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This week's question:

I'm heading to Los Angeles for two weeks in June. I'm staying in a hostel in Hollywood but won't have a car, which I know in LA is practically a hermit's lifestyle! Have I condemned myself to just hanging out locally? And does anyone have any suggestions of where I can go to get the feel of the city without spending a fortune?

These days Los Angeles is much better off with a public transport system that can convey you to a lot of places with a combination of underground trains, surface trains and buses. The first thing you should do, preferably before arriving here, is to inform yourself about the LA transport system by visiting this website where you will find plenty of information on how to get around.

The second thing you should do is establish the nearest entry point to the system from your Hollywood hostel (it will probably be a bus route). Advance planning and preparation are the key. A deft combination of bus, train and underground systems and some careful planning will get you to many places in and around Los Angeles.

The age of the car as the only travel solution in LA is past and those who say it is still the case are out of touch. However, be aware that the bus system is occasionally unreliable and therefore leave plenty of margin for getting back to your hostel at night. I would also recommend that you do not travel on Los Angeles buses after dark if you are on your own. Good luck!
David Nixon
Los Angeles resident

Don't do it. Or, if you do, stay on the West side in Santa Monica or Venice where you can actually walk around to some extent. Sure, that stupid sign is up in the Hollywood Hills, but any tour bus will take you up there so there's no need to actually stay there.

There are two hostels in Venice:
Venice Beach Hostel, 1515 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA. Phone: (310) 452-3052
Hostel California, 2221 Lincoln Blvd Venice, CA. Phone: (310) 305-0250
From here you can walk to the cafés on Abbot Kinney boulevard and catch the buses to the rest of the city with a little planning.
Anon

Yes. There is a bus system in LA, it actually works and is well served on the West side. There are also tours of the city that can be arranged if you want to see the Getty Center or Universal Studios. I would also recommend only eating Mexican or Asian in LA with the occasional American diner thrown in - most other food is a waste of time and money.
For Mexican try El Texate, 316 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA.‎
For Japanese take-out try Wacky Wok, 2805 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA.
I still miss the spicy tuna bowl...
LLoki

Good idea. Don't forget millions of people in LA don't have a car. They tend to want to be invisible though.

To get to Hollywood from the airport take a shuttle. LA metro and RTD bus system is actually quite good. Get on the net and learn all the bus routes and train routes though.

Santa Monica has everything you want from LA: high-end shopping, celebrities, cool restaurants, beach funkiness etc. All in walking distance. Or hire a bike and follow the bike paths in Griffith Park, along the LA river and along the boardwalk at the beach.
Nat Bocking

I did a road trip around California last summer and I agree - it seems like they haven't even heard of pavements in this city! As you're staying in Hollywood you're close to all the main touristy sights, but if you want to go further afield just get buses - they are cheap and pretty efficient. To get a feel of the city without spending anything, I'd say visit the different neighbourhoods in LA that each have their own quirky character.

We stayed at the Venice Beach Hostel, which is right on Muscle Beach, and
it costs nothing to just wander along the boardwalk looking at the weird
and wonderful pose and perform in front of you. The kooky houses along the
canals are well worth a look, and there are loads of cafés, bars and
vintage stores amidst the colourful streets.

Santa Monica is a short trip down the road with its famous pier, amazing
beach and cool restaurants on the Third Street Promenade, which is always
buzzing in the evenings. Melrose is also a cool place to wander around for
its eclectic boutiques and if you're in Hollywood explore Griffith Park -
it's huge, with museums, the observatory, and the Hollywood sign in the
grounds, and amazing views over the city. Hope that helps!
Lauren Smith
Brighton

This book has several fantastic walking tours around Los Angeles that only locals really know about. You can ride buses all over the city and there is a working subway. Don't use taxis unless absolutely necessary, too expensive!
Michael

"Have I condemned myself to just hanging out locally?"
- Yes. Get a rental car - they are dirt cheap.

"Does anyone have any suggestions of where I can go to get the feel of the city without spending a fortune?"
- Go to Venice beach. You can spend the week there. It's like being on a Spanish beach but less crowded and with cleaner public bathrooms. Walk along the Venice boardwalk to ogle the wierdos and soak in the anything-goes attitude.
Felix
Los Angeles

Los Angeles actually has an efficient and extensive bus system and a rather less extensive metro rail system. Riding the bus is a great way to see the city and experience the 'real LA'. Angelinos who have never done it may warn you that it is unsafe: it is not, although it can be slow, crowded and dirty at times, and many routes stop running at around 8pm. The rail system which serves Hollywood and is quicker and cleaner but will take you to far fewer places.

