honestly thought people were exaggerating about LA traffic, but the 405 is basically a parking lot. We spent 6 days trying to cover everything from Malibu to Downtown and it felt like half the trip was in the car.
If you’re planning a trip, seriously pad your travel times. A “20 minute” drive turned into 50 minutes on a random Tuesday morning.
A few things that helped us survive it:
Staying central really matters. We stayed in West Hollywood and it saved us a lot of time. Santa Monica to the east side would’ve been painful.
We skipped the airport rental car mess. After a long flight, we used a transfer service to get to the hotel and picked up a rental locally the next day. Also avoided paying crazy hotel parking the first night.
Reservations are a must. Tried walking into a restaurant in Venice on a Thursday and got laughed at. Even lunch spots fill up fast.
Also, is it just me or has tipping gotten way more aggressive? The iPad asking for 25% on a takeaway coffee was wild.
Great trip overall, but I definitely need a vacation to recover from the driving.
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