Los Angeles - Family Accommodation

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Cantona7

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Hi
Will be in LA in dec for 3 weeks and would like somewhere to say, have 3 kids.. aged 10 8 and 2 so needs to be a bit child friendly!! Also is it easy to drive over there,, 8 lane highways have me a bit freaked!!
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Don't worry about the driving - it's very easy and in my experience drivers over there are nowhere near as aggressive as Irish drivers. Also drivers over there comply with the traffic laws (e.g. four-way stops, parking in the direction of traffic, etc.) so it's a much more enjoyable experience that you might be expecting. Make sure you know the local traffic laws and you won't have a bother. Enjoy!
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

I agree with Eeek. I spent a week driving in LA. Don't worry about the multiple lane 'thing'. If you are familiar with Motorways in Ireland then Highways in LA are easy. Even non highway roads are easy to navigate and they give you plenty of notice to get into your correct lane. Not like in Ireland where you hit a junction and then you get a sign!

We stayed in the Hilton hotel opposite the entrance to Universal studios. A good location to getting onto the main highways to get around LA. There were plently of families staying there, as we didn't have any children I can't comment on child friendlyness. You could walk across the road to the studios and an underground station (metro) was about a 100/150 metre walk. It goes straight to Hollywood. That's all I can think of at the minute.
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Thanks to you both for the info. I willcheck out the Hilton as it does seem convenient to what the kids are looking forward to most.. namely Disneyland!!

Well the signage could not be any worse than we have here i guess..
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Disneyland is in south LA. Universal Studios is in north LA - in Griffith park
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Hi,

Was in LA this summer and would advise renting a car if you plan to do much travelling , as getting around without a car can be costly. Its very spread out also and this would be the best way to get around.

One thing to note is that disneyland is in Anaheim and universal is in hollywood area. There is around a 40-60 minute (depending on traffic) drive along the highway between the two. Also seeing as you would have a full car you can use the inside lane on the highways which is the carpool lane(for 2 passengers or more) this saves a lot of traffic time.

Maybe you could stay near disney for a few days while you go to disneyland and then maybe universal area for the rest??
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Hi Might I suggest that you try the following sites if you are planning a trip to Disneyland. You will get loads of information from previous travellers and all their combined wisdom and tips (best times to visit certain rides etc). www.mousesavers.com www.mouseplanet.com www.disboards.com www.fodors.com (visit Talk and type in Disneyland) I have stayed at the Howard Johnsons on Harbour Boulevard about 10mins walk to gates. Cheap and cheerful - but considering we left each morning at 8:30am and didn't get back until near enough to midnight I'm glad we didn't spend huge money on rooms. If you are booking here try and get the rooms with the vaulted ceilings - they feel more spacious than rooms with regular ceiling heights. The rooms were actually far more spacious than more expensive hotels I have stayed in (ie Sheraton in Clearwater). You will have a great time. In my opinion Disneyland is far superior to DisneyWorld (in that everything is in the one park).
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Hi

We were in LA three years ago and like 'MargeSimpson' we stayed in the Hilton beside Universal Studios. It's located on 555 Universal Hollywood Drive.

It was really handy for Universal Studios and there was a free shuttle bus too if we didn't feel like walking in the heat. Also when we were there the kids ate an all you can eat buffet for $5!!

We moved to Anaheim and stayed at the Radisson on South Harbor Boulevard (about 10 minutes walk from the gates of Disneyland). There was also a regular shuttle bus to and from Disneyland for a small daily fee.

I booked Universal Studios and Disneyland tickets online and got two days for one in Universal and five days for three in Disneyland.

We all had a fantastic time and it was worth the 11 hours on the plane.

Hope this helps
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

In regards to accommodation, check out Vacation Rentals - this beats staying in a hotel.

My family & husband's family came over to Florida for our wedding recently, and got lovely places right on the beach through this website. All in all, they felt that they got better value for money with the accom, as it truly felt like a home away from home... they admitted that had they stayed in a hotel it would have been way more expensive, plus they'd all be piled into 1 room.

I see California is there... have a look and see if there is anything there that would satisfy your family's requirements.

soc
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

Thanks so much for all the info.. it is going to be fun planning this trip for sure.
 
Re: Los Angeles - Family Accomodation

I drove in LA last year, straight out of LAX onto the freeway, I think that my sister in the passenger seat was the one who was more freaked out about the prospect. Sure it was a bit scary at the beginning but after a couple of minutes, it is like you have been doing it all your life.

One word of warning though, make sure that you have a good map, plan your route well and have a good navigator if possible because if you miss your exit you could find it extremely hard to get back on track.

We stayed in the Metropolitan Hotel in Hollywood which was not a deluxe place but still quite nice and the prices were reasonable. You can also get a deal where you get Universal Studios tickets with your room
 
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