Los Angeles Itinerary and transportation ideas

In Los Angeles (note spelling), a car is pretty much a must. It isn’t that public transportation isn’t available, it is just so spread out that public transportation would be quite time consuming.

I live here. Gotta have a car.

Distance from USC from the coast is 15 miles at least. SM to Dodger Stadium is nearly 20 miles.

Public transport in LA is laughable even with the Metro Rail.

Rent the car and save yourself frustration.

Will say streets, roads, freeways are well laid out.

For example, Venice boulevard goes from downtown ( DTLA) to Venice beach.

Sunset boulevard goes from East LA to the coast.

Western Ave goes from Hollywood to Long Beach .
However, it is a city of automobiles and traffic. Be prepared.

Given the fires last year in the mountains above Malibu double check opening hours for the Getty.

IMHO the 405 always sucks. Same with the 110 during commuter times.

And you are talking next April aren’t you?

Los Angeles is pretty spread out. You will definitely need a car. In 3 full days I don't think you can see all these things, at least not without rushing through them. You need to reserve a time for the Getty Museum. It is free, but parking is from $10 to $25. (Late entry costs less.) The Griffith Park Observatory is also frree There is limited parking in a pay lot near the observatory, but it is first come first served and IMO a bit of a walk. There is a DASH shuttle bus that drops you by the entrance and costs 50 cents (25 cents for seniors). It takes you through some scenic sections of Griffith Park on the way to the observatory. (See the observatory website for the DASH route and where you can leave your car.) Uber or Lyft work well also.

USC is right near Exposition Park, with the California African American M useum, the Natural History Museum as well as the space shuttle Endeavor (the real deal) at the California Science Center. You could go to USC, maybe check out the Endeavor, then drive to Venice Beach for a walk around and dinner. (Just fyi, IMO Venice Beach is a disappointment, but you may get a kick out of it.)

I assume you refer to the Peterson Automotive Museum (we have 3 car museums in the area). You could see that one day and head to a Dodgers game (if a night game) that same day. Or if a day Dodgers game, see that then go to the observatory. A Koreatown spa visit could fit in one of these two days (Really, Dodger stadium, Koreatown, Griffith Observatory, the auto museum, the "cheesy" tour...you can shuffle these around as they are within a decent drivable distance apart.) Traffic, however, is another can of worms here in LaLaLand! It slows down cars AND buses.
Our metro system can get you to just about all of the general areas of these sights, but not within walking distance of all their entrances.

If driving in LA is too intimidating (no shame in that), Uber or Lyft are your friends here, just so traffic doesn't fray the nerves.
Note that the auto museum and Dodger stadium have paid parking lots. I don't know about USC. Since traffic and getting around here is (alas!) a bit of a pain, plan for 2 things per day, spread apart in times, then add a third thing if time allows. Wish I could give you more hopeful suggestions for public transportation. It can be great, but connecting from it to the sights isn't always easy. It's that last leg that can be hard.

Warning on the rental car: scope out electrics and how you will charge it because there's a good chance only EVs will be available, no matter what you reserved.

LA may be a car town but parking is through the roof. Our Santa Monica hotel charged $70/day and it was valet so tips extra. Parking everywhere is difficult and will cost a lot.

Still for a short trip really a car is best. If downtown Santa Monica there are city parking structures $5/day on weekend, $25 weekday, by the police station.

Lisa,
Re rental cars, we live in Long Beach in LA County, and our family and friends who visit haven't had any trouble renting gasoline or hybrid cars. Electrics are available, but by no means the only ones to rent. Perhaps in some neighborhoods that is so (Santa Monica?), but in Long Beach, downtown, at the port, or at the airport, most cars are gasoline cars. LAX and Orange County airports likewise, and the train station too. There are charging stations in many locations, just about all business parking lots (grocery stores, medical offices, shopping centers.g.) I wouldn't worry too much about electric cars. But do reserve ahead of time if you do rent a car.

I feel the need to apologize for the public transportation options in LA county. It isn't the best for the tourist without a car. The county is 4,750 square miles, so its size can make being a tourist difficult. Get a good AAA map.

Thank you for your thoughtful responses! I have two new questions based on your answers.
With only three days, I am wondering if you think we would st pend an equal amount of money using Lyft than renting a car and paying to park. Any thoughts on that?

