Los Angeles, also abbreviated as LA, is the largest city in California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York. It is located in the west of the country, on the southern border with Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean coast. The city itself has an area of 1,302 km2 and has almost 4 million inhabitants. The entire metropolitan area of Los Angeles County, which consists of over 80 other cities (such as Long Beach, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.), then around 13 million. It is one of the world's most important centers of culture, science, technology, international trade and education.
Why Los Angeles
I didn't originally plan to go to Los Angeles at all. My destination was New York, where I wanted to spend Christmas. Alone, without family, without friends, just enjoy Christmas differently. When I started planning my trip to New York, I kept getting more days than I wanted. So I started thinking about which city I could combine this with. And finally, I managed Los Angeles, New York and even Washington during Christmas. My trip started in Los Angeles, where I spent five perfect days.
Day One (December 22, 2023)
After a 14-hour flight, I finally landed in Los Angeles. It was a little before noon. I got off the plane, went through immigration, picked up my suitcase, and boarded the FlyAway bus outside the airport. Less than an hour later I was standing in front of Union Station in downtown LA.. (you can find out what immigration control looked like, how to get from the airport and other practical tips for your trip to Los Angeles in the section Practical tips)
I bought it right away. TAP card for public transport, loaded $15 on it and took the red subway to Hollywood. Well, I thought it was the red one. But it shouldn't have more than one line on the same track and platform at the same time. Of course I got on the wrong subway.
Luckily, both lines have a few stops in common, so I got off two stops later and this time waited for the right line.
Walk the Walk of Fame
After half an hour I arrived at the Hollywood/Highland stop. I stepped out of the subway and found myself straight on the Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, i.e. the Walk of Fame. I only had to walk a short distance to the hotel after the stars. Great. The first of my dreams and points from the itinerary fulfilled.
I stayed in one of the side streets in Motel 6 Hollywood. An excellent starting point for all my activities and at an affordable price. No food, but at least unlimited coffee every morning until 10 am in the coffee room. And that's really handy.
There was a huge bed waiting for me in the room, just for me. I managed to turn around on it three times and still didn't fall to the floor. I chose well. But it wasn't the right time to sleep. Not even when I had been on the road for about 30 hours in total. So just a shower, change pants for shorts, winter jacket for a T-shirt and head out.
There are other famous places on the Walk of Fame that are worth seeing.
See the Hollywood sign
The first one is a shopping mall Ovation Hollywood. But not for shopping. There is a super view of the Hollywood sign. Just go upstairs to the terrace. Moreover, over Christmas there was a Christmas tree, decorated palm trees and a Christmas program with live music and singing. It was lovely to stop here for a moment, listen to Christmas melodies and just look at the famous sign. Another of my many dreams fulfilled. That goes fast.
Find the handprints of Hollywood stars
Right next to the shopping center is the famous TCL Chinese Theatre. In addition to the very interesting building from 1927, which has hosted many Hollywood premieres, there is a much-visited spot in front of it.
The courtyard, or rather a small square, is paved concrete blocks containing signatures and handprints of popular personalities from the world of film and music from the 1920s to the present.
You walk around here for 15 minutes with your head down and look at who all is here. Michael Jackson, the Avengers, Johnny Depp, actors from Twilight, Harry Potter, George Clooney and more and more.
Not far away is the Dolby Theatre, which regularly hosts the famous Oscars ceremony. First day and already so many experiences.
It's getting dark in Los Angeles, in winter it's dark at six in the evening. And after the difficult journey I was already looking forward to the big bed. But I still walked on one side to the beginning of the Walk of Fame and back on the other side. One star after another. By the way, did you know that it costs $75,000 to get a star on the Walk of Fame?
There are now more than 2,772 stars on the Walk of Fame. Each year, an average of 200 nominations are submitted to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Selection Committee, from which 20 to 24 celebrities are selected to receive a star on the Walk of Fame. Living recipients must agree to attend the ceremony in person within two years of selection. A fee of $75,000 is due at the time of selection and is collected for the creation, installation, and maintenance of the star. The fee is usually paid by the nominating organization, which may be a fan club, film studio, record or broadcast company, sponsor, etc.
