California hire car options - advice appreciated
Discussion
Will be in California next month, into and out of LA.
Have done the usual Googling and found a few hire car options online but wondered - has anyone been to Cali recently and used an outstanding hire car service?
First leg will do LA to San Fran via the parks, so was thinking more a RAV4 style vehicle then drop off in SF while exploring for a few days.
Return leg SF to LA via Highway 1 so something more fun e.g. Mustang similar cruiser.
Any tips or inside tracks much appreciated!
Cheers
Have done the usual Googling and found a few hire car options online but wondered - has anyone been to Cali recently and used an outstanding hire car service?
First leg will do LA to San Fran via the parks, so was thinking more a RAV4 style vehicle then drop off in SF while exploring for a few days.
Return leg SF to LA via Highway 1 so something more fun e.g. Mustang similar cruiser.
Any tips or inside tracks much appreciated!
Cheers
When we were over there a few years ago (San Francisco to drive further north) we ended up using the Turo app to hire privately. The reason being was wanting a manual gearbox to enjoy the Pacific Coast road north... Ended up having a great time in a 500 Arbarth, but ours was a circular trip.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Avoid manual. Sorry, if you are going in and out of LA, an auto is the way to save your sanity. LA traffic sucks and is terrible, at all times of the day and seemingly random. Getting around in LA requires a car in reality, and careful planning - its funny talking to locals, who can have entire conversations about which route they took and how busy it is / isnt.
Turo is OK and I know a few people who have used it, but it might be a pain. Check what the cars are and what the pick up / drop off options are. Some will go the extra mile and drop the car off at the airport, which is awesome. Others will expect you to come and collect it. Uber / Lyft is great for that, but it might be a hassle - double check the posted cars.
I am pretty sure that LAX has its car rental places off the airport. Shuttle buses will take you, and if you have used US car rental before, it should be a breeze. I find that its much simpler than the UK or Europe. I havent rented that many times in LAX, but there should be plenty of choice and competitive too. Pretty sure there are better options than a Nissan Sentra (dont rent one by the way, they are really not nice, even if they are cheap).
What I would recommend is to maybe skip the rental while you are in LA though. Let Uber or Lyft take the stress out of this and its easy and there are plenty around. Dropping at the side of the road is great, rather than trying to find some parking lot etc. Oh, and be warned, parking a rental car in San Francisco tourist spots is a problem - rentals are easy to spot and they know which ones probably have luggage in them. I have driven in and around SF many times and its broadly OK, but I always pay for the decent parking, and it gets expensive really quickly. A few weeks ago I had to park near the Embarcadero and found an underground valet parking area, cost me $40 for just over 2 hours. Didnt mind paying it, because it was secure and protected, but again, might be easier to go the Uber / Lyft route. Just calling it out.
Outside of the cities though, the driving is great. Roads are wide and usually not so busy. The 5 between LA and SF is ok but its dull and flat, you have been warned. Taking the 101 is much nicer, but its much slower and the traffic at rush hour can be terrible. As for the 1 (PCH), its a beautiful drive, but can be busy and double check the driving conditions this time of the year - high sea swells can get up and over the road and I am not sure if it is all open at the moment - double check with CalTrans website.
Oh, and one final comment - I am sure you know, but fuel prices can be massively variable. Pick your filling up spots carefully and dont pay the stupid prices in Big Sur etc - they can get away with it because there isnt anywhere else for 40+ miles, just dont fall for that.
And ask away on other stuff - I am no expert, but can offer some recommendations.
Turo is OK and I know a few people who have used it, but it might be a pain. Check what the cars are and what the pick up / drop off options are. Some will go the extra mile and drop the car off at the airport, which is awesome. Others will expect you to come and collect it. Uber / Lyft is great for that, but it might be a hassle - double check the posted cars.
I am pretty sure that LAX has its car rental places off the airport. Shuttle buses will take you, and if you have used US car rental before, it should be a breeze. I find that its much simpler than the UK or Europe. I havent rented that many times in LAX, but there should be plenty of choice and competitive too. Pretty sure there are better options than a Nissan Sentra (dont rent one by the way, they are really not nice, even if they are cheap).
