Visiting around LAX on a bit of a budget

[get me outta here]

Revisiting LAX where some years ago I spent some residential time.
Appreciate any general suggestions. (Not wanting to return to Hermosa/ Manhattan area). Maybe Marina Del Rey or Santa Monica.
I think AirBnB is illegal which means it’s too risky to book.
Would like to keep car use to a minimum and use public transport as a much as poss. Yes, I know it is a contradiction in terms to say LAX public transport.

 

[UP4014]

I'll think of some suggestions, but having a cheap rental car may keep the accommodation bills down as will give more options on locations.

Do you have a bit of a budget number in mind.

 

[get me outta here]

That’s a good point re the car. Budget wise, it’s more being in a place where there’s a diversity of things to do - museums / architectural curiosities, shops etc. iIn NYC I would just wander for hours, again there’s not a lot of wandering in LA. If I’m in a hotel I would usually try for a best rate guarantee to get the price down such as a Marriott.

 

[cjd600]

Just take a sleeping bag and you can bunk down at Venice Beach. Lots of curiosities there too

 

[get me outta here]

Just take a sleeping bag and you can bunk down at Venice Beach. Lots of curiosities there too

Been there done that.

 

[serfty]

Perhaps @ithongy may have some tips ...

 

[ausfox]

There is a light rail in LA. If it is some time since you were there it may be worth researching. I have used as I have used local buses but I have seen it near LAX.

 

[get me outta here]

There is a light rail in LA. If it is some time since you were there it may be worth researching. I have used as I have used local buses but I have seen it near LYes, thanks, it reminds me that I made a mental note when @cove mentioned it some time ago.

Yes, that reminds me that I made a mental note when @cove mentioned it some time ago.

 

[cove]

Big Blue bus is very reasonable price wise. We would take it from Marina del Rey to Santa Monica and if we wanted to go into the city the light rail gets you there. Watch out for Friday afternoon traffic snarls from about 3 pm.
You can walk down Abbot Kinney to get a bit of local ideas from Washington and head north.
There is a mini boat service that runs around Marina del Rey and $2 will get you back to your starting place. We took it recently. I think it runs Thursday to Sunday. We got on at the stop behind TonyP’s bar/restaurant.
My two sons use Uber and/or Lyft instead of hiring a car. Typically I hire a car but parking can get tricky.
There is an increasing level of homelessness around Venice Beach where Crocodile Dundee has been living.

 

[get me outta here]

Big Blue bus is very reasonable price wise. We would take it from Marina del Rey to Santa Monica and if we wanted to go into the city the light rail gets you there. Watch out for Friday afternoon traffic snarls from about 3 pm.
You can walk down Abbot Kinney to get a bit of local ideas from Washington and head north.
There is a mini boat service that runs around Marina del Rey and $2 will get you back to your starting place. We took it recently. I think it runs Thursday to Sunday. We got on at the stop behind TonyP’s bar/restaurant.
My two sons use Uber and/or Lyft instead of hiring a car. Typically I hire a car but parking can get tricky.
There is an increasing level of homelessness around Venice Beach where Crocodile Dundee has been living,

Thank you @cove great slow ways to move around, I’ll put those jaunts on my list.
Would the Marina Del Rey or Santa Monica be a base for wanderings? Are either reachable on public transport from LAX? EDIT - Transit Schedules to and from the airport - LA Metro

 

[ithongy]

Consider hiring a Tesla via Hertz or “Turo” (Airbnb of car rental) to avoid paying for gas in LA which is around USD$6.50 p/gal. Supercharging fees are fixed at certain times & wont shock you.

Staying in Koreatown is a very walkable & safe area. Never a dull moment & food scene is great. Have 2 metro stations in area that’s can get you to downtown LA then you can venture to Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Long Beach.

Many people in LA prefer not to drive and will just Uber/Lyft around. If you’re up for it… try an eScooter or eBike rental for short hops.

 

[ithongy]

Thank you @cove great slow ways to move around, I’ll put those jaunts on my list.
Would the Marina Del Rey or Santa Monica be a base for wanderings? Are either reachable on public transport from LAX? EDIT - Transit Schedules to and from the airport - LA Metro

If you need a driver… I’m living 5mins away from LAX in Playa Del Rey. Santa Monica will have to get Big Blue Bus, Marina Del Rey I’d just take a rideshare & not use any public transport.