The location of individual stars is not necessarily arbitrary. Stars of the most famous personalities are located in front of the TCL, stars with Oscars are usually near the Dolby Theatre. Sometimes the location is ironic or funny. For example, Ed O'Neil from the series Married with Children has his star next to a shoe store, Daniel Craig's star, famous for being James Bond, is at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard.
On the way, I stopped for dinner at McDonalds and, observing more and more stars, arrived at the hotel.
Here, before falling asleep, I managed to make a reservation for the next morning at Warner Bros. Studios and fell asleep within seconds.
Day Two (December 23, 2023)
Beautiful morning from Los Angeles. Surprisingly, after my first night in LA, I woke up after 7 am. I think it was because of the flight, where we had a night flight the whole time, which helped with the jet lag. For breakfast, I had toast in the room, which I bought in the supermarket the night before, a cup of coffee in the coffee room and off I went to the bus to Warner Bros. Studios. The stop is a short distance from the stars on the Walk of Fame and runs every twenty minutes.
Check out Friends at Warner Bros. Studios
Route I traditionally enter in Google Maps, which will take me to the stop and tell me which bus to get on. Then I just count and follow the stops and after about 40 minutes of travel I get off at the Hollywood Way / Alameda stop. And from there it's only a 10 minute walk to the main entrance. There's nowhere to get lost, because iconic reservoir It can be seen from afar.
Visiting Warner Bros. Studios I describe on the page florinacestach.cz/warner_bros_hollywood/ in a separate article. I enjoyed the whole morning here. and I can only recommend a visit to the studios. It is definitely one of the places I would like to return to again.
Experience a movie tour at Universal Studios Hollywood
I left Warner Bros. Studios at 12:30. I immediately called an Uber and headed to Universal Studios. The journey took 10 minutes and I bought a ticket online during the journey. At Universal there is no time limit, but only a day limit, you can come at any time of the day.
The Uber ride was completely fine, just like in the Czech Republic, the payment was the same, no worries. The driver dropped me off a short distance from the entrance and I went to enjoy the rest of the day. How was the visit and what did I enjoy?, I also describe in a separate article on the page florinacestach.cz/universal_studios_hollywood/ So take a look at him.
I left the amusement park around 9:30 p.m., completely satisfied. I really enjoyed my day here.. Even though there were crowds of people. And it was a short walk to the hotel. I ran down the hill to the metro, took one stop and then went back to bed at the hotel along the Walk of Fame.
As for the night journey by metro, I was a little worried. I was walking alone, there was no one around, but there was a security guard at the station (I met her at every one), so that reassured me a lot and actually the journey was completely safe from my point of view.
Day Three (December 24, 2023)
The sun is shining outside, the weather is perfect for a T-shirt, and I had a day planned for the outdoors. I wanted to see more places I know from movies and TV shows. And as a 90s kid who grew up on Beverly Hills 90210, I couldn't miss this city.
From the hotel I headed to the slightly further Santa Monica/Wilcox stop, from which I could take a direct bus to Beverly Hills. The journey to the stop was a bit longer, but I didn't have to change buses and within about 20 minutes I managed to unwrap gifts from Santa Claus with my family in the Czech Republic via video call. Christmas with family – accomplished. I just missed the carp a little.
Being in Beverly Hills 90210
I arrived by bus after less than half an hour of driving. Santa Monica Boulevard arrived at the Santa Monica / Canon stop, which is right in front of Beverly Gardens Park. A park with a pond in which the inscription is beautifully reflected Beverly Hills.
I took a few photos and aerial shots with a drone, walked through the park, the surrounding streets and was satisfied. I'm in Beverly Hills. And I have to say that everywhere around was quiet, everywhere clean, everything nicely decorated. Like from a movie:)
Buy Stroll down Rodeo Drive
We all know the movie Pretty Woman and the scene where Julia Roberts walks down Rodeo Drive and shops. Who wouldn't want to see this? Rodeo Drive also starts (or ends) at Beverly Gardens Park. Just a few steps and you're there. The entire street is about 3 km long and is lined with designer shops and boutiques.