There are many free and cheap things to do in Los Angeles. Take a hike in Runyon Canyon for a great view of the city (if the smog is not too bad) and a chance to spot Hollywood stars walking their dogs. Window-shop and people-watch on Melrose Avenue. View the art at the LACMA ($12) or the mammoth fossils at the adjoining La Brea Tar Pits ($7), with a break for lunch in adjacent Little Ethiopia. Embark on self-guided walking tour of downtown. Finally I would suggest leaving your Hollywood hostel for a few days and moving to one in Santa Monica, where you can enjoy the ocean-side ambiance and walk, bike or roller-blade the beach path down to Venice.
Vicky

First I would strongly recommend staying in a hostel in the Santa Monica/Venice Beach area. They are much nicer places with lots of hostels and really cool stuff to do all with in walking distance. Hollywood is worth a visit but is really a bit of a dump. Also Venice beach is quite central to most things to do and see.

All the hostels usually have their own tours to all the main attractions. These tours are aimed at backpackers and so are relatively cheap. Places I would say worth a trip : Universal Studios, Farmers Market, The Observatory (go at night), The Guggenheim Museum, John Paul Getty Museum (Both will require pre-booking but are stunning). Get a bunch of other people at the hostel together and book a limo for four hours, you can get up to ten people into one and BYO and they will cruise round all the sights or wherever you want to go, total blast.

Other travellers will probably have cars and if they have room are usually happy to split costs. Cheap nights out are Tuesdays and Wednesdays when a lot of bars have one dollar drink nights. Remember LA is NOT a city: it is a collection of suburbs connected by freeways and is spread over a distance similar to Greater London. Have Fun!
Jane C

I also stayed in a hostel just off Hollywood Boulevard. This is a great spot - a ten minute walk to all the attractions around Grauman's Chinese Theatre, also easily walkable to Melrose and Sunset too. The LA Metro has stations close by and is cheap, clean, cool and efficient - $1.25 per trip or $5.00 for a day pass. Buses are also cheap and frequent. I managed to get out to the Getty Museum, Beverley Hills etc. with no trouble at all.

I was only there for five days but crammed a lot in and didn't miss having a car at all! If you do find you've had enough of LA without a car, take the Greyhound from Hollywood or LA to San Diego for a few days - I think I paid about $30 one way. San Diego is easily walkable and has plenty to do. I stayed in the USA Hostel there too, which was really lovely and well placed.

I took the Rough Guide to California, which also covers Las Vegas, if you're so inclined. The maps and travel info are great, and there's all the usual recommendations for all tastes. Have a great time!
Emma

When I lived in LA I had no car and its not as big a problem as you might think. Thanks to the grid system for the streets, catching a bus is relatively painless. Make sure you have the right money for the ticket machine on the bus though or the drivers reaction may not be so painless!

LA is a huge city so it really depends on where you want to go. If you think of it as a series of small towns connected by palm-lined suburban streets you won't go far wrong.

If you're after the beach, from Hollywood just head West on Santa Monica Boulevard and that will take you to Santa Monica with its pier and excellent beach. Here you can swim in the Pacific and then ponder that it wasn't as warm as you thought it would be as you munch some seafood on the pier. From here it's pretty easy to get a bus North or South to various other coastal spots. Buses are reasonably frequent and often quite full but you won't wait more than 15 minutes on the major routes.

If you want to check out Hollywood then try walking. It's free, the sidewalks are huge and mainly empty, because no Angelean would ever walk where an engine could be used. You aren't going to get mugged or shot in the main areas (you have to go quite some way to find those sort of dodgy streets and you will be well aware that you are in them if you do).

I used to walk everywhere, the weather is always excellent (an LA weather forecast has to be the most pointless event on the planet) and the only problem I ever had was being stopped by the police. Once they found I was English it was fine, but they eye anyone walking with a little suspicion because, as I said, no Angelean walks anywhere.

I should point out that the famous Hollywood Boulevard is as big a disappointment as it is a dump: cheap, tacky and utterly underwhelming. Try Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, there's a lot of tat there too but mainly they are worth visiting.

Should you find yourself waiting for a bus, particularly on Santa Monica, do not under any circumstance lean on a wall with one foot resting on said wall. It is the transvestite prostitutes way of offering their 'services'. I did that once and can't decide if I was more annoyed at all the people staring at me or (when I found out what I had done) that no one had actually tried to pick me up.