 

[get me outta here]

If you need a driver… I’m living 5mins away from LAX in Playa Del Rey. Santa Monica will have to get Big Blue Bus, Marina Del Rey I’d just take a rideshare & not use any public transport.

Thank you @ithongy, That sounds like a very interesting place to be with public transport to to get around, nice food and thank you very much for offering the lift!

 

[get me outta here]

Consider hiring a Tesla via Hertz or “Turo” (Airbnb of car rental) to avoid paying for gas in LA which is around USD$6.50 p/gal. Supercharging fees are fixed at certain times & wont shock you.

Staying in Koreatown is a very walkable & safe area. Never a dull moment & food scene is great. Have 2 metro stations in area that’s can get you to downtown LA then you can venture to Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Long Beach.

Many people in LA prefer not to drive and will just Uber/Lyft around. If you’re up for it… try an eScooter or eBike rental for short hops.

What a great chance to hire a Tesla. Perhaps I should just stick with ride shares though.
I know in New York the ebike and escooter people are absolutely crazy.

 

[justinbrett]

I can't imagine any situation, with the current costs of rental cars, that the savings would be worth it to get a cheaper location.

If you stay anywhere on the subway/light rail lines (including downtown), you can get to most things of interest. You say you like museums, Exposition Park is on the rail line and there's plenty to see there.

I was just there a few weeks ago. The public transport system has come a long way from what I had remembered of it. It's usually a lot faster than driving due to the terrible traffic.

 

[UP4014]

I can't imagine any situation, with the current costs of rental cars, that the savings would be worth it to get a cheaper location.

If you stay anywhere on the subway/light rail lines (including downtown), you can get to most things of interest. You say you like museums, Exposition Park is on the rail line and there's plenty to see there.

I was just there a few weeks ago. The public transport system has come a long way from what I had remembered of it. It's usually a lot faster than driving due to the terrible traffic.

A quick check of just the the QF web site, USD380 for a 7 days with Budget, Kia Rio. with the exchange rate difference that's about AU500 to 600.

Maybe try Turo, I haven't used but haven't heard anything bad. turo.com car share type deal where you hire someones vehicle like an airb&b.

Depends on what you want to do, if you want to visit Pasadena's Norton Simon gallery one day and then something in Orange County the next car is really the only way, also means you can stay in the burbs.

 

[justinbrett]

A quick check of just the the QF web site, USD380 for a 7 days with Budget, Kia Rio. with the exchange rate difference that's about AU500 to 600.

Maybe try Turo, I haven't used but haven't heard anything bad. turo.com car share type deal where you hire someones vehicle like an airb&b.

Depends on what you want to do, if you want to visit Pasadena's Norton Simon gallery one day and then something in Orange County the next car is really the only way, also means you can stay in the burbs.

+ gas & parking, and possibly tolls. And you'll be spending a lot of time behind the wheel. It can take two hours to drive from Santa Monica to LAX.

If the express purpose to to reduce accommodation costs (as you originally suggested), you're just re-allocating to transport costs. It's not really going to save anything.

If you specifically want to stay somewhere far out of town with no transport, that's a different matter.

 

[dajop]

+ gas & parking, and possibly tolls. And you'll be spending a lot of time behind the wheel. It can take two hours to drive from Santa Monica to LAX.

If the express purpose to to reduce accommodation costs (as you originally suggested), you're just re-allocating to transport costs. It's not really going to save anything.

Also got to pay close attention to parking costs at the accommodation. There’s a lot of hotels that now charge to self park in their open air parking area that used to be free.

 

[get me outta here]

@dajop @justinbrett @BAM1748, thanks, I will only consider a car rental if I wanted to take a day trip somewhere a bit out of town.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Not accommodation related, but I recently saved quite a lot on a visit to California buying gift cards before I left at significant discounts.

TopCashBack – US cash back site similar to cashrewards and shopback

Are you buying things from the US to be shipped to Australia and missing out on cash back opportunities because the merchant isn't listed on major Australian players like shopback.com.au and/or cashrewards.com.au? Or are you buying things online whilst in Australia from US based businesses to...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I should add, after having just returned from a month in Calofnia/Nevada, that your thread title seems extrmely quixotic! The US is no longer a cheap destination!