What I would recommend is to maybe skip the rental while you are in LA though. Let Uber or Lyft take the stress out of this and its easy and there are plenty around. Dropping at the side of the road is great, rather than trying to find some parking lot etc. Oh, and be warned, parking a rental car in San Francisco tourist spots is a problem - rentals are easy to spot and they know which ones probably have luggage in them. I have driven in and around SF many times and its broadly OK, but I always pay for the decent parking, and it gets expensive really quickly. A few weeks ago I had to park near the Embarcadero and found an underground valet parking area, cost me $40 for just over 2 hours. Didnt mind paying it, because it was secure and protected, but again, might be easier to go the Uber / Lyft route. Just calling it out.
Outside of the cities though, the driving is great. Roads are wide and usually not so busy. The 5 between LA and SF is ok but its dull and flat, you have been warned. Taking the 101 is much nicer, but its much slower and the traffic at rush hour can be terrible. As for the 1 (PCH), its a beautiful drive, but can be busy and double check the driving conditions this time of the year - high sea swells can get up and over the road and I am not sure if it is all open at the moment - double check with CalTrans website.
Oh, and one final comment - I am sure you know, but fuel prices can be massively variable. Pick your filling up spots carefully and dont pay the stupid prices in Big Sur etc - they can get away with it because there isnt anywhere else for 40+ miles, just dont fall for that.
And ask away on other stuff - I am no expert, but can offer some recommendations.
Cheers for the trip, got my eye on Turo in case we have a day when I can get a 911 or similar.
darkyoung1000 said:
When we were over there a few years ago (San Francisco to drive further north) we ended up using the Turo app to hire privately. The reason being was wanting a manual gearbox to enjoy the Pacific Coast road north... Ended up having a great time in a 500 Arbarth, but ours was a circular trip.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Thanks for the detailed reply off_again!
Won't drive in LA, will just grab car as we leave the city on route for Joshua Tree/Sequoia etc.
Same for SF, plan to drop the car off on arrival then pick something else up a few days later when leaving, to hit the H1 down the coast.
Will note that about the PCH, thanks! Hopefully nothing affected as we were thinking to book some accom on the coast while there. Will bear that in mind though.
Also noted about the gas prices and plan ahead - didn't know about the Big Sur factor a great tip, thanks!
Are you based out in the States or just went recently?
Won't drive in LA, will just grab car as we leave the city on route for Joshua Tree/Sequoia etc.
Same for SF, plan to drop the car off on arrival then pick something else up a few days later when leaving, to hit the H1 down the coast.
Will note that about the PCH, thanks! Hopefully nothing affected as we were thinking to book some accom on the coast while there. Will bear that in mind though.
Also noted about the gas prices and plan ahead - didn't know about the Big Sur factor a great tip, thanks!
Are you based out in the States or just went recently?
off_again said:
Avoid manual. Sorry, if you are going in and out of LA, an auto is the way to save your sanity. LA traffic sucks and is terrible, at all times of the day and seemingly random. Getting around in LA requires a car in reality, and careful planning - its funny talking to locals, who can have entire conversations about which route they took and how busy it is / isnt.
Turo is OK and I know a few people who have used it, but it might be a pain. Check what the cars are and what the pick up / drop off options are. Some will go the extra mile and drop the car off at the airport, which is awesome. Others will expect you to come and collect it. Uber / Lyft is great for that, but it might be a hassle - double check the posted cars.
I am pretty sure that LAX has its car rental places off the airport. Shuttle buses will take you, and if you have used US car rental before, it should be a breeze. I find that its much simpler than the UK or Europe. I havent rented that many times in LAX, but there should be plenty of choice and competitive too. Pretty sure there are better options than a Nissan Sentra (dont rent one by the way, they are really not nice, even if they are cheap).
What I would recommend is to maybe skip the rental while you are in LA though. Let Uber or Lyft take the stress out of this and its easy and there are plenty around. Dropping at the side of the road is great, rather than trying to find some parking lot etc. Oh, and be warned, parking a rental car in San Francisco tourist spots is a problem - rentals are easy to spot and they know which ones probably have luggage in them. I have driven in and around SF many times and its broadly OK, but I always pay for the decent parking, and it gets expensive really quickly. A few weeks ago I had to park near the Embarcadero and found an underground valet parking area, cost me $40 for just over 2 hours. Didnt mind paying it, because it was secure and protected, but again, might be easier to go the Uber / Lyft route. Just calling it out.
