Travel USA travel tips and tricks

[NitroFan]

e.g when staying in LA needing to get transport to Universal, 6 flags magic mountain and Warner brothers. i thought about just using a taxi but i just worry if none are in the area when we need to come home. an actual transfer service would at least assure us of time

i'm not sure about WB but Universal you can easily get to via subway. the station is at the bottom of the giant hill Universal sits on and theres a little bus that picks people up and takes them up the hill. If thats not an option I'm pretty confident there would be charted buses that pick people up around LA and go there.

I've been to Magic Mountain a few times and its great. Easily the best park in the region for thrill rides. You can get there via public transport

Spoiler

Metro Red Line—North Hollywood 757 Express route:
From Downtown Los Angeles, take the Metro Red Line to the North Hollywood Station. Then take the North Hollywood 757 Express bus to the McBean Regional Transit Station (MRTC). From there connect to a Santa Clarita Transit routes 3 & 7 to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Metrolink train:
From Union Station Downtown Los Angeles, take the Metro Link train (Antelope Valley Line) to the Newhall Station. From there take either Santa Clarita Transit route 1 & 2 or 4 & 14 to the McBean Regional Transit Station (MRTC). Both lines service the Newhall Station every 15 minutes. From the MRTC, transfer onto a route 3 & 7 directly to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

I've done both of those options. when i did the one with the train i missed the last train back to LA and had to get a security guard at the station to call a taxi

 

[Michaels]

trip is finally booked in for November this year.

LA: 5 nights
Vegas: 3 nights
San fran: 3 nights
New York: 5 nights
Hawaii: 4 nights

we are driving from LA to Vegas which will be pretty cool, none of us have driven in the states before, and it will be good to see a few of the towns along the way.

apparently we are hiring a mustang according to my mate.

Will be our first time in San Fran so looking forward to that, and we are thinking of doing a day trip to Philly or Washington while in NYC as well.

 

[00Stinger]

Ofcourse they are. Can add in canada as well. Their is a whole world of culture and experiences out there and whilst i dont mind visiting those places myself the best travel experiences are found in places that are much different from home. Their really isnt a lot different to being in new york compared to Sydney. Different shows and sports and different brand name food items. But its all pretty much the same. If you have the money and time to go all across the world and visit four places why would you choose three places that are both very similar to each other and similar to home.

New York and Sydney similar, what are you trippin on bro?

London is very similar to Melbourne though imo

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[FootyJunkie]

we are driving from LA to Vegas which will be pretty cool, none of us have driven in the states before, and it will be good to see a few of the towns along the way.

its a pretty boring drive tbh, its just desert... and not even interesting desert

 

[deltablues]

trip is finally booked in for November this year.

LA: 5 nights
Vegas: 3 nights
San fran: 3 nights
New York: 5 nights
Hawaii: 4 nights

we are driving from LA to Vegas which will be pretty cool, none of us have driven in the states before, and it will be good to see a few of the towns along the way.

Apparently we are hiring a mustang according to my mate.

Will be our first time in San Fran so looking forward to that, and we are thinking of doing a day trip to Philly or Washington while in NYC as well.

I don't post here much anymore as I prefer country USA and road trips (I do around 35,000 miles pa in the US, on the road) and most posters here are young bucks in their 20's who like the big smoke (hey, so did I then back in the day, but I'm older now). But driving LA to Vegas is a waste of time.

And 5 nights in LA is 4 too many. But 4 in Hawaii is good.

Safe travels.

 

[deltablues]

Thoughts on driving? Im pretty experienced and confident driver here but other side of road concerns me. We are in Anaheim and travelling to Las Vegas next month. Should i just take the bus or rent a car. Hassle free is important. Is it easy to adapt driving right side?

Go to Best Buy and get a $70 Garmin GPS. Helpful in, inter alia, heavy traffic.

Rent a car. Go with the flow - keep up with traffic speed on the Loops/Interstates. If you miss an exit on a 10 lane freeway at 70 mph just chill - take the next exit and double back. Keep cool in carry states.

If you get stopped by the police keep your hands on the steering wheel. Don't have any cans/opened cans/bottles of beer/spirits in the cabin.

But enjoy driving - not a police state like Oz.

 

[deltablues]

Go to Best Buy and get a $70 Garmin GPS. Helpful in, inter alia, heavy traffic.