I would not recommend walking or buses for any late travelling, although that is true of most cities. A famous phrase in LA is “Every crazy in America comes to California, and every crazy in California comes to LA”. They could add that the crazy people all seem to live on late night buses. Most are odd but harmless but the guy wearing a toga and carrying an axe was more than a little worrying. Fortunately, Angeleans (like most Americans) are really quite public spirited and the crazy in the bed sheet with arboreal pruning attachments was chased off the bus and into the hands of the police.

For late travel, get a cab. Be warned though, most Angelean cab drivers will ask where you want to go, and then ask how to get there. No such thing as 'the Knowledge' exists in LA. They will know all major areas but anything out of the way or residential and they will expect you to tell them how to get there. Buy a map and study it. Also remember that all the bank notes in America look very similar and cabs will expect a tip. Don't do what a friend did and hand over a $100 bill for a $7 fare, thinking it was a $10, and tell them to keep the change. They will, and by the time you realise the mistake it's too late.

If you get to know any of the locals they are usually very keen to find out what you think of their city. Many people I met would offer to drive me around, but I would suggest that's only safe if you know the people you are talking to. I'm assuming that you don't know anyone there. The lift may be offered in a genuine spirit of generosity, and usually is, but if you don't know them don't get in. It's not worth the risk.

I would also recommend you do what many Angeleans do and carry two wallets. One with all you need in it placed in an inside pocket, and one with $10 dollars in it. If you should be unfortunate enough to be mugged (and if you're careful you probably won't be. I never was) hand over the $10 wallet. They will run and you are safe. It may have cost $10 but at least it didn't cost you everything. I have found this quite useful in any unfamiliar place but I leant it from the Angeleans. It's worth remembering though that the dangerous reputation LA can have is about places a long way from the major tourist areas. Yes, there is street crime, but there is in London or Paris or Rome. The same common sense rules apply in LA.

For the Hollywood Hills and the stars' houses you won't be able to walk more than a few feet in Hollywood itself without being accosted with flyers for bus tours. I thought gawping at celebs houses was a bit strange in a loopy stalker kind of way so I never tried it but there are plenty of these buses and they are all reasonably cheap.

You could visit the Beverly Centre on West 3rd and San Vicente. Well served by buses you will find a shopping centre that is built on rubber rollers to withstand earthquakes. Lean on the walls and you can feel it moving. There is also a Hard Rock Cafe, the Tail O'The Pup hot dog stand (in the shape of a giant hot dog in a bun) and the cash point where Steve Martin was mugged at in LA Story. Just over the road you will see the Cedars Sinai medical centre which you will recognise from so many movies and news reports you'll get a sense of déjà vu. Actually, déjà vu is almost an occupational hazard for a tourist in LA. You really have seen it all before.

If ancient biology is more your thing you could take a visit to the La Brea tar pits on, unsurprisingly, La Brea Avenue. Plenty of wooly mammoths, sabre tooth tigers and a whole heap of tar. The famous Macarther park is to the East of you and the main street for it (again, well served by buses) is Wilshire Boulevard. Head West instead on Wilshire and you will go past Rodeo Drive, the famous Beverly Wilshire hotel and eventually Santa Monica. On a slightly odd tip is the stretch of Wilshire just before you get to the Beverly Wilshire. It is known locally as the 'street of wigs' due to the huge numbers of follicle replacement alternatives available in the shops. This is a movie town and you will never be able to forget it. Your waiter, cab driver, store assistant is an actor. And they probably dance too. And every lamp post has tear off adverts for 'actors wanted'. Don't be tempted, they are all cons.

The Hollywood sign is best seen from a distance. Up close it suffers from the attentions of teenagers with spray cans. The sign is painted regularly to try and keep this down but, like the Forth Bridge, it's a job that will never be finished. You may want to impress your new Angelean acquaintances by knowing that the sign originally said Hollywood land 'Hollywoodland'. Or you may not.

In case you should feel tempted to visit the grittier side of LA and take a trip to South Central, Compton or any other notorious areas I have one word of advice: don't. They are 'gritty' for a reason and a stranger is unlikely to last long before they lose their wallet, dignity or life. It is not safe and even the locals are extremely careful in these areas. Also, do not wear a bandana on your head and try to avoid American Football shirts. They are used as gang indicators and you may well be taken for a gang member, no matter how unlikely that may seem to you.