Outside of the cities though, the driving is great. Roads are wide and usually not so busy. The 5 between LA and SF is ok but its dull and flat, you have been warned. Taking the 101 is much nicer, but its much slower and the traffic at rush hour can be terrible. As for the 1 (PCH), its a beautiful drive, but can be busy and double check the driving conditions this time of the year - high sea swells can get up and over the road and I am not sure if it is all open at the moment - double check with CalTrans website.
Oh, and one final comment - I am sure you know, but fuel prices can be massively variable. Pick your filling up spots carefully and dont pay the stupid prices in Big Sur etc - they can get away with it because there isnt anywhere else for 40+ miles, just dont fall for that.
And ask away on other stuff - I am no expert, but can offer some recommendations.
Turo is OK and I know a few people who have used it, but it might be a pain. Check what the cars are and what the pick up / drop off options are. Some will go the extra mile and drop the car off at the airport, which is awesome. Others will expect you to come and collect it. Uber / Lyft is great for that, but it might be a hassle - double check the posted cars.
I am pretty sure that LAX has its car rental places off the airport. Shuttle buses will take you, and if you have used US car rental before, it should be a breeze. I find that its much simpler than the UK or Europe. I havent rented that many times in LAX, but there should be plenty of choice and competitive too. Pretty sure there are better options than a Nissan Sentra (dont rent one by the way, they are really not nice, even if they are cheap).
What I would recommend is to maybe skip the rental while you are in LA though. Let Uber or Lyft take the stress out of this and its easy and there are plenty around. Dropping at the side of the road is great, rather than trying to find some parking lot etc. Oh, and be warned, parking a rental car in San Francisco tourist spots is a problem - rentals are easy to spot and they know which ones probably have luggage in them. I have driven in and around SF many times and its broadly OK, but I always pay for the decent parking, and it gets expensive really quickly. A few weeks ago I had to park near the Embarcadero and found an underground valet parking area, cost me $40 for just over 2 hours. Didnt mind paying it, because it was secure and protected, but again, might be easier to go the Uber / Lyft route. Just calling it out.
Outside of the cities though, the driving is great. Roads are wide and usually not so busy. The 5 between LA and SF is ok but its dull and flat, you have been warned. Taking the 101 is much nicer, but its much slower and the traffic at rush hour can be terrible. As for the 1 (PCH), its a beautiful drive, but can be busy and double check the driving conditions this time of the year - high sea swells can get up and over the road and I am not sure if it is all open at the moment - double check with CalTrans website.
Oh, and one final comment - I am sure you know, but fuel prices can be massively variable. Pick your filling up spots carefully and dont pay the stupid prices in Big Sur etc - they can get away with it because there isnt anywhere else for 40+ miles, just dont fall for that.
And ask away on other stuff - I am no expert, but can offer some recommendations.
We flew into SFO in sept for a 2wk holiday and hired a small SUV from thrifty. Dont pay for the extra insurance it's a rip off. You can usually bolt it onto your travel insurance for an extra £20 or so.
When we got there they didn't have any available and gave us a medium SUV. Ford edge.
We did about 1300 in 2wks. Most of it was during wk 1. Drove south down the coast, then inland to sequoia and kings canyon, then North to Yosemite and back to SF.
An SUV was deffinately the right call for sequoia. Some of the back roads/tracks were pretty sketchy. If your doing a lot of miles of avoid a gas guzzler.
Fuel in CA is expensive. When we went in sept/Oct it was between $6-$7 a gallon, but remember they have smaller gallons. Makes it the same price as over here, but of course a 1.8 diesel that does 60+ MPG doesn't exist over there.
Don't underestimate the size of the NPs btw, or how twisty the roads are in there. On our days in sequoia NP our average speed was probably only about 15mph. If you get to the main trail centre at sequoia and want to go to kings canyon it looks quite close. It's a 2hr drive. But it is worth it.
Highway 1 has some great stop offs. Do LaHonda and the diner at the top near SF. Monterey, Carmel, Ragged Point (great views and coffee at the roadside diner here btw), a bit further down there's a beach that's full of elephant seals and deffinately worth a stop off. It is signposted.
Cambria is quite nice. In Cambria there's a big antiques place we found that's worth wandering round, just because it has lots of old Americana and US tat that you just never see in the UK. Lots of cowboy, ranch and native stuff too - Rich Man Poor Man antiques.