Rent a car. Go with the flow - keep up with traffic speed on the Loops/Interstates. If you miss an exit on a 10 lane freeway at 70 mph just chill - take the next exit and double back. Keep cool in carry states.

If you get stopped by the police keep your hands on the steering wheel. Don't have any cans/opened cans/bottles of beer/spirits in the cabin.

But enjoy driving - not a police state like Oz.

Except I wouldn't drive to Vegas. Fly.

 

[Michaels]

I don't post here much anymore as I prefer country USA and road trips (I do around 35,000 miles pa in the US, on the road) and most posters here are young bucks in their 20's who like the big smoke (hey, so did I then back in the day, but I'm older now). But driving LA to Vegas is a waste of time.

And 5 nights in LA is 4 too many. But 4 in Hawaii is good.

Safe travels.

agree that 5 nights in LA is 4 too many, but we are going with friends who have never been before. so re doing Universal, 6 flags, disney etc.

the driving option only really come into play cause to add it as a flight was an extra 300 per person (not sure how. not that big of a flight.)

thanks

 

[Snake Charmer]

trip is finally booked in for November this year.

LA: 5 nights
Vegas: 3 nights
San fran: 3 nights
New York: 5 nights
Hawaii: 4 nights

we are driving from LA to Vegas which will be pretty cool, none of us have driven in the states before, and it will be good to see a few of the towns along the way.

apparently we are hiring a mustang according to my mate.

Will be our first time in San Fran so looking forward to that, and we are thinking of doing a day trip to Philly or Washington while in NYC as well.

It's freeway the entire way. Only way you will see towns is to get off the freeway.. Plenty of in n out along the way tho!

 

[Michaels]

It's freeway the entire way. Only way you will see towns is to get off the freeway.. Plenty of in n out along the way tho!

Do you have to drive far out of the way to see the towns if you get off the freeway at various points ?

 

[00Stinger]

I don't post here much anymore as I prefer country USA and road trips (I do around 35,000 miles pa in the US, on the road) and most posters here are young bucks in their 20's who like the big smoke (hey, so did I then back in the day, but I'm older now). But driving LA to Vegas is a waste of time.

And 5 nights in LA is 4 too many. But 4 in Hawaii is good.

Safe travels.

Agree the LA to Vegas drive isretty ****ing boring especially after Barstow

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[JDC!]

Thinking of being spontaneous and booking a trip to the USA for July-ish. What times are generally the cheapest to fly to the US?

 

[00Stinger]

Thinking of being spontaneous and booking a trip to the USA for July-ish. What times are generally the cheapest to fly to the US?

April or October

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[LukaJess]

Thats the reason I chose it because of the multiple days in each city thing. How did you find it going solo?

I love your comment. It is so true

 

[vanders]

trip is finally booked in for November this year.

LA: 5 nights
Vegas: 3 nights
San fran: 3 nights
New York: 5 nights
Hawaii: 4 nights

we are driving from LA to Vegas which will be pretty cool, none of us have driven in the states before, and it will be good to see a few of the towns along the way.

apparently we are hiring a mustang according to my mate.

Will be our first time in San Fran so looking forward to that, and we are thinking of doing a day trip to Philly or Washington while in NYC as well.

If you're only in New York for 5 nights you would barely scratch the surface of it. I would save Washington or Philly for another trip. Anything you see in NY in that extra day will be better than either of the other two places.

 

[Michaels]

If you're only in New York for 5 nights you would barely scratch the surface of it. I would save Washington or Philly for another trip. Anything you see in NY in that extra day will be better than either of the other two places.

Thankfully we have been to new york 2 times previously, however your point still stands as out friends havent been there yet.

 

[spinynorman]

If you're only in New York for 5 nights you would barely scratch the surface of it. I would save Washington or Philly for another trip. Anything you see in NY in that extra day will be better than either of the other two places.

I'm really fond of Philadelphia but think it warrants an actual stay in the place. Really loved it.

DC less so, but at least it has cool museums during the day. It's kind of like when you go to Paris and spend a day in the Louvre, except instead of stepping back out into Paris you step into a slightly better version of Canberra.

 

[FootyJunkie]

I'm really fond of Philadelphia but think it warrants an actual stay in the place. Really loved it.

