1 day in LA before cruise - HELP ME PLS!

[mccasey]

Hi!

 

My husband and I are taking a cruise out of LA (San Pedro) on Sunday, September 6th. We arrive at LAX at 11:00 am on Saturday the 5th and would love to be able to see a bit of LA (we thought of doing either Hollywood, Beverly Hills area or Santa Monica). I've been trying to get lots of info on here and online in general about transfer prices and cab fare but I still have so many questions:

 

1) Which area of town would you recommend we stay in and see if you could do just 1 (since they are spread out) and do not plan to rent a car?

 

2) If I use Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle to get to our hotel, can we then use it to get from our hotel to the pier the following day or do they only operate from the airport to the pier and back?

 

3) I was given this link for estimating cab fare in the LA area: http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=LA

But can any LA residents tell me if it is reliable? Because it's telling me that a cab from LAX to Santa Monica is approximately $50 and I've read in other p laces, including on this board, that it's more likely approximately $25. And from Santa Monica to the pier they are estimating $100. From the pier to LAX they are estimating $70. I've heard about $45.

Thank you sooooooooo much in advance for any advice you can give!

MC

[Fredr]

Hi!

 

My husband and I are taking a cruise out of LA (San Pedro) on Sunday, September 6th. We arrive at LAX at 11:00 am on Saturday the 5th and would love to be able to see a bit of LA (we thought of doing either Hollywood, Beverly Hills area or Santa Monica). I've been trying to get lots of info on here and online in general about transfer prices and cab fare but I still have so many questions:

 

1) Which area of town would you recommend we stay in and see if you could do just 1 (since they are spread out) and do not plan to rent a car?

 

2) If I use Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle to get to our hotel, can we then use it to get from our hotel to the pier the following day or do they only operate from the airport to the pier and back?

 

3) I was given this link for estimating cab fare in the LA area: http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=LA

 

But can any LA residents tell me if it is reliable? Because it's telling me that a cab from LAX to Santa Monica is approximately $50 and I've read in other p laces, including on this board, that it's more likely approximately $25. And from Santa Monica to the pier they are estimating $100. From the pier to LAX they are estimating $70. I've heard about $45.

 

Thank you sooooooooo much in advance for any advice you can give!

 

MC

 

1. Stay in Santa Monica as there is a lot to see and do here by walking. And you can use public transportation to see some other places such as Beverly Hills.

 

2. Use Super Shuttle , going to a hotel in Santa Monica and to the cruise terminal the next day. You can pre book/ pay for Super Shuttle on the web including the driver's gratuity.

 

3. Using Super Shuttle eliminates the need for negotiating a taxi fare at LAX.

[mccasey]

Thanks a lot for the info! I was thinking more of Santa Monica for the reason you mentioned too so that's great!

 

Wasn't sure if we could get Super Shuttle to pick us up at the hotel to take us to the pier so thanks for that info too!

 

MC

[Bruin Steve]

Hi!

 

My husband and I are taking a cruise out of LA (San Pedro) on Sunday, September 6th. We arrive at LAX at 11:00 am on Saturday the 5th and would love to be able to see a bit of LA (we thought of doing either Hollywood, Beverly Hills area or Santa Monica). I've been trying to get lots of info on here and online in general about transfer prices and cab fare but I still have so many questions:

 

1) Which area of town would you recommend we stay in and see if you could do just 1 (since they are spread out) and do not plan to rent a car?

 

2) If I use Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle to get to our hotel, can we then use it to get from our hotel to the pier the following day or do they only operate from the airport to the pier and back?

 

3) I was given this link for estimating cab fare in the LA area: http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=LA

But can any LA residents tell me if it is reliable? Because it's telling me that a cab from LAX to Santa Monica is approximately $50 and I've read in other p laces, including on this board, that it's more likely approximately $25. And from Santa Monica to the pier they are estimating $100. From the pier to LAX they are estimating $70. I've heard about $45.

Thank you sooooooooo much in advance for any advice you can give!

MC

 

I cannot tell you too much about taxi fares...I've lived here all my life and, like most Angelinos, have never taken a cab in LA...I DO know that the shuttle companies will do hotel to pier...no problem at all--they do it all the time...

 

As to where to stay without a car and with limited time...here is my take among those three choices:

 

Beverly Hills...I would not stay here unless you have a particular interest in being in Beverly Hills--like you have money to burn and want to shop Rodeo Drive. Hotels are all excpensive and you are either in a resort-like, out of the way property like the Beverly Hills Hotel, or you are in the middle of the Golden Triangle business area--sort of big-cityish--high end shopping, traffic, high end restaurants...I, personally, don't find it very enjoyable...

 

Hollywood...Yes, it has the most often thought about tourist sites--the Hollywood Sign, Grauman's Chinese, the Walk of Fame...but, it is also a little ragged and run-down and very "interesting" at night...

 

Santa Monica...my first choice, especially with the limited one afternoon and evening you'll have. First, the weather is the best...You're going in early September and parts of LA can be VERY hot in that time frame. Santa Monica has the ocean as a tempering factor which keeps the temperatures very mild. It's also the closest of the three to LAX...so you'll save a little time and money that way...If your plane gets in at 11:00, you've got to collect your luggage and then catch the shuttle, so figure you should get checked in at a hotel by 1:00 pm...Santa Monica (and Venice--just one town down the beach and an excellent choice as well) have some good, casual, restaurants...You can grab lunch and then take a long stroll either up the boardwalk from Venice to Santa Monica or down the boardwalk from Santa Monica to Venice, check out the Santa Monica pier with its rides and amusements...or just enjoy the variety of street entertainment and shopping one finds along this route...At night, you can head over to Palisades Park, along Ocean Avenue to enjoy the sunset, then catch some dinner and maybe enjoy the nightlife on the Third Street Promenade...It's more "suburban" than Beverly Hills or Hollywood...and definitely more "upscale" than Hollywood...

 

That would be my choice...

[mccasey]

Santa Monica sounds perfect! It is for sure my choice! Thanks a lot! I also did West Hollywood, Melrose, the Beverly Center area last time I was in LA and didn't get a chance to do Santa Monica so there's another reason to do Santa Monica this time! I'm so excited! I LOVE LA! Almost more excited for LA than for the cruise! LOL

 

Still unsure about weather to cab it at least from LAX to the hotel. If the fare estimator is correct and it's $50 plus tip, then the shuttle is definitely the better option, but if this site is more accurate and I can cab it for $25 (for 2 of us) that's the best option.

 

Glad to hear that I can use the shuttles from the hotels to the pier! That's a relief!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Many of the shuttle services will pick you up from many places (even homes). The websites usually just give pricing on going between the airports, some hotels and the ports; you would have to call them directly to get other pricing.