Then on to Pismo Beach. I ain't seen another beach like it. It's so expansive. (At this point we veered in land to the NPs)
A back route into sequoia is up a road called Mineral King Road. Google tells you it stops after a couple of miles, it doesn't, it continues deep into sequoia NP probably about another 50miles. The road is pretty arduous so I wouldn't bother in anything other than an auto SUV.
When we got there they didn't have any available and gave us a medium SUV. Ford edge.
We did about 1300 in 2wks. Most of it was during wk 1. Drove south down the coast, then inland to sequoia and kings canyon, then North to Yosemite and back to SF.
An SUV was deffinately the right call for sequoia. Some of the back roads/tracks were pretty sketchy. If your doing a lot of miles of avoid a gas guzzler.
Fuel in CA is expensive. When we went in sept/Oct it was between $6-$7 a gallon, but remember they have smaller gallons. Makes it the same price as over here, but of course a 1.8 diesel that does 60+ MPG doesn't exist over there.
Don't underestimate the size of the NPs btw, or how twisty the roads are in there. On our days in sequoia NP our average speed was probably only about 15mph. If you get to the main trail centre at sequoia and want to go to kings canyon it looks quite close. It's a 2hr drive. But it is worth it.
Highway 1 has some great stop offs. Do LaHonda and the diner at the top near SF. Monterey, Carmel, Ragged Point (great views and coffee at the roadside diner here btw), a bit further down there's a beach that's full of elephant seals and deffinately worth a stop off. It is signposted.
Cambria is quite nice. In Cambria there's a big antiques place we found that's worth wandering round, just because it has lots of old Americana and US tat that you just never see in the UK. Lots of cowboy, ranch and native stuff too - Rich Man Poor Man antiques.
Then on to Pismo Beach. I ain't seen another beach like it. It's so expansive. (At this point we veered in land to the NPs)
A back route into sequoia is up a road called Mineral King Road. Google tells you it stops after a couple of miles, it doesn't, it continues deep into sequoia NP probably about another 50miles. The road is pretty arduous so I wouldn't bother in anything other than an auto SUV.
Edited by Ambleton on Monday 19th December 23:09
When we did San diego to SF, hertz managers choice hooked us up with a convertible mustang. Great for all national parks, roof up when it was 40 deg in joshua tree, but driving through sequoia with the roof down was ace. Didnt care much for the 10 speed auto (pick a damn gear!) But no problems anywhere with a mustang, everything is massive over there so it felt like quite a small car actually.
I have lived in the bay area a few times for 6 weeks at a time, as well as multiple other several week long bits of travel there.
Personally I always try to get a mustang or similar (last time was a 370Z). You may as well get something that isn't awful if you are going to be trundling about the place in it. I don't agree with the "get an SUV for unmade roads" thing -- if you are going somewhere extreme enough to need axle articulation or stuff like that, both an SUV and a mustang are the wrong thing so you shouldn't be there. The Mustang is fine for for gravel roads up to things like Boadie (ghost town in the high desert near Mono Lake) as well as all normal roads. Different if you have tons of luggage or kids (tantamount to the same thing).
I've driven the pacific coast highway a few times. It's well policed. Some bits (eg. 17 mile drive) are privately run toll roads. If you think you're going to be carving apexes, you'd be better off canyon running near LA - the PCH is all about cruising and stopping somewhere nice for the sunset photos. If you haven't seen a pacific coast sunset, put time aside to do so. It's one of the few nature things where the reality doesn't disappoint.
I don't really know why people go to LA if they've been already. To me, it's the armpit of California: do people really enjoy being in miles of concrete in a grid pattern?
As others have said, it's the wrong time of year for a lot of the west coast. Yosemite is not fully closed this time of year, but all the nice and easy to get to bits are (glacier point, tioga pass). There's snow in the sierra nevadas.
Personally I always try to get a mustang or similar (last time was a 370Z). You may as well get something that isn't awful if you are going to be trundling about the place in it. I don't agree with the "get an SUV for unmade roads" thing -- if you are going somewhere extreme enough to need axle articulation or stuff like that, both an SUV and a mustang are the wrong thing so you shouldn't be there. The Mustang is fine for for gravel roads up to things like Boadie (ghost town in the high desert near Mono Lake) as well as all normal roads. Different if you have tons of luggage or kids (tantamount to the same thing).
