Finally going there

[John Clifford]

Needless to say, neither Jim Kalafus, Michael Standart, nor myself, will ever be asked to do promo pieces for "Come to Mexico"!!

Needless to say, if you do any overnight trips from LA, go to San Diego, and take time to enjoy the areas around Mission Bay, first.

 

[Jason Schleisman]

So sorry, Mikael, for our ranting and raving. Honestly, we are just pointing out these things so that you will be more (and better) informed when you come to visit that part of our country.

Los Angeles is NOT the land of happy Hollywood endings as films and television would like to make you believe. While there are definitely nice places to visit, as John and others have pointed out, they only exist in obscure pockets.

The really beautiful areas are actually NOT in Los Angeles at all, but rather the coastal areas either just North (San Simeon) or South (San Diego) if you are able to get to them and see them. The northern areas are much more driver-friendly if you still want to rent a car.

And of course, you can't go wrong staying on the Queen Mary.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Needless to say, neither Jim Kalafus, Michael Standart, nor myself, will ever be asked to do promo pieces for "Come to Mexico"!! <<

Depends on where you go. The border towns are definately cesspools but if you can get past that, you can find some interesting places where there really is a difference between the criminal element and the police. (You don't want to eat fish caught in the bay at Acapulco. I've seen what drains down there from the hills. Guess where the locals are fishing!) but you're usually on safe ground at the hotels.

One of the very best New York strip sirloin steaks I've ever has was at a place called The No Name Cafe in Mazetlan. Cancun...on the East coast...was one of the cleanest cities I've ever seen.

As to San Diego, Cruise Critic has information and supplemental links at http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/homeport.cfm?ID=17 which anyone should find useful.

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

HI again.

Thank you for all the information. I think I skip renting a car after reading about the traffic.

Can I go to San Diego, San Fransisco or Las vegas with train? Do you have any idea how much it cost? Are there bustrips from San Diego to Tijuana?

best regards, Mikael

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Can I go to San Diego, San Fransisco or Las vegas with train?<<

Yes. I'm not sure how the scheduals work out but AMTRAK does have a service. Go to http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Schedules_Page

Keep in mind that trains aren't quite the popular means of transport that they are in Europe so the passenger routes aren't that extensive. I didn't see anything there for Las Vegas.

 

[Joe Russo]

I've never heard of anyone here taking a train to Las Vegas, but a lot of my friends take the train to San Diego from LA since it is quicker than driving because of the constant traffic on the San Diego Freeway. You can board this train at Union Station in LA and get to this station from Long Beach using the metro.
Once in San Diego, you might want to take a taxi from the train station to the border and then walk across the border for the day. There is a huge parking lot for tourists who want to do just that and there are walkways. The last time I was there was before 9/11, so I am not sure how difficult it is to get back in the US. Has anyone been lately? Since you are not a US citizen, I would make sure that you research this day trip thoroughly before venturing out to Mexico just to see a border town.
Taking the train up to San Francisco is a good option. It will take all day, but is a beautiful ride and runs along the Pacific coast.

 

[John Clifford]

Mikael, the AMTRAK will drop you off, in San Diego, at stations by Old Town San Diego and near to Harbor Blvd. Just be sure you know the schedules, as I think the last train out leaves Old Town around 6:30 PM, heading to LA.
I remembered this, as, last May, I drove down to San Diego on Friday afternoon; stayed in Mission Bay and met a friend for dinner.
Saturday some other friends took the train down for Cinco De Mayo (an extremely popular event in Olde Town) and I met them at the Old Town Station; they made sure to be back on the train for the trip back.

Los Angeles to Las Vegas is, sadly, either a driving or flying trip; no direct train service, that I know, goes there.
You can probably fly to Las Vegas from the Long Beach Airport, but I cannot guarantee the schedules. Besides, with post-9/11 security rules and waiting to get on the plane, plus collecting luggage and getting ground transport at Las Vegas McCarran Airport, many of us here in LA realize it takes just as long as it would to drive to Las Vegas; such is life.

