Don't always take the freeway, sometimes it's the slowest option especially in peak traffic periods. Workers in SoCal actually get paid traffic time often for the amount of hours they spend on the road. You can be there a long time if you pick the wrong road. The 405 and the 10 can get extremely busy as can the 101 to a lesser extent.
When you park make sure you are facing the right direction and make sure your wheels are turned towards the curb. This is the law. Don't park in a red zone or close to a fire hydrant.
Avoid certain parts of East LA, Downtown, Crenshaw, Compton, Watts and Long Beach after dark. Beware of having your car windows open in some of those areas or stopping for someone flagging you down.
Going to LA in a few weeks and Im a little nervous about the driving! Ive driven in the US before Ok but nowhere as busy as LA! Im getting a cab to the hotel (in Hollywood) and was going to pick up the car the next day. The person Im going with isnt a driver so its all up to me I have a Sat Nav.
Any tips? Should I use the freeways or avoid them?
Are you going this weekend by any chance? I think i may know the "non driver" you are going with!! Small world!
Yes, you do know me!! HAHA!! I just asked if it was you on the other thread!!
Oooh hello Non-Driver Can you pass your driving test before Sunday please?
Thanks for all the advice guys. As I said, I have driven in the States before, but not LA so used to the "general" oddities like overtaking in all lanes, right turn on red and 4 way stops. Im probably more concerned about getting lost but with a Sat Nav, iphone with mapping and a passenger with a normal map, I hope not too many wrong turns!
Wont have time to leave the city this trip maybe next time.
BTW - what car would be better to pick - 4wd Mitsubishi Endeavour or a Convertible? Id probably feel safer in the 4x4 but the convertible would be fun...:D
Just back from three weeks in LA and the surroundings, and it's nothing to be worried about. There are A LOT of roadworks at the moment though.
I much more enjoyed driving over there, the whole being responsible for your own position on the road rather than the "overtaking lanes" rubbish we have makes it far more sensible and gives you much greater awareness of what's around you.
If the roadworks make it too busy, don't be afraid to come off the freeway - it's a grid system, so as long as you're going in the right general direction you're sorted, whatever the GPS is snapping at you to do!
Oooh hello Non-Driver Can you pass your driving test before Sunday please?
Thanks for all the advice guys. As I said, I have driven in the States before, but not LA so used to the "general" oddities like overtaking in all lanes, right turn on red and 4 way stops. Im probably more concerned about getting lost but with a Sat Nav, iphone with mapping and a passenger with a normal map, I hope not too many wrong turns!
Wont have time to leave the city this trip maybe next time.
BTW - what car would be better to pick - 4wd Mitsubishi Endeavour or a Convertible? Id probably feel safer in the 4x4 but the convertible would be fun...:D
Go for the Mitsubishi, it's probably not warm enough for the convertible. It can get quite cold in Los Angeles in Winter.
Hmmm, we didn't think that way when a rental Chevrolet blew a radiator hose in Mesa Verde National Park...
I have to say that I think you are unlucky. I've hired and drive a lot of new cars and rarely had a problem, definitely not enough to make to consider one make over another. I would say a lot of Japanese cars in the US are nothing like their European equivalent in that their suspension, engines and brakes are like marshmallows.
A lot of the Ford models handle much better then the Japanese ones, same with European brands.
Its a hire car, I doubt reliability is going to be an issue.
Yes it can be chilly in the evenings in LA, average temp will still be around 20C. You also can't beat the feeling of a convertible.
Yeah, in the three weeks we were there (Nov 5th - 24th) it went from shorts and a t-shirt to shorts and a casual sweater. It's definitely cooler then you'd hope but it's not awful.
Upcoming forecast for the next ten days for the LA area gives a daytime high ranging from 15 to 20 degrees C with lows going down to 4 degrees. In a convertible the wind chill will make a difference too. Of course entirely up to the OP though.
Thanks for the help guys. Im back from LA and the driving went very well! Not even one close shave - well apart from nearly mowing down a cyclist with no lights who decided to peddle down the middle of the road towards me but not my fault .
I ordered a small SUV and was given a Durango the size of a barn so felt very safe. The grid system made it pretty easy to get about and the car had two sat navs so no chance of getting lost!
All in all, easier than driving at home really - thanks for all the tips! LA was AMAZING - cant wait to go back!
I've driven in LA and California, Nevada etc and had no problems.
If you haven't got a satnav then buy one in the US, they are quite a bit cheaper. I bought a Tomtom that was 2/3 of the UK price even after tax (never got used to US shops adding tax to the ticket price....) and bought it back to the UK and bought the Europe map for it, still worked out cheaper. IT does call roundabouts "rotaries" but I can live with that...
If you are going out to Death Valley, the desert etc do not rely on a smartphone with GPS/Satnav. They rely on the network to download the maps as they go and reception can be very poor leaving you with no map!