Most of all, enjoy the city and ask locals what they recomend. When they hear an English accent you will a great many people will come and talk to you. Angeleans like the English and they really can be very pleasant company. They are proud of their unusual city and whilst they will regail you with all of it's carzy stories they are very keen that people leave with a good impression. And if you are really stuck and need an answer, don't ask a cop. In LA the fountain of knowledge is behind the bar. Anything you want to know, the barman knows the answer. Just don't forget to tip him.
Henry Harding

I am a New Yorker and regular visitor to Los Angeles and have figured out how to enjoy much of the area without a car. For a first-time or repeat visitor, my advice is to base oneself in Santa Monica. It has much of the iconic LA topography: sunsets on the Pacific Ocean, a sandy beach full of people who are in much too good condition, wandering 'street' characters of every stripe, the occasional movie star sighting, one of the best outdoor food markets in America, superb restaurants and, above all, the sense that this could not be anywhere else in the world but the LA we envision. All that is missing is Disneyland and that can be reached if one must.

My hotel of choice is The Georgian (1415 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA). It dates back to the 1930s and was preferred by more than a few movie stars for a romantic getaway. The building retains its elegant old bones but has been smartly updated. There are delicious breakfasts based on local ingredients, bracing ocean air, and those sunsets. Within three blocks are at least 50 restaurants, cinemas with 12 screens showing the latest hits and independent films, and even a pub popular with British ex-pats. It is right across the street from the ocean and I get in a swim every day.

One can rent a bicycle and cover a lot of local terrain. Santa Monica also has a superb local bus system as well as limited-stop long distance buses that go to Beverly Hills and downtown LA. Selective use of taxis can take you to places buses do not reach. The two I would recommend are both part of the J. Paul Getty Museum, for which reservations are required to attend. The Getty Villa, straight up the Pacific Coast Highway, holds a superb collection of Greco-Roman art in an idyllic setting. It is a short trip from the Georgian Hotel. A bit further, and probably the most expensive transport you will incur (about $40), is the Getty Museum, an omnium gatherum of paintings, sculpture, drawings and photographs. The Getty has one of the best educational initiatives of any museum in America. It also has good eating facilities, so I tend to make the visit a full day.

And what do I do if I need or want to go further afield? New Yorkers are resourceful and also friendly. I tend to befriend residents of LA, almost all of whom own a car and are willing to give me a lift. In exchange, I invite them for drinks on the terrace of the Georgian just in time for sunset over the Pacific.
Fred Plotkin
New York

LA can be negotiated with public transit -- with a little effort. The Metro's Red Line will take you downtown from Hollywood. Downtown attractions include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Library, Staples Center, Nokia Live entertainment complex including new Grammy Museum, lots of inexpensive shopping in and around the garment district, and Union Station. Check out Phillipe's for lunch near Union Station (if you're a carnivore). Also downtown are the new Catholic Cathedral designed by Spanish architect Jose Rafael Moneo and the new home to the LA Philharmonic, Walt Disney Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. Both worth seeing...the 1928 City Hall is quite impressive too. Alvarado Street near Union Station is kitschy and touristy, but is where the city was founded and has a fun Latino flavour and cheap souvenirs.

From Union Station you can connect to the Gold Line to Pasadena. Pasadena has great shopping and restaurants along Colorado Ave. The Norton Simon Museum is definitely worth a visit. It's on Colorado too. If you have time, check out the Huntington Library and Gardens.

The Red Line in the other direction from Hollywood will take you into the San Fernando Valley. Take the tram up the hill from Universal City station to CityWalk for fun, albeit touristy, shopping and entertainment. CityWalk is free, but the studio tour is expensive...if you have any interest.

Express buses from downtown along Wilshire Blvd will take you to Beverly Hills for high-end shopping and celebrity sightings. Continue on Wilshire to Westwood Blvd, conect to the 233 to visit the Getty Center. Ride the tram up the hillside for magnificent views, beautiful gardens and, oh yeah, there's art too. Beverly Hills and Westwood can be reached from the center of Hollywood as well. Just take the 217 along Hollywood Blvd to Santa Monica Blvd and then connect to the 4 or 304 to Wilshire Blvd. Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd is the center of Beverly Hills. You can continue on the 4 bus to the ocean. The 3rd Street Promenade in downtown Santa Monica is just a couple blocks from the ocean and has restaurants, shops, etc. Walk to the ocean pier from there.

