Best Holiday Travel Tips For People From Los Angeles
You know the basics about liquids through security and booking early to save money, but navigating Los Angeles during the holidays involves a little more finesse. From where to stock up on pre-trip necessities to the best ways to travel, this is the inside scoop on traveling L.A. like a pro this holiday season.
Park N Fly
6351 W. Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 417-3566
Price: $13.95 per day online/$15.95 per day for drive-up booking
www.pnf.com
Know where to park.
Park N Fly's services are a well-kept secret in the Southland. Frequent corporate travelers use Park N Fly to make sure their cars are securely parked for a reasonable daily rate. This rate includes shuttle service that brings you directly to your terminal. Parking in LAX's structures can cost you up to $30 a day, so take advantage of Park N Fly if you require parking. This business is also available at the Ontario airport for rates as low as $8.95 per day.
(credit: David McNew/Getty Images)
Ontario International Airport
1923 E. Avion Drive
Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 937-2700
www.lawa.org
Fly in and out of a suburban airport.
Ontario International (ONT) and Long Beach Airport (LGB) are less than an hour's drive to the LA area. Both airports offer shuttle services to hotels in the L.A. area, and even to LAX itself. You can also rent a car from these locations and drive out to your final destination in the L.A. region while saving hours of your time. Every local knows that if you're looking for a smaller airport with less pressure from security, these airports have a lighter traffic flow than LAX.
Rent a car.
Taxis in L.A. are expensive. A 20-minute ride can cost more than $30, and in here, you can spent 20 minutes driving on five miles of road. It's definitely worth the investment to have your own means of transportation while visiting family, friends or sights.
The 405 is not your friend.
Locals know that although the Interstate 405 covers important ground throughout L.A., it is congested and unpredictable. A preferred alternate route is Sepulveda Boulevard, which follows the 405 in Los Angeles for several miles, but is often just as congested. For this reason, make sure you have access to GPS either in your vehicle or on a smartphone. It may seem confusing to weave in and out of side streets, but you always end up saving precious vacation time this way.
Flight 001
8321 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 966-0001
www.flight001.com
Mail gifts or decoration pieces ahead of time.
You don't want to have to open wrapped gifts at a security checkpoint, nor do you want to worry about reaching your destination and finding squashed or shattered gifts in your checked luggage. Flight 001 offers luggage pieces that can wrap your items such as gifts, jewelry, laptops and small bottles and containers in ways that will make you look like a seasoned jet-setter. Mailing gifts to your final destination, even if that destination is a hotel, is a smart way to save not only your piece of mind, but critical pounds of luggage weight. If you are mailing items to a hotel, make sure you already have a reservation there, this way you can address it to yourself, care of the hotel. Call the concierge at the hotel you are mailing items so that they can be on the lookout for it.
Related: Travel Mom's Tips to Avoid Stress over the Holidays
Danielle Farve is a freelance writer covering all things Los Angeles. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