Even though I didn't plan to shop here, I had to walk part of the street. It's one of the most famous streets in the world. Moreover, around ten in the morning it was almost empty and the boutiques were just getting ready for the rush of shoppers.
After about 40 minutes on Rodeo Drive, I returned to Santa Monica Boulevard, got on another bus, and continued towards Santa Monica Beach.
Walk to the end of Route 66
I took the bus to the Broadway/Ocean stop, which is a short walk to the famous Santa Monica Pier. Another point on my itinerary.
The first tourist attraction is sign, which marks the western end of one of the most famous highways in the United States – Route 66. It ran from Chicago to California, where it ended right here. It measured 3,940 km in total.
Even though it's "just" a sign, there's quite a queue of people wanting to take a picture with it.
See the Pacific from the iconic Santa Monica Beach Pier
The history of the pier dates back until 1909 and has undergone several renovations since then. There are plenty of food stalls and plenty of people who, like me, want to experience its unique atmosphere.
Although, in a crowd of people it is really unforgettable. I walked all the way along the pier, came to its end, sat on the steps and just looked at the ocean. A moment of peace that is priceless.
On the way back, I also checked out the souvenir stands and bought some magnets and postcards.
Ride the Pacific Wheel
There is also a seaside amusement park on the pier – Pacific Park. The only amusement park directly on the West Coast of the United States that is built on a pier and the only amusement park in Los Angeles where there is no admission fee. You pay for each attraction.
There are 12 of them, including a roller coaster that stretches throughout the park and the solar-powered Pacific Wheel.
For $40 you can have unlimited rides for the whole day, the bike itself costs $12.
Check out celebrity homes in Malibu
Malibu is home to many celebrities and has its own unmistakable character. It is not that far from Santa Monica beach and thanks to the extensive network of bus lines it is very convenient to get here by bus for only $1.75.
So I got on the bus, which was practically empty, and the driver set off after Pacific Coast Highway direction Malibu. After half an hour I got off at a stop near the famous pier, walked along the beach, along the pier, looked at the beach houses and quietly envied this mega expensive housing right on the beach.
Enjoy the sunset on Santa Monica Beach
From Malibu I took the same route back to Santa Monica Beach. The driver drove the bus quite fast on the empty highway, which is why the ride back seemed much shorter.
I bought a coffee at the cafe on the pier and headed to the beach. The sun was already setting, giving the entire pier new colors and a completely different atmosphere.
It was worth it to just sit there all day to sit down, stop and observe, as the sun sets over the horizon and the entire Pacific Park on the pier lights up.
After sunset (after five o'clock in December), I just found a bus stop from which I could catch a bus back without a transfer, and headed back to Hollywood. The journey took a little over an hour, this time there were some other people on the bus, and I have to say that even at this late hour, I felt safe.
Day Four (December 25, 2023)
December 25th is Christmas Day in the USA, when Christmas is celebrated. That's why I only planned for this day nature, where I can easily get from the hotel and I won't have to worry about whether or not something is open or whether or not there is a connection.
See all of Los Angeles
The best view in all of Los Angeles It is, without a doubt, from the Griffith Observatory and also from the Hollywood sign.
It wasn't far from my hotel. I took a short bus ride down Hollywood Boulevard, got off at the stop under Griffith Park, and set off on a trek here. I had studied the routes in advance, so I knew roughly what to expect and how many kilometers I would have in my legs by evening.
The way to the observatory was only uphill, but after about half an hour I was looking around into the distance and had All of Los Angeles at your fingertips.
Standing by the Hollywood sign
Standing by the Hollywood sign. Wow. I've always wanted to at least see the sign, but I never dreamed of getting this close to it. Even though the sign is fenced off and you're not allowed to go near it, this journey is still unforgettable for me. Especially since it leads through the nature of Griffith Park.
Experiences from the entire trek I wrote on the page florinacestach.cz/hollywood_sign/. The day here really made me excited and I hope to come back here one day. It was another great experience and another place that enchanted me in LA. A dream come true.
