Is a Rental Car Necessary if Visiting LA? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Zimmer]

I'm going with a friend to LA for the first time for 4 days in March. I've always been of the understanding that LA is one place you absolutely have to have a car. She's reluctant to rent a car and is talking about using buses and cabs. Am I nuts? Is she? Isn't everything miles and miles apart in LA? Wouldn't you run up enormous cab bills (like, enough to rent 2 cars)? Any clues on the safety of the bus service? Seems like a bad idea to me somehow, but I've never been there so what do I know?

Opinions, informed, slanderous and otherwise, appreciated.

 

[Jack Briggs]

The Metro Transit Authority runs an indifferent bus "service" and a decent subway (provided it goes where you want to go). Cabs? Forget it.

Rental car is your best best, but it's not really true that one is doomed if he or she doesn't own a car in Los Angeles.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Maybe not doomed, but your life expectancy just dropped precipitously.

Rent the car. You'll be cursing yourself if you don't.

(And why am I, a New Yorker, qualified to give this advice? My entire family lives in Southern California. I've been to L.A. dozens of times.)

M.

 

[LDfan]

Yes, Get the rental. I just came back from LA about a week ago.


Jeff

 

[Khoa Tran]

Hi, I live near LA and i would recommend you NOT to take any cabs because you'll be paying 40 dollars a trip. Rent a car, you'll be able to get around faster, get a thomas guide and learn all the freeways fast. The buses are slow and they don't go everywhere. Just take a car...southern california is very flat and wide....Just be sure to stay out of the freeways during rush hour. Oh yeah if you guys go to Disneyland, besure to come visit me! i'm only two blocks away!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Been to LA several times and I wouldn't visit there unless I had access to a vehicle.




Crawdaddy

 

[Alex Spindler]

Echoing all of the previous statements, I wouldn't recommend anyone go to L.A. and not have a car.

 

[Henry Gale]

Sure, squander your hard earned bucks on a rental Taurus!
I lived there for a year in 1968 and I got everywhere I wanted to go with my thumb. Met some wonderful folks that way too.
The Who's record company was promoting their Magic Bus album with a REAL bus that gave free rides up and down Sunset Blvd. Of course you had to listen to the damn song endlessly.
Country Joe McDonald's father was usually around in his orange (inside and out) ragtop. He always asked, "Are you holding?" A really eccentric old bird. He looked exactly like Joe looks now.
Alan Sues picked me up once in his VW, he'd just been hired to do a new comedy series, Laugh In.
Usually people you met had something to share, and I don't mean just their opinions.
I'm sure nothing has changed...go ahead, have fun, save your money.
Hitchhike.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I lived there for a year in 1968

It's changed a lot.

M.

 

[Grant B]

I had a friend do it once without a rental.....he never wanted to go back after that experience

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I lived there for a year in 1968

...and I'm sure that people got around there on horse back in the 1800's, too, but it's probably not recommended today.

 

[Ray Chuang]

I HIGHLY recommend getting a car rental, even if you have to rent a Ford Escort (the newer models are actually pretty nice little cars).

The big hassle with Los Angeles is that the city and its suburbs are so spread out that public transit is not a viable option if you want to save time. Besides, Los Angeles has an excellent system of freeways.

Anyway, one time I drove from Pamona to Torrance, CA--it took 45 minutes even on a Sunday with less traffic on the freeways!

 

[Julie K]

Like almost everyone else has said: get the rental car.

 

[Yee-Ming]

I went to LA once (in 1995). it was quite insane without a car. so rent one.

'nuff said...