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Advice 1st time trip to LA and Florida

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  • 20-01-2013 4:01am
    #1
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭


    I will be going to USA for the 1st time on 2nd week of Feb. Part business part holiday in 7 days to 14 days to LA and Florida.

    Going solo on this trip as i have booked return trip to LA with a stop over at JFK/NY for 8 hours with a quick visit to NY before last leg to Dublin.

    Will be staying in LA for 5-6 days as it's a business visit.

    Then after LA, go to Florida (Daytona) 5 days both business but NY brief break holiday.

    I would appreciate any advice re LA, Florida and NY re hotels, places to visit after business, any recommendations, airport, tourist visa 90 days etc.


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    #2
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Most important question for LA is; Will you have a car?

    And if its for business; whereabouts do you need to be?


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    #3
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Deaf student


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Most important question for LA is; Will you have a car?

    And if its for business; whereabouts do you need to be?


    Had to postpone last Feb because of bad snow. I wouldn't need a car as my driver's licence was out of date. Most of arrangements re business are in the city. So i would use public transport and hotel/s near the airport proximity to travel around.

    So i booked flights prior to St Patrick's day as i found it easier to book multi flight trip rather than a return trip. It's bit cheaper than booking a return trip as i would travel back home from a different location to Dublin via Heathrow.


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    #4
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    Getting around LA and doing touristy stuff under your own steam, is next to impossible if you don't have a car. It is massively huge and sprawling city, and public transport only covers a tiny fraction of it. If someone else is going to be picking up the tab for you to get around by cab during your business visits, well and good. But if you are going to be paying for any of it yourself, it will cost you a fortune. Why not just renew your license and bring it with you, so you'll have it to hand when you get there and you see just how essential having a car is?

    You can get by perfectly ok in Daytona without a car, as long as you plan on doing nothing more than laze away on the beach. There is not much to see and do in Daytona itself, unless you are a massive fan of motor sports. Having a car would be handy to get out and about for a couple of road trips to the nearby Kennedy Space Centre for example, but it would be no where near as essential as it is in LA.


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    #5
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Deaf student


    =ProudDUB;83627792]Getting around LA and doing touristy stuff under your own steam, is next to impossible if you don't have a car. It is massively huge and sprawling city, and public transport only covers a tiny fraction of it. If someone else is going to be picking up the tab for you to get around by cab during your business visits, well and good. But if you are going to be paying for any of it yourself, it will cost you a fortune. Why not just renew your license and bring it with you, so you'll have it to hand when you get there and you see just how essential having a car is?


    Thanks for the tip as a friend of mine warned me yesterday that LA is a huge city and also very hard to access it in places if you like. It had surprised my friend re the size of LA city itself as he texted me ' big big city'.Someone is picking up the tab for me on last of day of 4 day trip to LA which should be worthwhile seeing.


    You can get by perfectly ok in Daytona without a car, as long as you plan on doing nothing more than laze away on the beach. There is not much to see and do in Daytona itself, unless you are a massive fan of motor sports. Having a car would be handy to get out and about for a couple of road trips to the nearby Kennedy Space Centre for example, but it would be no where near as essential as it is in LA.

    Another 4 day trip to Orlando which includes 1 side trip to Daytona beach for business. Then the rest of 3 days in Orlando. sightseeing seaworld and other touristy place to wind it down before i return home. Thanks re tip on Daytona re cars. Hotels are cheaper than LA (unbelieveably expensive priced hotels).


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    #6
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    You'll be fine in Orlando without a car, just make sure you stay in a hotel on or close to International Drive. There is an excellent shuttle service on I Drive that ferries people around between the hotels, theme parks and shopping outlets.


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    #7
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Deaf student wrote: »
    I wouldn't need a car as my driver's licence was out of date.

    Yes. You will need a car. Renew your licence?

    You cant use public transport, its for the drunks and seriously deranged (even the homeless people have cars).