Having a meal in Chinatown
After a walk in Griffith Park, I got hungry. It wasn't too late, so I took the subway and went exploring. Chinatown. I was looking forward to some good food. I arrived at Union Station, walked through the station and followed the map to Chinatown. I didn't have a place chosen, so I just headed towards this area, thinking I would definitely come across some shops and restaurants where I could get some Chinese food.
Well, it was December 26th and unexpectedly, even in Chinatown most of it was closed. And when the restaurant was open, there was a pretty big queue or a reservation system in front of it. So, hungry, I walked through ChinaTown and went to try my luck in Downtown.
See the skyscrapers in Downtown
I had a few spots I wanted to see in Downtown. But it was already evening and dark and I was hungry, so I rushed everything. Plus, the streets were completely empty, no people anywhere, except for a few homeless people, and practically no traffic on the streets.
So I started Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. I came to the gate, it was closed… Nothing. I went on to Music Center, then Grand Park, around the turned off fountain Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain down to the building town hall. It's nicely lit in the evening. At least something.
Globe in the building Los Angeles Times I didn't make it, but at least I rode up and down with Angels Flight Railway. At the top you will find yourself in a square under skyscrapers. For example Bank of America, US Bank Tower and others.
Then I just reached the square Pershing Square, enjoyed the views of the skyscrapers and, even more hungry, took the subway back to Hollywood. I was quite surprised that I didn't come across any fast food in downtown. So at least the open McDonalds in Hollywood saved me.
Day Five (December 26, 2023)
My last day in Los Angeles. I'm flying out of LAX to Newark, New York, at midnight. I chose the evening flight on purpose. It gives me an extra day in LA and I land in New York in the morning. So I'll have an "extra day" there too.
To catch up on everything I missed
I had to check out of the hotel at 11 a.m. Enough time to look around Hollywood, buy some souvenirs, enjoy the Walk of Fame for the last time and soak up the local atmosphere. Writing about it now, I have to say that LA and Hollywood have kind of grown on me and I really liked it here.
But, what else can you do before midnight? I took a leisurely walk from the hotel to the metro. I didn't feel like it at all, I really loved the stars on the sidewalk. So I took it to a further stop. There I didn't want to leave the atmosphere.. Even though I passed a tent city of homeless people on the way, it was unforgettable for me.
I've met homeless people here, there are a lot of them in LA and you can find quite a few of them in touristy places. Probably the most here on the Walk of Fame. Based on the videos I saw before the trip, I expected to constantly bump into them and some of them would slowly become walking dead. Fortunately, that didn't happen. They didn't make it difficult for me at all here and it wasn't anything that would ruin my vacation or bother me in any way.
Experience the real Mexico
I then took the subway back to Union Station, walked through the station like the previous day, and went back to Olvera street.
It was quiet here in the evening, no one anywhere, but the next afternoon it was alive. Live music on the square, people dancing, enjoying the beautiful day. Across the street, the whole street full of Mexican stalls. I looked at what was on offer here, threw a few cents into the Well of Wishes (but it probably wasn't enough, because I'm still waiting for my wish to come true), had some food at the famous stall on the edge of the market (I spent about 20 minutes in line), but the food was worth it. It doesn't look like much, but it tastes divine.
And as time passed, it was time to head to the airport. Again, by FlyAway bus, which stopped right in front of the terminal. At the airport, I just dropped off my suitcase, went through passport control, and waited for my flight to New York.
Enjoy Los Angeles
I have to say that I enjoyed all of Los Angeles. exactly as I planned. The original expectation that LA would be full of homeless people, junkies and I would be afraid to go out on the streets and travel by public transport did not come true at all. On the contrary. I felt safe everywhere the whole time and did not encounter any problems. Maybe it was the date I was here, maybe it is normal. But I will find out again sometime next time.
If you're hesitant about visiting Los Angeles, don't hesitate. I think it's worth a visit and there are plenty of places and tourist attractions to excite you.
Feel free to write to me, I'll be happy to give more details and send my guide. There are other places that I don't write about here and that I didn't manage to visit myself, and I look forward to seeing them next time.
Practical tips for traveling to Los Angeles
To ensure that nothing surprises you when traveling to LA, I've put together a few tips that will definitely help you with your planning.
