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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Los Angeles
Pick one base by interest: Hollywood for studios, Santa Monica for beaches. Cross-town traffic is 45–90 min; do not split nights.
Los Angeles is a county-sized city: the city alone runs about 50 miles from the San Fernando Valley to the port, and the metro area spreads over five counties. Sights are far apart and traffic eats the day, so pick one base and one or two clusters per day. Three to four nights covers the headline sights; a car or rideshare budget matters more than a transit pass here.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (heat and smog), Oct–Dec (wildfire risk and Santa Ana winds)
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–280 excl. bed · High $280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Taco truck taco | $2.50–4 |
| Sit-down lunch | $18–30 |
| Beer in a bar | $8–12 |
| Rideshare, 5 miles | $15–25 |
| Metro ride | $1.75 |
| Getty Center entry | Free admission; parking $20 |
| LACMA entry | $25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LAX · Los Angeles International Airport
- About 30–60 min to Hollywood or Downtown by car or rideshare; Metro rail also serves the airport area (check current connections).
Typical fares
- LAX → Hollywood, rideshare
- $40–60, 30–60 min
- Metro ride
- $1.75, day pass about $5
- Taxi LAX → Downtown
- $60–80
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Metro rail covers core corridors but requires a free shuttle bus from the Aviation/LAX station to reach LAX terminals. Traffic peaks 07:00–10:00 and 15:00–19:00; plan two clusters per day.Metro rail covers core corridors but requires a free shuttle bus from the Aviation/LAX station to reach LAX terminals. Traffic peaks 7:00 AM–10:00 AM and 3:00 PM–7:00 PM; plan two clusters per day.
See and do
Known for
- Hollywood and film studios
- Beaches: Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu
- Museums: Getty, LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits
- Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
- Theme parks: Universal Studios Hollywood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Studios Hollywood | Metro B Line to Universal City, then the shuttle; or drive and park | About 1 h from Hollywood |
| Santa Monica and Venice Beach | Metro E Line to Downtown Santa Monica, about 50 min from Downtown L.A. | About 1 h |
| Malibu | Drive via Pacific Coast Highway | About 1 h from Santa Monica |
| Catalina Island | Ferry from Long Beach or San Pedro | About 1–1.5 h crossing plus port time |
Sleep
- Hollywood
- Walkable to the Walk of Fame and Metro; central for studio tours and Griffith Park. Noisy at night.
- Santa Monica / Venice
- Beach base with cooler air; 30–60 min by car to Hollywood or Downtown.
- Downtown L.A.
- Museums, bars and Metro hub; quieter at night in parts, so check the block.
- West Hollywood / Beverly Hills
- Mid-city base between Hollywood and the museums; pricier, good for shopping and dining.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the restroom? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Car break-ins are frequent at Griffith Observatory and beach lots: leave nothing visible in parked cars.
- Rideshare surge pricing after events and on weekend nights.
- Wildfire smoke and Santa Ana winds can change plans in fall: check air quality.
- Some blocks around Downtown and Hollywood have visible street homelessness; keep to lit, busy streets at night.
Most visits are trouble-free. The real risks are car break-ins, traffic, heat and wildfire smoke; keep to busy streets at night and leave nothing visible in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Los Angeles yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hollywood and film studios
- Beaches: Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu
- Museums: Getty, LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits
- Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
- Theme parks: Universal Studios Hollywood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Los Angeles: lacity.gov/
- Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board: www.discoverlosangeles.com/
- Wikivoyage: Los Angeles, revision 5353183 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5353183
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Los Angeles
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most countries have consulates in Los Angeles; check your country's list for the address and hours.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/los-angeles). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.