I've driven the pacific coast highway a few times. It's well policed. Some bits (eg. 17 mile drive) are privately run toll roads. If you think you're going to be carving apexes, you'd be better off canyon running near LA - the PCH is all about cruising and stopping somewhere nice for the sunset photos. If you haven't seen a pacific coast sunset, put time aside to do so. It's one of the few nature things where the reality doesn't disappoint.
I don't really know why people go to LA if they've been already. To me, it's the armpit of California: do people really enjoy being in miles of concrete in a grid pattern?
As others have said, it's the wrong time of year for a lot of the west coast. Yosemite is not fully closed this time of year, but all the nice and easy to get to bits are (glacier point, tioga pass). There's snow in the sierra nevadas.
hooneybadger said:
Thanks for the detailed reply off_again!
Won't drive in LA, will just grab car as we leave the city on route for Joshua Tree/Sequoia etc.
Good - wont tell anyone what they cant do, just make recommendations. Driving in LA is NOT fun. I had the disadvantage of riding out from central LA towards Palm Springs just outside of what I thought was rush hour. Lane splitting / filtering is legal in California, and we did that for 20 miles! Gives an impression of the terrible traffic.Won't drive in LA, will just grab car as we leave the city on route for Joshua Tree/Sequoia etc.
Joshua Tree is amazing and loved the place. Take your time going around it though. Like a lot of National or State parks, you can be the culture vulture and just swoop past it all. Only if you actually stop and get out and look around do you get to see the amazing stuff. Recommend stepping out of the car and taking a few of the walks.
Sequoia National park? The one up towards Fresno? Avoid Fresno, but if it is that one, the drive up and past Three Rivers is amazing. Its super tight in places though, so be warned. Big drop offs in some places too. Did that on a motorcycle too, and froze my arse off at the top. Left and it was around 18 degrees at the bottom, -5 at the top. Though the trees were impressive. Be careful if it snows though, the route / park might be closed. It should be open though.
hooneybadger said:
Same for SF, plan to drop the car off on arrival then pick something else up a few days later when leaving, to hit the H1 down the coast.
Great, I love SF, though I do see that certain parts of the media like to write it off as some sort of hellhole of crime and murder. SF has never been great, but I do love the city and it has some of the most amazing places to eat. Steer clear of the bad parts though. Just like any big city, take a wrong turn and you are in the bad part of town. But its more extreme in SF. One minute you are walking down a street with tourists and shops, next you are in the middle of the Tenderloin and surrounded by the homeless. Personally, I have never had any issues and have walked around at night many times - but its all around personal safety.hooneybadger said:
Will note that about the PCH, thanks! Hopefully nothing affected as we were thinking to book some accom on the coast while there. Will bear that in mind though.
Also noted about the gas prices and plan ahead - didn't know about the Big Sur factor a great tip, thanks!
PCH is amazing and I strongly recommend stopping at the famous places. Hearst Castle, Carmel and if you can Monterey is kinda nice. Big Sur is amazing and well worth a stop too. Though its really about camping and stuff there, worth a stop though. The road itself is well worth the drive. The iconic bridges and views are good, but be warned, in winter, the ocean might not play nice. And the sea spray often makes the photos look crap. Oh, and look out for the tourists. If its busy, make sure you are cautious near the vista points. People will just pull out or stop without warning. Not sure why, but they seem to forget how to drive. Also noted about the gas prices and plan ahead - didn't know about the Big Sur factor a great tip, thanks!
hooneybadger said:
Are you based out in the States or just went recently?
Been here for nearly 9 years! Moved to the Bay and then up to the foothills. The US has its positive points and its negative points, but the one thing that it does have is some of the most amazing roads that I have driven or ridden. I can bore anyone with the road trips and places we have been. From the high deserts of Nevada to the lush greenery of Vermont and pretty much everything in between. 90% of South Dakota can suck it though. That is not a place I would recommend - though the Black Hills are amazing, but the rest of it.... meh.I've always used Hertz when I visit California, whether it's SFO, LAX or SJC.
LAX is best for upgrading to really fancy stuff. Booked a camry size vehicle and upgraded to a brand new 911 Carerra for about £100 all inclusive including unlimited miles. Could have upgraded to 7 series or Range Rover Sport.