ESTA
Before you travel to the USA, you must have a visa – ESTU. It is presented when boarding the plane. You can arrange it easily, directly on official website. The price for processing is $21. Be careful of various intermediary sites that charge much more just for going through their website, where they promise to settle the case.
So the only official sites are https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. To complete the application, you will need a valid passport with a chip, an email address, and a credit card that allows online payments. You will need to take a photo of your passport and insert it directly into the application.
In the application, you fill in your personal details, travel information, you must also fill in information about the place of your first accommodation, and other general questions.
Finally, you pay by credit card and wait for the evaluation. The result will then arrive. within a few days to your email inbox. The approved ESTA then has valid for two years.
Print out the approved ESTA, you will need it at the airport when you depart for the USA.
How do you get to Los Angeles?
There are several airlines that fly from Prague to Los Angeles. It all depends on where you want to connect and how long you want to spend on the trip.
I choose flights on Google Flights, where I can find the airline, the approximate date and then buy the tickets themselves on the airline's website. Never through intermediaries.
In my case, I chose Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul. I had a bit of an awkward overnight wait there, but it was manageable. My route was Prague – Istanbul – Los Angeles and then New York – Istanbul – Prague. The flight cost 14,277 CZK, including two 23kg checked bags (I used one).
I bought the term from December 22, 2023 to January 5, 2024 in mid-May 2023.
When traveling to the USA, you will probably not be able to complete the entire online check-in process with the airlines. This is precisely because you need to present a completed ESTA. I managed to reserve seats on the plane during check-in and then received my tickets at the check-in counter.
The flight to Istanbul takes less than three hours, and to Los Angeles it takes 14 hours.
Immigration interview
Once you arrive, you will pass through the airport hall and reach passport control, where a short interview with an immigration officer. Don't be alarmed if they send you to the US Citizens line, like I did. It doesn't matter that you are not a US resident, they just use the free counters here when there is a line.
The interview with the immigration officer itself is not difficult. The basic questions are always the same:
- How long will I be in Los Angeles?
- What are my plans in LA?
- What specifically do I want to see?
- What do I want to see in New York?
- Do I have a return ticket? (it's good to show it)
- Where will I stay, what is the hotel address? (it is also a good idea to show the reservation)
- Who am I flying with?
- Am I flying after someone?
- Why am I flying alone?
- Where do I work?
- In what position and for how long?
- How much money do I have available?
- Am I bringing any food?
Then just submit your fingerprints and Welcome to the United States of America.
Travel from LAX to downtown Los Angeles
Getting from the airport to downtown Los Angeles is really easy. There are buses to Union Station and Van Nuys. FlyAway. They stop right in front of the terminal, so you just have to go outside, look around, and literally walk a few steps to the blue pillar where the bus departs.
Each bus is marked with a sign indicating the destination stop, both lines depart from the same locations.
The price of a one-way ticket is $9,75. The ticket can be purchased and activated in the FlyAway Bus Ticket application before boarding, the second option is to pay for the trip when getting off on site.
When you board the bus, the driver does not check or sell you a ticket, everything happens when you get off. Here you either scan the QR code of your ticket on the reader, or you pay with a credit card at the terminal, which the staff will be waiting with at the exit.
The journey from the airport takes about an hour, depending on the traffic on the highway. It works the same way with the trip to the airport.
The bus departs from the same place, before boarding you tell us which terminal or which company you are flying from, the staff will mark your suitcase, store it and this time you buy your ticket before boarding (or scan the QR code from the activated ticket in the app).
At the airport, the bus goes around all the terminals and stops at every place where someone wants to get off. Perfect.
Buses run from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Union Station every half hour from 5:40 a.m. to 1:10 a.m., and in the opposite direction from 3:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (you can find the schedule here) here), then to Van Nuys every 20 minutes throughout the day (you can find the timetable here).
I can only recommend it for the trip from the airport. The bus is comfortable, fast and, last but not least, relatively cheap.
How public transportation works in Los Angeles
In fact, I left for LA with the feeling that I would have the worst public transport in the world. It would be full of homeless people, junkies, it would stink, buses would run late or not at all, locals don't use public transport and only use cars. If you want to get somewhere in LA, rent a car... I've read all that about public transport in LA and I have to say right away that it's not entirely true.