If we do rent a car, would you recommend we rent one at LAX or get to our hotel then rent one in Santa Monica the next morning?

Thanks!

I last visited LA in over 35 years ago and found the huge city is very spread out and traffic is awful. Also, parking was expensive and was concerned about theft from my car.
I would hate to think how bad it is now. The city is filled with tens of thousands of homeless people camped out on the streets and elsewhere.

Good luck.

Go to Uber and Lyft and test out how much various trips might cost - bearing in mind there may be surge pricing. Then estimate car rental costs, parking and gas. California has one of the highest gas prices in the US.

What Trotter said. Three days only.....maybe Lyft or Uber. If so, plot out your sights to avoid backtracking and save some $. Do look online for the metro options. Line E goes to/from Santa Monica and would be faster than other ground transport. Maybe mix up the metro with Lyft/Uber and a bus. The DASH bus to the observatory connects with Metro Line B. You can connect to line B from Line E at the Metro Center station in downtown LA. (Pretend you are in Paris or London! Ha ha!) The metro lines may work for you in some places.
Best of luck!

Our “EV only” experience was at LAX, about 4 pm, Budget I think. Having a horrendous experience @Charleston where it was also EVs only 2 years back (spent an hour in a Walmart parking lot most days charging up) we waited 45 minutes at LAX for a gas car. Ultimately the electric in LA would have worked, only would have needed 1 charge. I think the parking structure we used had them on the top floor.

toby,
I guess I misread your post. I thought you meant there were only EVs at all the rental companies. I can see if perhaps one company was out of gasoline cars, especially if something big(ish) was going on in the LA area at the time.

As others have mentioned, if you are referring to the Getty Museum, you mean the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, right? The Getty Center, aka Getty Skirball Cultural Center, is located in LA right off the 405 freeway/Supelveda Pass. The Getty Center has amazing views and a nice collection of art, antiques and manuscripts. I just heard that it will be closing soon for a remodel in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics.

The Getty Villa is where I visit regularly. No admission but charged parking. Read the website about the ability to make a reservation and the recommended use of public transportation. The art and antiquities collection is amazing. The ocean views, exterior perastyle and gardens are stunning. Modeled after an ancient Roman Country House.

I highly recommend a visit, especially since your hotel will be close by.

If you intend to visit the Petersen Auto Museum, consider the La Brea tar pits and associated Page Museum (not very large) which are catty-corner across Wilshire Blvd. Use the LA County parking lot at the Page Museum for both.

Alas, the wonderful Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits are closing in Jukly for nearly 2 years, to prep for the 28 Oympics. Re the Getty, I assumed you meant to museum on the hill, not the villa. Either one is definitely worth a visit. Enjoy!

If we do rent a car, would you recommend we rent one at LAX or

LAX. Otherwise you're also paying for an Uber to get to your hotel. We vacationed for a week in LA last year and rented our car out of LAX and it was easy. We looked at SM hotels but I recall hefty parking fees, so maybe as others have stated, Uber might pencil out to be cheaper, but doubtful as many of your activities seem to be on the other side of LA.

Food: While in Koreatown, eat at Park's BBQ (reservation). When visiting USC, hit the Mercado La Paloma food court for lunch or dinner, specifically Holbox. Musso and Frank or The Formosa for great food and old school LA vibes.

Instead of a cheesy Hollywood tour, I'd recommend a studio tour (WB or Universal).

As a former Tv and Film location scout I’ll share a secret. Different neighborhood, different parking regulations i.e. Hollywood meters or lots different than Santa Monica in cost. K town costs different than Venice beach.

Since I live in Hollywood not sure what a cheesy Hollywood tour entails. Suspect Graumans but be advised Hollywood is nothing like you imagine. In fact it’s a trashy waste of your time. All the shops along Hollywood and Sunset Blvds are full of tat and overpriced trinkets. If at all possible see if you can arrange a tour of Warner Brothers Studios or Universal Studios in Burbank. Pricey but they are both well done. Otherwise rent a car and drive around Beverly Hills, Hancock Park and Silverlake on your own. You could also just visit Gelson’s supermarket on Franklin Ave. Over decades of living a few blocks away I’ve seen Diane Keaton, Tim Curry, Helen Mirren, Lily Tomlin, Chris Pine and other “ notables” whilst shopping.

Claudia gives you great advice.