Took the 911 down Angeles Crest Highway which was amazing (you see motoring journalists filming their car reviews down there)
SFO can be good for luxury upgrades too. I got a few Corvettes from there for cheap money. Depends how good you are with your negotiation skills at the airport.
Most recently I booked a Tesla Model Y specifically from SJC. Actually very useful in CA given how superchargers are everywhere, and Autopilot has expanded features compared to here. Hertz also offer Polestar 1 and 2 from LAX at least.
Got a C63 AMG as an upgrade from Hertz LAX once. That was fab.
However, US rental car places sold off a lot of cars during the pandemic, so it's much more expensive to book a car now and they will have fewer choices for upgrades compared to before too.
Have you considered the Shelby GT-H from Hertz? I looked at hiring one in January for a week from LAX and it's £375 all inclusive including unlimited miles and full insurance. Borla cat-back performance exhaust on the 5 litre V8 sounds fun!
https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-GT-H
Enjoy!
LAX is best for upgrading to really fancy stuff. Booked a camry size vehicle and upgraded to a brand new 911 Carerra for about £100 all inclusive including unlimited miles. Could have upgraded to 7 series or Range Rover Sport.
Took the 911 down Angeles Crest Highway which was amazing (you see motoring journalists filming their car reviews down there)
SFO can be good for luxury upgrades too. I got a few Corvettes from there for cheap money. Depends how good you are with your negotiation skills at the airport.
Most recently I booked a Tesla Model Y specifically from SJC. Actually very useful in CA given how superchargers are everywhere, and Autopilot has expanded features compared to here. Hertz also offer Polestar 1 and 2 from LAX at least.
Got a C63 AMG as an upgrade from Hertz LAX once. That was fab.
However, US rental car places sold off a lot of cars during the pandemic, so it's much more expensive to book a car now and they will have fewer choices for upgrades compared to before too.
Have you considered the Shelby GT-H from Hertz? I looked at hiring one in January for a week from LAX and it's £375 all inclusive including unlimited miles and full insurance. Borla cat-back performance exhaust on the 5 litre V8 sounds fun!
https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-GT-H
Enjoy!
Just my 2ps worth...
You need a car in LA (and all of Cali).
Public transport is sh*t. In LA you will waste a lot of time getting around without a car. Just make sure you book a hotel with either free or cheap valet parking. Not that many hotels offer self parking, but most offer valet.
LA is geared up for the car. Ubers will be expensive at least $20 for a short ride more like $40-50 for anything further.
Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
Dont go direct to Hertz use booking.com as its almost always 10-20% cheaper. Also be aware if you get an SUV make sure its an actual 4x4.
If you use the regular hire car companies at the airport you still need to get a shuttle to the hire car lots, and they will be 30% more just because its "at" the airport.
Do NOT leave anything in the car when its parked. No phone cradles, phone chargers, empty bags, anything. Dont get out and put stuff in the boot then leave the car. This is very important especially up around San Fran.
To get anywhere near the parks at this time of year you are going to need snow chains. Its not a joke and you need to make sure you are following the signs. All roads are currently under advisory. (must carry, be ready to use).
The valley is open. Tioga is closed. Most roads are open (as of now). Be aware you may have restricted access on certain dates, there are days / weeks when you must have a pass to get near Yosemite. Watch out for ice especially when parking. The snow can get very compacted. Dont park on any sort of slope if you can avoid it unless you can use gravity to get out. If you need to drive up hill after parking you might need to put your chains on!!
If you want somewhere to stay in driving distance of Yosemite then El Capitan hotel which is a Hyatt is good. (the train track is loud fyi). Its brand new (well a year ago) and the price is good. Parking is self park if you want and its a 1 min walk from the lot to the hotel. Merced is fairly safe too (still use caution when leaving the car). From the hotel to the valley is about 2.5 hours.
Highway 1. The weather can be the main issue. The last time I was there (about a year ago) we left SF to drive back to LA and got about 20 miles down and it was shut due to land slides. There was no easy way around. So just plan for that. Its not likely, but its possible. The weather that night was horrific!!
