Long Beach and sight seeing

[debinthaboro]

Help from locals...we are flying into LAX on Sunday the 30th of Sept and staying at the Queen Mary that night. We will arrive around 1-1:30 PM, any suggestions for a tour of Hollywood? One car company we checked with for the following Friday, said there was no way with the traffic would he suggest anything other than going straight to LAX for a 5 hour wait....

 

So what do you think?

[birdie16]

Help from locals...we are flying into LAX on Sunday the 30th of Sept and staying at the Queen Mary that night. We will arrive around 1-1:30 PM, any suggestions for a tour of Hollywood? One car company we checked with for the following Friday, said there was no way with the traffic would he suggest anything other than going straight to LAX for a 5 hour wait....

 

So what do you think?

 

I think the car company is right! Hollywood is far away from Long Beach.

 

Downtown Long Beach is a fun place, my vote is to just stay there and enjoy Long Beach. There is a nice Aquarium downtown near the pier. The main drag in Long Beach is Pine Avenue, with many fun bars and restaurants...great at night. You could also take a harbor tour or just enjoy the Queen Mary.

 

As for what to do the day you get off the ship, we have always found a tour booked through the cruise line is the best way to go because they will hold your luggage for you and get you to the airport as part of the tour. Maybe that way you could see Hollywood and still make it to the airport with your luggage? (I am not a local...just been there, done that.)

[victory2020]

I live in LA & it's about 1 hr to Hollywood from Long Beach. You are coming into LAX then want to do Hollywood in a car from there, then drop off at Long Beach? Not all that far out of the way. Do you have from 1:30 till bed time? If you go to the hotel 1st it cuts down on sightseeing time. Sunday is a light traffic day, though.

[Winterstale]

Local here as well -- you can easily get to Hollywood in an hour from Long Beach - are you renting a car? The freeways are not that bad on Sundays -- avoid downtown L.A. on the way in if you can - there's a Dodger game that day at home -- always creates traffic -- not sure what you want to do for a tour - Universal Studios closes at 6pm that day so that doesn't really give you much time -- you could certainly go to Hollywood & Highland, see the "interesting" folks on the street there and the Chinese Theatre, etc....then again, you could go to Disneyland as well - I think they're open until 9 or 10 and the fireworks are great - it would be an expensive side trip, however. Long Beach is certainly worth hanging around in as well - or you could take a drive to Laguna Beach for dinner or something like that - MUCH prettier than Hollywood....

[Winterstale]

P.S. - as for the Friday....I would have to agree with the car company - on a weekday, you do NOT want to risk the traffic - I would stick to Long Beach...

[emmysmommy]

The Aquarium of the Pacific is worth a visit. Otherwise, there should be plenty in the local area to keep you occupied.

 

Enjoy your time in the LA area.

[phroggie]

You can easily get from Queen Mary to Hollywood by public transportation.

 

Long Beach Transit runs a free shuttle (the Passport "C" http://www.lbtransit.com/Schedules/Default.aspx?routegrp=34 ) from Queen Mary to downtown Long Beach then you can take the Metro Blue Line to the Metro Red Line ( http://www.mta.net )which passes through Hollywood and Universal City.

 

I'm sure various locals who have never and will never ride those lines or public transportation in general will chime in about how terrible it is, unsafe and yada, yada. I have no idea how they formed their opinions.

 

My experience is that it's safe and reliable. It's constantly patrolled by the LACSD's transit officers.

[glrounds]

Help from locals...we are flying into LAX on Sunday the 30th of Sept and staying at the Queen Mary that night. We will arrive around 1-1:30 PM, any suggestions for a tour of Hollywood? One car company we checked with for the following Friday, said there was no way with the traffic would he suggest anything other than going straight to LAX for a 5 hour wait....

 

So what do you think?

 

I'm assuming you're cruising on the PARADISE.

 

I concur, going anywhere on the 405 on a Friday is pure hell. Go straight to the airport or bounce around Long Beach for a while if you get off the ship early.

 

On your arrival, however, since its Sunday, I think you can easily go to Hollywood at 1:30pm . . . see the Chinese Theatre (handprints and footprints in the concrete) . . . do the "star" walk of fame . . . grab a bite . . . "people watch" the crazies. The cab should stay with you all the time if your luggage will be inside. As another poster stated, not enough time to do Disneyland (maybe) or Universal. Getting back to Long Beach you can enjoy the Queen, go to Shoreline Village (just across the harbor from the Queen) and enjoy the many bars and dining establishments. I'm not positive if it still runs, but there used to be a FREE trolley that will take you to and from the Queen to almost anywhere in Long Beach.

 

Here comes the yada yada . . . don't even think about taking the Red line or Blue line with luggage (might as well wear large bullseyes on your shirts). Even without luggage this would be dicy in a strange city, IMHO [operative phrase]. I've never taken them, but I watch the news.

 

Enjoy Long Beach. A beautiful city in the downtown area around the hotels, etc., but don't decide to take an evening stroll 3 or 4 blocks into the residential neighborhood just North of the hotel area. This territory is "owned" by some of the most vicious gangs in the LA area.