DC less so, but at least it has cool museums during the day. It's kind of like when you go to Paris and spend a day in the Louvre, except instead of stepping back out into Paris you step into a slightly better version of Canberra.

I liked downtown Philly. Would be decent to live there and go up to NY on weekends for the crazy.

Yeah, Canberra is a poor man's DC.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Has anyone done their trip solo? Or at least chunks of it?

I am heading back in October and will be by myself for first week and a week in the middle.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Has anyone done their trip solo? Or at least chunks of it?

I am heading back in October and will be by myself for first week and a week in the middle.

I'll have four to six weeks there totally solo and be back before you're gone, I'll let you know.

I'm thinking it'll be much harder than it is in Europe but that's okay.

 

[vanders]

Has anyone done their trip solo? Or at least chunks of it?

I am heading back in October and will be by myself for first week and a week in the middle.

I've been twice on my own, each time for 4 weeks. Met people while I was over there but the majority of each trip was solo and I loved it.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I've been twice on my own, each time for 4 weeks. Met people while I was over there but the majority of each trip was solo and I loved it.

Are the hostels and people generally a different feel than to Europe or even places in Asia ala Vietnam (or how I imagine Australia would be for Scandos?) Ie you get way more people in Europe as it is a rite of passage for antipodeans, but it's cheap for Europeans... is there less 'cameraderie' and less big nights out? Less flogs? Less egos? Less sort of communal spaces where everyone brags about their trip? I don't imagine America to have groups of eight British lads all in it for a root or gaggles of Australian chicks all doing it for Instagram and 'da vibe.' More solo travellers or groups of two or three, and a little older in America?

In some ways I think it'll be lonelier. But backpackers make me cringe and the whole atmosphere of it is not really me at all, as much as I did enjoy it at times.

 

[NitroFan]

Ive been over there solo 4 times since 2011. I prefer it like that as i can do whatever i want. Last trip i hadnt planned what i was going to do for the final two weeks and just made it up as i went.

 

[vanders]

Are the hostels and people generally a different feel than to Europe or even places in Asia ala Vietnam (or how I imagine Australia would be for Scandos?) Ie you get way more people in Europe as it is a rite of passage for antipodeans, but it's cheap for Europeans... is there less 'cameraderie' and less big nights out? Less flogs? Less egos? Less sort of communal spaces where everyone brags about their trip? I don't imagine America to have groups of eight British lads all in it for a root or gaggles of Australian chicks all doing it for Instagram and 'da vibe.' More solo travellers or groups of two or three, and a little older in America?

In some ways I think it'll be lonelier. But backpackers make me cringe and the whole atmosphere of it is not really me at all, as much as I did enjoy it at times.

The only places I stayed at a hostel were in New York and San Fran, the rest I stayed in hotels. New York was great, the one I stayed at is called Hostelling International and it's near 103rd street. It's a huge hostel and really clean, has a diverse range of people there including school groups not that I saw or heard them much. They have pub crawls and club crawls for people that are interested in that stuff but heaps of other good tours of the city including taking you to any sporting events that are on. I went on a 13 hour walking tour with them which cost $10 and saw so much stuff.

I think whatever you're into you'll find someone there into the same thing that you'll end up hanging out with. There's a big communal lounge area and a theatre where they have comedy nights and movie nights and stuff. They also have drinks nights so you can meet other people staying there. Everyone I met there was travelling solo, most of the people I met were in their late 20's and some as old as 70. There was a really good vibe at the place, no one really bragged about their trip more just shared opinions on the cities they had been too or stuff they had seen that day. Unless they had met on a tour run by the hostel or were travelling together most people kept to themselves without being rude. A lot from Australia and heaps from different parts of Europe. None of the people I met were as you described but the last time I was there was 2014 so it may have changed a bit.

I had the same opinions of hostels before I stayed at that one but now whenever I go back to NYC I'll stay there.

San Fran was a bit different coz the hostel were pretty shit so I only stayed there 1 night and went to a hotel instead.

I've stayed at hostels in Amsterdam and London too and New York was far and away the best run and friendliest one that I've been to.

 

[Michaels]

NFL fixture come out today, worked out we can get to 2 games.

LA Rams v Texans in LA

Jets v Panthers in NJ

pretty pumped to be honest. have already seen NBA and NHL but missed the NFL Season both times i went previously