Driving Las Vegas to Las Angeles Questions

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Rusty GCS
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2:27p, 10/5/18
AG
Anybody ever rent a car in Vegas and drive to LA? Think on my next Vegas trip I want to drive over to LA for a day then fly out LAX back home.

So two part question - any tips on doing that? What's ideas for a day in LA for somebody that's never been. My wife wants to walk down Rodeo Dr. I want to go to Santa Monica Pier.
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Al Bula
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8:24p, 10/5/18
AG
I did this back in 2012, the weekend we beat Bama. It is a boring five hour drive. Lots of desert then you drive into sprawl.

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Rusty GCS
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In reply to Al Bula • 8:49p, 10/5/18
AG
RPM said:
I did this back in 2012, the weekend we beat Bama. It is a boring five hour drive. Lots of desert then you drive into sprawl.



I was in Tuscaloosa that weekend
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mazzag
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In reply to Rusty GCS • 11:00p, 10/5/18
AG
Rusty GCS said:
Anybody ever rent a car in Vegas and drive to LA? Think on my next Vegas trip I want to drive over to LA for a day then fly out LAX back home.

So two part question - any tips on doing that? What's ideas for a day in LA for somebody that's never been. My wife wants to walk down Rodeo Dr. I want to go to Santa Monica Pier.



It's been several years but Rodeo Dr is overrated. You're on the right path. She'll love 3rd St Promenade.
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Punked Shank
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7:01a, 10/6/18
AG
I'd rather drive to san diego. But i also hate LA
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Milwaukees Best Light
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10:12a, 10/6/18
AG
LAX is still under construction I believe. If so, pick a different airport.
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Rusty GCS
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11:05a, 10/6/18
AG
Trip is in April. Thanks for the heads up. I'll check into it.
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ThunderCougarFalconBird
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In reply to Milwaukees Best Light • 10:38p, 10/7/18
AG
Milwaukees Best Light said:
LAX is still under construction
semi-serious question: has that ever not been the case?
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ColoradoMooseHerd
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11:10p, 10/7/18
No reason to avoid LAX because of construction. It is the same as always.

I don't think you are going to enjoy the drive, you will be very disappointed if you are expecting anything special
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mazzag
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In reply to ColoradoMooseHerd • 11:21p, 10/7/18
AG
The drive is fine.
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ColoradoMooseHerd
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In reply to mazzag • 11:52p, 10/7/18
mazzag said:
The drive is fine.
the drive is fine?
sure driving through a desert and then on I-10 through traffic is fine. There is a reason that many fly back and forth between LA and Vegas. Nothing glamorous about the drive. Much better ways to spend 5 plus hours of your time.

But everyone has to do it once, but you probably won't do it a second time
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Rusty GCS
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6:27a, 10/8/18
AG
I don't mind driving 5 hours. I like to drive.

Heck I drive close to that every Saturday, one direction, to get to Kyle Field.
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HollywoodBQ
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4:40a, 10/9/18
AG
I've done this a few times in my own vehicles and also once in a rental car. Be warned, all the rental car places at LAX are off property so allow a good 20-30 minutes to turn in your rental car and take a shuttle to your terminal.

There are some places where you can make a super high-speed run through the high desert. Most folks are going to be driving 80-90 mph on "The 15".

The only stops between Vegas and say Ontario, California are:
  • Primm, NV
  • Baker, CA
  • Barstow, CA
  • Hesperia/Victorville, CA
Just something to think about with respect to food/bathroom/fuel

There aren't a lot of options on the drive but here are a few:
  • From Barstow, you could head West towards Mojave/Lancaster/Palmdale. There are lot of aircraft in storage and of course Edwards AFB.
  • From Vegas, instead of taking "The 15", you could head south on 95 towards Laughlin and then pickup I-40 back towards Barstow. I mention this because sometimes - like Sunday afternoon/evening, the traffic leaving Vegas can be ridiculous. It usually clears out by the time you get to Barstow.

The worst/longest Vegas trip I ever had was going to/from on Thanksgiving. It took me 9 hours to make what is normally a 5 hour drive because the traffic was so bad.

Hope that helps. Oh, and watch out for trucks coming down the mountain between Victorville and San Bernardino. It's really easy to pickup too much speed.
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Matsui
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In reply to Rusty GCS • 1:43p, 10/9/18
AG
I live in LA and have done the drive numerous times. Since you want to do the pier and Rodeo Drive, then the closest airport to those activities is LAX. LAX was built for 41 million travelers and last year it did around 80 million. It is congested, but it isn't a disaster (all of the time!).

The drive from Vegas to Beverly Hills will be around 5 hours. There really isn't much to see once you leave Vegas and you will drop into the LA basin about 1-2 hours away from Beverly Hills.

Do the pier, walk down Rodeo Drive, walk down to Venice Beach and see the crazies. Another suggestion is to head just south of LAX to Manhatten Beach. There are tons of shops/restaurants and $20 mil homes to look at. A beautiful boardwalk as well and another pier.