If you have not got a sim and your phone is unlocked then go to a Tmobile store and get a $20 sim on arrival. They have stores in most of the cities in LA, in fact most cities have several. The $20 sim deal they have on at the mo is 3gb for 30 days. You can top up if you use more by going in store. Or just get another sim.
Have fun
HTH.
You need a car in LA (and all of Cali).
Public transport is sh*t. In LA you will waste a lot of time getting around without a car. Just make sure you book a hotel with either free or cheap valet parking. Not that many hotels offer self parking, but most offer valet.
LA is geared up for the car. Ubers will be expensive at least $20 for a short ride more like $40-50 for anything further.
Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
Dont go direct to Hertz use booking.com as its almost always 10-20% cheaper. Also be aware if you get an SUV make sure its an actual 4x4.
If you use the regular hire car companies at the airport you still need to get a shuttle to the hire car lots, and they will be 30% more just because its "at" the airport.
Do NOT leave anything in the car when its parked. No phone cradles, phone chargers, empty bags, anything. Dont get out and put stuff in the boot then leave the car. This is very important especially up around San Fran.
To get anywhere near the parks at this time of year you are going to need snow chains. Its not a joke and you need to make sure you are following the signs. All roads are currently under advisory. (must carry, be ready to use).
The valley is open. Tioga is closed. Most roads are open (as of now). Be aware you may have restricted access on certain dates, there are days / weeks when you must have a pass to get near Yosemite. Watch out for ice especially when parking. The snow can get very compacted. Dont park on any sort of slope if you can avoid it unless you can use gravity to get out. If you need to drive up hill after parking you might need to put your chains on!!
If you want somewhere to stay in driving distance of Yosemite then El Capitan hotel which is a Hyatt is good. (the train track is loud fyi). Its brand new (well a year ago) and the price is good. Parking is self park if you want and its a 1 min walk from the lot to the hotel. Merced is fairly safe too (still use caution when leaving the car). From the hotel to the valley is about 2.5 hours.
Highway 1. The weather can be the main issue. The last time I was there (about a year ago) we left SF to drive back to LA and got about 20 miles down and it was shut due to land slides. There was no easy way around. So just plan for that. Its not likely, but its possible. The weather that night was horrific!!
If you have not got a sim and your phone is unlocked then go to a Tmobile store and get a $20 sim on arrival. They have stores in most of the cities in LA, in fact most cities have several. The $20 sim deal they have on at the mo is 3gb for 30 days. You can top up if you use more by going in store. Or just get another sim.
Have fun
HTH.
gotoPzero said:
Just my 2ps worth...
Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
HTH.
About to do a similar trip in feb… which Marriott is the one you mention?Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
HTH.
Byker28i said:
We usually rent a mustang as they are cheap and available.
^^^ This, so song as you'll have enough space.My guidelines are,
- Insist on a car with a boot. Most rental SUVs have no cover on the luggage area so your stuff sits there on display wherever you park.
- Ignore the cheapest, smallest cars. They're barely cheaper than a mid-size and generally pretty poor.
- Ignore the fancier cars. Prices rocket very quickly.
- Have a great holiday and spend your money on that instead of paying more for a car than you need to.
- Take a tyre pressure gauge with you.
- Take your own satnav or go straight to Walmart and buy one for $100. Rental companies charge something like £15 a day.
- Toll roads. Aaaaargh! Make sure your rental car has a "pass" on the windscreen that will work in ALL the places you're visiting. Many roads have no toll booths, it's all electronic.
fizz47 said:
gotoPzero said:
Just my 2ps worth...
Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
HTH.
About to do a similar trip in feb… which Marriott is the one you mention?Getting a car... I would use Hertz Jump on the shuttle on the top deck and go to one of the hotels that has Hertz. The Marriott is the closest and the bus runs about once every 15 mins. There are no on site car hire companies at LAX everything is off site. If you use the Marriott then walk in through the lobby, pass the starbucks then turn left down the hall. Walk down and you will see some seating to the right, the hire car desk is in there behind a wall so hard to see. Also be aware of their opening hours as its not 24hrs and its a 1 man operation.
HTH.
5855 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States
The shuttle runs on the top deck only (departures) so you need to go up on arrival.
If you arrive at T3 you are ok but if you arrive at T5 onwards its maybe an idea to walk down to a lower number as it can fill at peak times.
Book via booking.com (or check the price anyway) as its usually about 10% cheaper than direct.
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