My advice: save a trip to Las Vegas or a trip to Mexico for a later venture.
Check on places to see in Long Beach, especially in the Shoreline Village, The Pike shopping area (where a former amusement center used to be located) or near to Ocean Avenue.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

The nice thing about the Harbor Drive station is that you can walk from there to the USS Midway and the San Diego Maritime Museum which features the Star of India, the ferry Berkely, and the steam yacht Medea.

There's also a harbour excursion which offers a two hour tour which goes all the way up to the submarine base, back to North Island and down to the 32cnd Street Naval Station. If you want to see active Naval vessels from subs to carriers, then see some great museums afterwards, this is the way to go.

Tijuana Mexico?

I wouldn't do it. Been there once and that was once too much.

 

[John Clifford]

Also, from the Harbor Drive area there are excursions accross the bay to Coronado; those will drop you off at a shopping area in the north part of Coronado, for great views of the San Diego skyline.

Coronado is also where you can visit the Hotel Del Coronado, probably best known as the hotel used for the Florida beach scenes in the 1959 movie "Some Like It Hot", with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe.
The Del is about seven miles south of the Coronado Naval Station; the Naval Station is at the northernmost part of Coronado.

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

Thanks for the tip about AMTRAK. They are very cheap between LA and San Diego. Around 50$

We have decided to spend 6 days in LA and 2 days in San Diego. During the visit in San Diego we will take a one day tour to Tijuana just to get the opportunity to visit Mexico. Do you know if there are any touristbuses going for oneday trips to Tijuana from San Diego? Are there any good hostels in San Diego?

About Queen Mary. I found this homepage http://www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/Queen_Mary_Hotel_Long_Beach_The.htm where you can book a room on Queen Mary at only 86 USD for two persons

That is a good price so we will probably stay there for 4 days.

The whole trip is a backpackingtrip around the worl. We are also backpacking in NY, Australia, Tahiti, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodja and Hong Kong.

Do you know if there is anything Titanicrelated to see in thouse countries? Maybe a cool shipwreck or a good museum?

best regards, Mikael

 

[Joe Russo]

Mikael,
Try this link and you should order the guide for LA and San Diego. There might be one for all of California as well. Let's Go specializes in cheap travel for college students and young people and has extensive information on hostels, discount tours as well as extensive information about what you are visiting. They can probably give you better information on the kind of budget travel that you are doing. It is an essential for the backpacking set.

http://www.letsgo.com/

 

[Martin Owen Cahill]

A most interesting thread.
I think I would just stick to the QM and the Maritime Museum. I don't think I'd miss the rest by the sound of it.

Martin

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

Thanks for the guide Joe.

I read that there is a Titanic exhibition with items raised from the wreck in Las Vegas. Is this exhibition worth seeing? I have never seen any exhibition with items from the wreck before. It seems like they only tour in USA and never here in Europa.

Have anyone of you been to the exhibition in Las Vegas?

best regards, Mikael

 

[Joe Russo]

I actually went to the exhibit in Las Vegas a year ago hoping to see the "big piece" but it had already left and is now somewhere else. It is not worth going to Las Vegas just to see this in my opinion. There are many of the object that you will see at any of the Titanic exhibits and a few room recreations, but these don't feel very authentic. I was disappointed by it. Don't change your trip for this.

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

Hi

Now it is only one month before we arrive in LA. At the airport we will take the train directely to San Diego to spend three days there. Then we will take the train directely to QM and spend three days in LA.

We haven't booked our staying on Queen Mary yet because I can't decide if we shall stay all three days on QM or on day on a hostel closer to the airport in Hollywood or Santa Monica. I have some questions:

1. Is it easy to get to the airport (LAX) from QM? We have to be on the airport at least 8.30 a.m. How far is it and how much does it cost to get a taxi from QM to LAX?

2. We will not rent a car since I have read that it is hard to drive in LA for someone who is not used to driving in big cities. Is it easy to get around with the Metro which I read you can take close to QM? We would like to see Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Downtown, Santa Monica and Venice. Are there any guided tours that start in Long Beach or do we have to get to any other areas to take part of any guided tour?

Thank you for your help. I will post my pictures here after the trip

best regards, Mikael and Sarah.