How does public transportation in Los Angeles actually work?
Finding your way around the public transportation system, especially buses, can seem really difficult when looking at a map of the entire system. Especially since LA is actually a large district with several separate cities next to each other. These cities often also have their own public transportation system.
But on site and with Google maps, it's really not that difficult.
After arriving at Union Station, I bought a TAP card for $2, which I added $15 to and was able to take the subway. The card is always presented when entering the subway or bus, one ride costs $1.75, the daily limit is $5. So if you use $5 rides in one day, you don't pay for further rides.
You can find public transport details on the page https://www.metro.net/.
From my point of view, the metro and buses were relatively clean, I always ran into security guards at metro stations. As soon as someone shouted in the carriage, they immediately ran over to them. Sure, sometimes there was a homeless person or someone out of their mind, but it was nothing that bothered me. I didn't even have to change to another carriage. No problems on the buses either. No delays either, which I attribute to Christmas, when the roads were really empty.
I traveled after dark and at night and even then it didn't seem dangerous to me. I even took a bus from Hollywood via Beverly Hills and Santa Monica to Malibu and back in one day. Which according to the Google maps timeline was 72 km on the bus with a travel time of 3 hours and 17 minutes. And all for $5.
How to find a route
I personally use the app Google Maps. It works simply. You enter the place you want to get to, choose to use public transport and the maps will reliably guide you to the stop, even choose the right side of the street, show you the bus line you should get on, the departure and arrival times, and even show you the stops you pass along the way.
What worked for me, when the maps found a route with about three transfers, was to search from a different street. Suddenly I had a connection without a transfer. I also made sure to travel with one operator and not pay anything extra. In Google Maps, you can see the operator in the route details – I used LACMTA.
For everything to work, you need to have access to the internet. I personally use the app Airalo, where I pay for a data package, install an eSIM. I then use it for data, and my number remains available for calls. If you want to use Airalo, for the first purchase use discount code stanis0407 and save $3, which Airalo will also credit me for recommending (thanks).
Where to stay
My advice is, in general for any travel, live near the places you want to visit in a given destination.
I had already searched for places I wanted to see, I also looked at how I could get to them using public transport, and that determined the location of the accommodation.
For Los Angeles, Hollywood was the best choice, and based on price, Motel 6. If you don't have high expectations for accommodation, and you don't need breakfast, then I can only recommend it. I was satisfied here and if I ever visit LA again, it will be my first choice.
Why was Hollywood (or Motel 6) the best for me? It was because of its proximity to the places I wanted to visit:
- Walk of Fame – 1 minute
- Warner Bros. Studios – 40 minutes by bus
- Universal Studios – 20 minutes metro + walk
- Griffith Park – 20 minutes bus + walk
- Downtown – 20 minutes by subway
- Beverly Hills – 40 minutes bus + walk
- Santa Monica Beach – 70 minutes bus + walk
How to create an itinerary
I wanted to see as much as possible in Los Angeles, so I packed my itinerary quite a bit. Of course, there are places I didn't make it to and I'm looking forward to seeing them next time.
My advice is, and I always do it this way, that I study various articles, tips, guides from the internet, look through photos and create a new route in Google Maps to which I add these places.
I can then simply see on the map which places are close to each other and can be reached within one day. I add the crossings, add more places and that's it.
And if you don't want to deal with it like that, write to me about my guide that I prepared for my trip. I'll send it for free, although I think it's definitely worth at least a cup of coffee at Starbucks :) You can find the order form at this page.
Prices in Los Angeles and how much it all cost me
Don't convert prices to crowns, or you'll go crazy :) Fact. Prices in Los Angeles are higher than in the Czech Republic, you pay much more for a McDonald's order here than at home. Hey, that's America. My expenses:
- $442 hotel
- $40 public transport (incl. travel from the airport)
- $70 Warner Bros. Studios admission
- $140 Universal Studios admission
- $200 food (mostly fast food, Starbucks)
- $60 souvenirs
- $11 Uber
So almost $1000 in total. But it was worth it…