Thanks!

 

If you stay in Long Beach two nights and want to sightsee LA, logistics become a major problem.  The HOHO bus does NOT go down to Long Beach...or even anywhere relatively close.  The "train" you reference is the Metro...and it is really not designed for tourists.  Most Angelenos drive everywhere.  The Metro caters to two groups--the poor who can't afford cars and commuters who work in Downtown LA and don't want to deal with the traffic and parking issues.  The line that goes from Long Beach to Downtown LA passes through most of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

 

If you doi decide to stay in Long Beach, you might want to consider doing a tour with Sunseeker Tours rather than with the HOHO bus...More structured and a little pricier...But they will pick you up and drop you off at your Long Beach hotel...and they will get you to all of the major LA tourist sights...

 

If you'd rather use the HOHO bus and want to spend a lot of time sightseeing on your own, I would recommend staying in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, etc.  That way, you'd be on the HOHO route.  Santa Monica is about a 10 mile (very short in LA terms) Uber ride from LAX and 30 miles from the port...But, if you stay there, you are at the hub of the HOHO route AND there's lots of things to see and do right there...and it is one of the nicer areas for tourists in LA...Or, you could stay there one night, check out in the morning and leave your luggage with the hotel desk, then use the HOHO all day, return to the hotel late at night to pick up your luggage and Uber down to Long Beach and stay that second night near the pier (Maya Doubletree, perhaps?).

 

Good luck...

[LakeWobegon]

Thanks both! This is exactly what we wanted to know. It's hard to tell on the web re: the train, etc., and I appreciate your firsthand expertise!

Edited January 18, 2020 by LakeWobegon

[marshalltp]

we are also on Panorama in March as well, also coming in early to LA/Hollywood sight see.  We are staying at Sofitel and plan on doing the HoHo....

[LakeWobegon]

Thanks. I am looking at that one but also the Hilton Garden Inn Marina Del Ray. It appears to be walkable to Venice Beach but also on the HoHo route too. And $100 night less expensive than the Hampton Inn in Santa Monica. 

[LakeWobegon]

I booked it. Got a good AARP rate. I did my research. I know it's said Venice Beach isn't for kids (mine are 12 and 15) but I also read that its more about what you don't want them to see versus safety. And we're not ones looking for the nightlife, so only venturing out in daylight.  My kids are good kids but generally have to explain things to me. lol. Looks like a nice area and again on the HoHo line. Thanks again!

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, LakeWobegon said:

I know it's said Venice Beach isn't for kids (mine are 12 and 15) but I also read that its more about what you don't want them to see versus safety. And we're not ones looking for the nightlife, so only venturing out in daylight.  My kids are good kids but generally have to explain things to me. lol. Looks like a nice area and again on the HoHo line.

Sure, Venice is a little grittier than its fancy neighbor to the north Santa Monica but it has its own charms. Being near Venice you are A LOT better off geographically than if you had stayed in Long Beach and tried to tour up north during the day. And Marina del Ray is a little bit more upmarket than Venice itself-- your hotel is just down the road from a Ritz-Carlton and a host of other corporate establishments. 

 

If you don't want to be totally reliant on a HoHo bus for transportation, Uber/Lyft are easily accessible and can get you to anywhere in Santa Monica/Beverly Hills for like $12-20. 

[LakeWobegon]

Thanks! Yeah. I watched a bunch of youtube videos on Marina Del Rey and Venice Beach while using the eliptical today and it looks great actually. Just more real than anything. We're also rethinking the whole HoHo. We may do that or just pick a few spots to enjoy more time at. And use the $$$ on attractions/food/drink versus the bus tour.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, LakeWobegon said:

We're also rethinking the whole HoHo. We may do that or just pick a few spots to enjoy more time at. And use the $$$ on attractions/food/drink versus the bus tour.

I wasn't going to presume to tell you what to do in terms of the HoHo but since you brought it up this new plan is a much better idea. Or if you do an organized tour, do one thats a bit more specialized than the HoHo. 

 

We have a lot of family in Santa Monica and spend a few weeks a year there and frankly have stopped renting cars all the time (unless we have a longer drive planned). Uber/Lyft are easy, quick, and inexpensive ways to get to and from many of the major sights. I would just pick a few things you want to do and bounce around a bit.