It is illegal to fit a satnav, or anything, to the windscreen but I only found that out after driving around for a week with mine on the windscreen!
Death Valley is a great place to visit, and only a couple of hours from LA, and just so different to anything in the UK. But take bottles of water, warm clothing etc just in case you break down. Stay with the car, hood up and wait to be found. Do not try to walk out.
I used Dollar rentacar, try booking from the UK site and from the US site to see which is the better deal but remember the insurance will be different. They book a "category" of car and then tell you to go out into the car park and pick anything from that zone. The trick used to be book a cheap category and when they offer you an upgrade haggle and get a much better deal, but it doesn't always work.
They were great, I had a driver run a red light and smash into my Grand Cherokee on my first day when I was somewhere on the PCH. The car was towed away and I booked into a local motel since it was evening time. Hour and a half later a Dollar rep knocked on my door and gave me the keys to a brand new Grand Cherokee. Very good service.
Comments
When you park make sure you are facing the right direction and make sure your wheels are turned towards the curb. This is the law. Don't park in a red zone or close to a fire hydrant.
Avoid certain parts of East LA, Downtown, Crenshaw, Compton, Watts and Long Beach after dark. Beware of having your car windows open in some of those areas or stopping for someone flagging you down.
Are you going this weekend by any chance? I think i may know the "non driver" you are going with!! Small world!
Yes, you do know me!! HAHA!!
Thanks for all the advice guys. As I said, I have driven in the States before, but not LA so used to the "general" oddities like overtaking in all lanes, right turn on red and 4 way stops. Im probably more concerned about getting lost but with a Sat Nav, iphone with mapping and a passenger with a normal map, I hope not too many wrong turns!
Wont have time to leave the city this trip maybe next time.
BTW - what car would be better to pick - 4wd Mitsubishi Endeavour or a Convertible? Id probably feel safer in the 4x4 but the convertible would be fun...:D
Haha weird!!!!!:p
I much more enjoyed driving over there, the whole being responsible for your own position on the road rather than the "overtaking lanes" rubbish we have makes it far more sensible and gives you much greater awareness of what's around you.
If the roadworks make it too busy, don't be afraid to come off the freeway - it's a grid system, so as long as you're going in the right general direction you're sorted, whatever the GPS is snapping at you to do!
Go for the Mitsubishi, it's probably not warm enough for the convertible. It can get quite cold in Los Angeles in Winter.
Its a hire car, I doubt reliability is going to be an issue.
Yes it can be chilly in the evenings in LA, average temp will still be around 20C. You also can't beat the feeling of a convertible.
I have to say that I think you are unlucky. I've hired and drive a lot of new cars and rarely had a problem, definitely not enough to make to consider one make over another. I would say a lot of Japanese cars in the US are nothing like their European equivalent in that their suspension, engines and brakes are like marshmallows.
A lot of the Ford models handle much better then the Japanese ones, same with European brands.
Yeah, in the three weeks we were there (Nov 5th - 24th) it went from shorts and a t-shirt to shorts and a casual sweater. It's definitely cooler then you'd hope but it's not awful.
Our Chevy Impala from Alamo was faultless.
Was OK, I'd raise you with a Denny's Breakfast though
I ordered a small SUV and was given a Durango the size of a barn so felt very safe. The grid system made it pretty easy to get about and the car had two sat navs so no chance of getting lost!
All in all, easier than driving at home really - thanks for all the tips! LA was AMAZING - cant wait to go back!
I've driven in LA and California, Nevada etc and had no problems.
If you haven't got a satnav then buy one in the US, they are quite a bit cheaper. I bought a Tomtom that was 2/3 of the UK price even after tax (never got used to US shops adding tax to the ticket price....) and bought it back to the UK and bought the Europe map for it, still worked out cheaper. IT does call roundabouts "rotaries" but I can live with that...
If you are going out to Death Valley, the desert etc do not rely on a smartphone with GPS/Satnav. They rely on the network to download the maps as they go and reception can be very poor leaving you with no map!
It is illegal to fit a satnav, or anything, to the windscreen but I only found that out after driving around for a week with mine on the windscreen!
Death Valley is a great place to visit, and only a couple of hours from LA, and just so different to anything in the UK. But take bottles of water, warm clothing etc just in case you break down. Stay with the car, hood up and wait to be found. Do not try to walk out.
I used Dollar rentacar, try booking from the UK site and from the US site to see which is the better deal but remember the insurance will be different. They book a "category" of car and then tell you to go out into the car park and pick anything from that zone. The trick used to be book a cheap category and when they offer you an upgrade haggle and get a much better deal, but it doesn't always work.
They were great, I had a driver run a red light and smash into my Grand Cherokee on my first day when I was somewhere on the PCH. The car was towed away and I booked into a local motel since it was evening time. Hour and a half later a Dollar rep knocked on my door and gave me the keys to a brand new Grand Cherokee. Very good service.