    And its not like New York where there's fleets of taxis cruising by and you just flag one down, you'd probably have to call for one. And Wait.

    At least make sure your hotel is pedestrian accessible, check it out on google streetview, or you'll find yourself stranded.

    LA without a car is an ordeal not a holiday.


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    #8
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Deaf student


    ProudDUB wrote: »
    You'll be fine in Orlando without a car, just make sure you stay in a hotel on or close to International Drive. There is an excellent shuttle service on I Drive that ferries people around between the hotels, theme parks and shopping outlets.


    Have booked a hotel inside international drive as it's quite cheap for 4 star hotels compared to here.

    Yes excellent shuttle as i have an eye on Florida mall. My sister tells me it's a good place to buy things.

    Friend warned me re lot of homeless people in LA and SF which had shocked him last year. Lot worse than here. He recommended that i visit Santa Monica .. worth a visit he says with many outlets to eat and drink.?


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    #9
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Yes, Santa Monica and Venice Beach right next door to the south are two areas you could wander around. They're on the beach, lots of restaurants and shopping, etc etc.


    https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.013316,-118.495134&spn=0.007381,0.012242&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.013316,-118.497182&panoid=ecaX_Xk9dVuw-uJ5mWxw0A&cbp=12,203.67,,0,-3.02


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    #10
    didntgotoplan
    Registered Users Posts: 236 ✭✭didntgotoplan


    I love Florida Mall, so your sister is correct there!

    Also Orlando is fine to get around without a car, if you don't mind taking some time on a shuttle. I've been twice and I thought the shuttles were grand but some people wouldn't go without a car as some shuttles can stop of at every hotel on the I-Drive.


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    #11
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Deaf student


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Yes, Santa Monica and Venice Beach right next door to the south are two areas you could wander around. They're on the beach, lots of restaurants and shopping, etc etc.


    https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.013316,-118.495134&spn=0.007381,0.012242&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.013316,-118.497182&panoid=ecaX_Xk9dVuw-uJ5mWxw0A&cbp=12,203.67,,0,-3.02

    Inthetrees,

    Thanks a mil.:D


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    #12
    Deaf student
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Deaf student


    Came back from USA jet lagged and tired after 7 stopovers in a week.

    No life in LA as it's practically lifeless as i walked on the street of West Hollywood, there were nobody walking on either side of paths except for an odd gardener or a shop worker walked in or out. It makes me wonder as to how they keep their business running.

    Realised that ' must have's ' is a car to travel around LA as i went through one surburb/area where there was a lot of blacks. I was lost at one point but asked one black guy for directions. He was nice though but was bit pertified at one point but got over it quickly.

    Downtown LA wasn't too bad as it was easy to get around via the Metro and Flyaway. One Italian Pizza in Downtown LA was fab especially with delicous pizza way way better than here. LA is a huge mega city than i realised as it's impossible to visit them all as Dublin or Cork seemed so small/tiny in terms of comparsion. I visited one Irish pub named Casey pub in Downtown for a jar as it was a ' fake' Irish pub. St Pat's day celebrations took place there.

    Florida -Orlando, Lovely place to stay with all sort of amenities to sample and see. Stayed at a 4 star hotel in International drive as it was superb. No need for 'must haves' such as car as there are plenty of private bus shuttles to go around Orlando. Weather was cool with cloudy until last day which was really hot- knocked me off. I don't like really hot weather just warm or anything up to 30oC would do for me.

    Hotel was lot better than LA hotel (Radisson which was basic or a functional hotel but very useful for catching next morning flights), Food and weather was far better in Orlando than LA. LA was cloudy most of the time and bit of smog as well.

    LA's little gem was Manhattan beach twenty minutes drive from LA as it's worth seeing. Daytona Beach in Florida was lovely and easy to go around.

    It was absolutely freezing cold when i arrived back here last week as i was wearing a T- short and short . I would recommend Virgin Altantic as it was comfortable re long 12 hour flight to LA.


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