There’s certainly no shortage of iconic locations spread throughout LA, and having the keys to your own Los Angeles car rental means you can give yourself a chance to see them all.
Los Angeles is home to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but being a beach town, you can also take advantage of California's endless summer. Venice Beach is a must see, with its famous boardwalk, muscle beach, skate dancing plaza, and beach volleyball courts. Long Beach, a city in its own right, 35km south of downtown Los Angeles, is home of the original Queen Mary. Tour this grand dame of the sea from the first half of the 20th century. Also check out the Aquarium of the Pacific.
A short distance east of Long Beach in Anaheim is Disneyland, a favourite of the young and young at heart. Or visit Beverly Hills for some star-spotting. In March, the city hosts the Oscar awards ceremony with plenty of Hollywood royalty in attendance.
The list of things to do and see in Los Angeles really is endless, but read on for a few more of our favourite attractions in LA.
Hollywood Sign
The famous Hollywood sign is a Los Angeles landmark and American cultural iconThe Hollywood sign is one of the most famous landmarks in all of the United States. Sitting high above the city on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, the sign has been standing tall since its completion in 1923. While putting your hands on it is illegal, there are a few ways you can get up close and personal with the towering 14m (45 foot) high letters. There are three hiking trails (an easy, a medium, and an advanced level) that can take you to different vantage points. If you don’t want to hike, there are various points around LA that are known for having great viewpoints, including the famous Mulholland Drive, which is almost reason enough to check out car rental in LA.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame: where the stars are immortalisedAnother piece of the glitzy and glamorous puzzle that is Los Angeles is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spanning Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, the famed stretch features more than 2,000 stars. There are two new stars dedicated each month. If you want to be in attendance when a new name is added, all you have to do is show up! There are no tickets to be purchased. Just watch where you step, OK?
The Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is a section of Sunset Boulevard running from Beverly Hills into West Hollywood that made a name for itself as a safe space for alternative, and sometimes illegal, culture and activity in decades past. The stretch, which spans about 2.4km (1.5 miles), begins around Sierra Alta Way and Doheny Road and moves east to North Crescent Heights Boulevard. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the area was a safe haven for gamblers and nightclub goers who wanted to operate out of the jurisdiction of the LAPD. The Sunset Strip was also home to a burgeoning rock music scene, with seminal clubs including The Roxy and the Whiskey a Go Go packing in fans and pumping out the tunes late into the night.
Nowadays the Strip has been tamed, but it is still home a huge collection of shops and venues. Take your LA car hire to one end of the Strip and go for a stroll. Or you can head out with a more detailed plan, hitting up a rock show at the aforementioned joints or taking in a comedy gig at the famed Laugh Factory. When you see the giant billboards lining the streets, you’ll know you’re in the right place.
LA Live and the Staples Center
Since the completion of its third and final phase in 2009, LA Live has combined with the nearby Staples Center to provide an all-in-one destination for locals and visitors alike. Located at the junction of West Olympic Boulevard and South Figueroa Street, LA Live is a thriving hub of activity just about any night of the week. You’ll find everything from some of the biggest names in the hotel world to a movie theatre, bowling alley, and a range of nightclubs. Whether travelling with mates or toting the family, piling into your Los Angeles car hire and heading for LA Live is a great idea.
The Staples Center is home to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA’s) Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most famous and successful franchises in all of American sport. Catch them in action, or see the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers or the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.