Los Angeles/Las Vegas Trip
Replies: 5 - Last Post: Nov 20, 2012 7:29 AM Last Post By: 55vineyard
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Los Angeles/Las Vegas Trip
My partner and I (both 23 from New Zealand) are having an 8 night stopover in LA arriving 2:45pm Thursday 2nd May LAX and flying out from LAX to England on Friday 10th May.We want to go and experience Vegas- so are thinking of flying straight to Vegas from LAX on the Thursday and then staying 3-4 nights there (so we are there fr the weekend). We are unsure of what to do/where to stay for our remaing nights.
My partner wants to see the Grand Canyon, and I am pretty keen on going to Disneyland, Universal Studios and perhaps Venice Beach or some other beach.
Anyone have any suggestions about what would be the best way to see these things? i.e. whats the best way to travel to the grand canyon (p.s I get motion sick!) and then back to LA, would it be best to stay somewhere near the grand canyon for a night? Is Anaheim a good place to stay when in LA?
We do not really have a budget, but will probably splurge a bit more on accomodation when in Vegas and try get cheaper accom everywhere else.
1
Or splurge in Anaheim and stay at one of the hotels connected with Disney. There are advantages like early entry. Oh, and since you get motion sickness stay off the e-ticket rides. (Does that date me?).2
This is like asking if xScotland is a good place to stay when in xEngland. Anaheim is not in LA. It's not even in the same county.With that said, LA is not a city with a compact core of sights. It's a sprawling megalopolis, and seeing things can take you 40 miles, easy (which, btw, is the distance from Anaheim to Venice Beach).
I think you should spend a night or two in Anaheim, for xDisney, when you come from the east, then move to the west (xHollywood, Pasadena, etc.) for the rest.
Anyone have any suggestions about what would be the best way to see these things? i.e. whats the best way to travel to the grand canyon (p.s I get motion sick!) and then back to LA
Drive to the Grand Canyon, stay a night, drive back to LA. It's a long drive, so there really isn't much else to it.
3
Best way is to rent a car and drive LAX to Anaheim (caveat-probably in rush hour given your arrival time). Saturday drive to Vegas (4hours). Drive to/from GC 4 hours each way. Vegas to Santa Monica 5 hours.Whatever you schedule avoid driving to Vegas Friday afternoon/evening and to LA Sunday evening. LA-Vegas is freeway all the way and no problem driving at night if you want. Great seeing the sun come up on the desert. Las Vegas is most expensive and crowded on weekends.
4
If you are coming with a car,think of staying at the SouthPoint,Orleans or Tuscany Suites that are just off the strip but close enough.Your young,you may enjoy the Valley of Fire or Red Rock parks that give you a taste of our desert hiking with services available,and Mt Charleston which up at 10,000ft has an Alpine feel.You might like dinner at the Hard Rock,which offers a $7.77 steak and shrimp(not on menu,just ask) special along with all the atmosphere you would expect there.All hotels offer free parking and if you valet,a $3 tip works.There are plenty of cheap eats,the hotels listed are reasonable and plenty of other places offer great deals of food and reasonable drinks. The Grand Canyon is 4 hours from Vegas so best if you stay the night by the park if you really want to enjoy it,pretty much an all freeway trip.5
Go to Vegas midweek, it will be twice as expensive on weekends.Anaheim is in Orange County where Disneyland is, good place to stay when you visit DL but for the LA portion of your sightseeing, change hotels/motels to avoid lots of driving. Venice is pretty seedy these days (lots of drug paraphernalia shops and medical marijuana doctors), Santa Monica is much better.