Plenty to see and do in LA without an auto. Have fun!
Chris Becker
Los Angeles, CA

Katie, I would have recommended Long Beach over Hollywood for someplace to go and spend two weeks without a car. Long Beach is an LA suburb, just south of the metropolitan area, and is very walker-friendly. I moved to LA from San Francisco and couldn't stand it, even with a car, so moved to Long Beach. be that as it may. In Hollywood, you will be near some fabulous sites and a few subway stations. LA's public transport is nothing like San Francisco's, NYC, London's, or even Mexico City's, but LA's subway system will get you to North Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach, ... and the airport (sort of). Not much. For some reason they didn't extend the tracks to West LA - Santa Monica and Venice Beach, which are popular, so you will have to take a bus there and anywhere else. Take the RAPID buses, which make fewer stops and will get you there - in traffic - faster. Buen viaje!
Lowell
Long Beach, CA

Kate, you'll be fine without a car. The hostels are used to backpackers and often run mini buses to key places - Venice Beach etc. I travelled round bits of LA on local buses, too - there's not a great service, but there's enough, if you have plenty of time!
Gillian

Last summer I spent six days in LA staying in a hostel on Venice Beach and, like you, did not have a car and I still managed to have a brilliant time. Around Venice there are lots of things to do. Go to the beach and check out the stalls. My friends and I still got around LA to see most of the standard sights.

I'd advise to check out whereabouts you are in Hollywood, see what is in walking distance. To everyone else in LA, I think walking is a bit of an alien subject but it is doable. From Venice we were able to walk along the beach to Santa Monica, which has a great shopping experience and the famous Santa Monica Pier. We also managed to get up to Hollywood and go to the walk of fame, see the sign (it's actually quite small and far away!) and take a tour around Beverly Hills. All this we managed to get to by the metro bus system.

If I remember correctly, to get the information about the buses we asked the staff at the hostel, and also those staying at the hostel who had been in LA for a while. The buses were pretty reasonable and frequent, ditto for the subway, which we took to Universal Studios. You can get around Los Angeles without a car - you just have to go that bit further to do it which hopefully will make it more worth it.

As for a place to get the feel of Los Angeles, I recommend Venice Beach, which you should be able to get to the buses. The beach is fabulous, the stalls and restaurants lining the beach are definitely worth a look. Just up the coast, maybe a 40 minute walk, is Santa Monica where you can get your fill of all the usual American shops.

Also, if you go on the open top tour around Hollywood and Beverly Hills, which you can get on at the walk of fame (which is ok, but definitely something you only want to see once) you can go to a place called The Grove which has, again, all the usual American shops. It also has a farmers' market, some really nice restaurants and sometimes some celebrities, and again we managed to get a bus back from there to Venice, so its all possible.

Hope you have a good time and at least one thing in this was helpful.
Polly

I've just got back from 7 weeks doing research in Los Angeles and found I
didn't need a car at all, much to the surprise of my Angeleno friends. I
used a combination of bike and LA's under-rated public transit system. If it's just you going, then a bike can be less expensive than you might think. You should be able to pick one up for under $60 on Craigslist. If you plan it carefully, you can probably sell it on for pretty much the same amount before you leave. Alternatively, there's a guy by the side of Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park who sells really cheap bikes (but I do mean, quite literally, by the side of Sunset).

Things to see and do on a budget:
The Getty Center in North Brentwood (-ish): one of the world's great art
collections, and one of the most fantastic views of the hills going north,
not to mention the Pacific;

The Getty Villa in Malibu: great architecture, stunning gardens, and you
can have a potter round Malibu star-spotting, too, if you fancy it (you
need to book tickets in advance and they're timed, but they're free too)
(getty.edu for both);

Santa Monica beach and pier: a stunning beach and a fantastically kitsch
selection of things to buy on the pier. Someone got engaged the last time
I was there to cheering and applause all round. If you take about half an
hour walking down the beach from the pier, then head east back on to Main,
you should be able to find a fantastic little hole-in-the-wall Mexican
place (on Main, directly opposite the Library Alehouse). It doesn't look
like much, but the food is excellent, and about as cheap as it comes. It's
also worth stepping over to the Library Alehouse for a pint afterwards, if
you can in. Avoid it on a Saturday evening, it's always heaving. Oh, and
try the Arrogant Bastard Ale...

If you're not tired of galleries, MoCA downtown is worth a visit, and you
can check out the Disney Concert Hall which is just over the road at the
same time. Edgier than the Disney Concert Hall itself in REDCAT (the Roy
and Edna Disney CalArts Theater), which is part of the same complex and
puts on some really interesting stuff on a budget. While you're downtown,
it's worth checking out Union Station, too, which is a bit of an
architectural gem. From there you might have a walk up to Chinatown, where
you'll be spoiled for choice on the food front.

Hope some of those thoughts are helpful,
Martin

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