Doing Rodeo Drive, the pier, Manhatten Beach will take up most of your day. Stop for lunch or snacks along the way and take your time. Since you aren't from here you won't be in a hurry! Rodeo Drive is good for an hour of just strolling along looking into shops etc. Snap some photos with the signage and with the Beverly Hills sign and then move along. Also, DO NOT do the celebrity tour buses.

I'd advise to NOT do the Vegas to LA drive on a Sunday or a holiday weekend unless you go on odd hours. That drive can be brutal with traffic.

Santa Monica Pier is EXTREMELY touristy, so be prepared for that. But most folks want to experience it. There are a ton of great places to eat in Santa Monica. Also you could rent a bike and ride down to Manhattan Beach.
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Wicked Good Ag
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In reply to Rusty GCS • 1:55p, 10/9/18
Rusty GCS said:
Anybody ever rent a car in Vegas and drive to LA? Think on my next Vegas trip I want to drive over to LA for a day then fly out LAX back home.

So two part question - any tips on doing that? What's ideas for a day in LA for somebody that's never been. My wife wants to walk down Rodeo Dr. I want to go to Santa Monica Pier.


For under 100 I think you can fly from Vegas to LA save about three hours and the cost of the rental car

It is a matter of convienece but the drive has nothing worth while to see. I prefer to drive like you to most places or for side trips but this is one I would fly especially if the one way rental is much more expensive for the drop off

Edit. That 100 is for both of you not just one person
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Matsui
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In reply to Wicked Good Ag • 2:08p, 10/9/18
AG
I too agree. You could fly to LAX for about that cost. The one way rental car isn't cheap. The only issue is then you would need to Uber to Rodeo Drive ($30) then back to Santa Monica ($15), then whatever else you wanted to do.
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Rusty GCS
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In reply to Wicked Good Ag • 2:19p, 10/9/18
AG
My wife is terrified of flying. I can get her on a plane about twice every 3 year span. Our vacations other than that are all driving distance.

No way I get her to fly from Vegas to LA when driving is an option....but I'll try
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HollywoodBQ
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In reply to Rusty GCS • 4:09p, 10/9/18
AG
Does your wife like quirky little roadside stuff?

You'll definitely want to stop at "The World's Tallest Thermometer" in Baker, CA.



And be sure to stop in any of the gas stations in Vegas or on your way to California, stop in Primm, NV to see the fact that they have gaming machines in the gas station. That always cracked me up. Especially driving into Nevada from California. You can see across the desert where the State line is for about 10+ miles before you get there because that's where the gambling starts.
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Aggie Farmer
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8:14p, 10/9/18
AG
Before the UCLA game last year, we spent a few days in Vegas and then drove to LA through Palm Springs. Spent the night there and then drove on into LA the next day. On the way we stopped in Barstow and ate at a great Italian food place, http://dinapolisfirehouse.com

From Barstow to Palm Springs is pretty damn desolate. Only thing we saw to stop at was a Biker Bar named Slash X, but it was closed. http://www.slashxoffroad.com/ . And Palm Springs has more wind turbines than I have seen in a long time.

We decided not to drive that way again. Flew back home from LAX right after Harvey. Missed the entire Hurricane except for the day it hit. After our first two flights out of IAH were cancelled, we caught a flight to San Francisco and then back to Vegas. Made for an exciting start to our trip.

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BlueAg2003
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9:23a, 10/10/18
AG
Did it once and on the way back to LA, there was a massive wreck. I missed my flight out of LAX because I sat on the highway for three hours.
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Aggie
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7:06a, 10/23/18
AG
Went to LA for the UCLA game last year..
Santa Monica Pier was by far the most overrated thing we did.. followed pretty closely by a trip into Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.

To each his own.. But outside of games we went to ..pretty much everything was overrated.
Got a chance to see Rose bowl, went to USC game at Colesium and Dodger game at Dodger Stadium.
My kid loved Universal Studios

Everything else was ...meh
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I Am A Critic
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In reply to Aggie • 8:26a, 10/23/18
Aggie said:
Went to LA for the UCLA game last year..
Santa Monica Pier was by far the most overrated thing we did.. followed pretty closely by a trip into Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.

To each his own.. But outside of games we went to ..pretty much everything was overrated.
Got a chance to see Rose bowl, went to USC game at Colesium and Dodger game at Dodger Stadium.
My kid loved Universal Studios

Everything else was ...meh
Your opinion of your opinion is overrated.
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beachfront71
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9:47p, 10/23/18
AG

I've done this drive at least 50 times and its not bad if you time it right .. gotta get out of vegas before everyone else heads back to LA. It has gotten considerably worse over the last 7 years or so..

There is really nothing to do worth stopping for in between so just find someone else doing 85 and follow them and don't speed until you get into California.

One wreck can turn this into a 8 hour drive so get up early and go.
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