San Diego or LA?

[View From The Top]

I've very limited experience of Southern California so hoping some with more experience can offer advice.

 

We've been given the opportunity to nab some very cheap flights into LAX but it's only for 1 week (Sat-Sat) for myself, wife and 3 kids (16, 13, 10)

 

We were thinking of driving and staying in San Diego instead of staying in LA itself but I'm really fishing for ideas albeit in LA/Santa Monica way or further north up the coast, down the coast or even somewhere like Anaheim.

 

Cheers in advance.

[Lighthouse]

San Diego, 100%. Brilliant city.

 

My girlfriend regularly visits LA regularly with work. You can do the whole Venice Beach, Hollywood Hills bit but most of LA's a dump.

[ooh it's a corner]

depends on what you want to do with the family.

 

LA has got some great things to go and see/do. If you are into theme parks, then you've got Disney, Knotts Berry farm, Universal all within LA. Both Universal and Disney parks are much much smaller than their Floridian cousins, so if you have been to the FL parks, you may come away disappointed. Universal is especially small and is predominantly now just simulators, rather than physical roller-coasters. I was there 2 years ago with a 10 and 11 year old, and we only spent half a day there.....

 

Obviously LA also has Hollywood and Beverley Hills stuff to go see, which is almost a bucket list box to tick, if you haven't seen it before.

 

That said, brace yourself for more homeless people than you can shake a stick at. All of the US cities cant get to grips with this and inevitably, as a tourist with kids in tow, you'll feel a fraction more vulnerable because of it.

 

If you want to go north, Santa Monica isn't far out of LA and again, it is worth some time on the pier and the beach. The town is also pretty vibrant, plenty of bars and restaurants. You're also within reach of Malibu and Six Flags, again if you want a thrill-based theme park.

 

San Diego is more relaxed than LA, obviously closer to the Mexican border and therefore more noticeable hispanic than LA. Sea World is a big pull in that part of the world, as is San Diego zoo. Sea World does have some negative press around its treatment of large beasts, so has lost some of its popularity. If you are faced with an either/or choice, I would go to the zoo in preference to sea world.

 

All of theme parks are a complete money making machine, so you have to be tolerant of this, or it just gets depressing. You will also pay top dollar for entrance, which again can leave you feeling a bit hard done by if you re only there for a few hours, because people have had enough/too hot/too tired etc....

 

You are within driving distance of San Francisco, Death Valley, Las Vegas, or San Diego. You won't have time to see all of those in a week, but if you're good travellers in a car, then you could expand the horizons a little by putting some motorway miles in.

 

You could the major tourist stuff in LA 2nights, then drive to Death Valley (c 4 hours), night stopover there. Then head to Las Vegas, 2.5 hour drive from Death Valley, 2 nights there, Then head for Palm Springs, 4 hour drive, night stopover, then back to LA, 2 hour drive, then home.

 

Depends on what you enjoy doing/seeing. Personally, travelling that far isn't something that has happened very often with the family so I don't like sitting on a beach/by the pool. Going full-on for a week is just about do-able, but everyone does get tired, and you are likely to want some time out just to blob by the pool. Also, if you've go to drive, beer consumption takes a hit, which isn't much fun when you're on holibobs.

 

There is an awful lot to do/see/eat in that part of the world. Get everyone to give you their "must see" and hopefully you'll have enough time to do the top idea from everyone.

[Pamplemousse]

I haven't been there myself, but I am reliably informed that Santa Barbara is beautiful.

[View From The Top]

depends on what you want to do with the family.

 

LA has got some great things to go and see/do. If you are into theme parks, then you've got Disney, Knotts Berry farm, Universal all within LA. Both Universal and Disney parks are much much smaller than their Floridian cousins, so if you have been to the FL parks, you may come away disappointed. Universal is especially small and is predominantly now just simulators, rather than physical roller-coasters. I was there 2 years ago with a 10 and 11 year old, and we only spent half a day there.....

 

Obviously LA also has Hollywood and Beverley Hills stuff to go see, which is almost a bucket list box to tick, if you haven't seen it before.

 

That said, brace yourself for more homeless people than you can shake a stick at. All of the US cities cant get to grips with this and inevitably, as a tourist with kids in tow, you'll feel a fraction more vulnerable because of it.

 

If you want to go north, Santa Monica isn't far out of LA and again, it is worth some time on the pier and the beach. The town is also pretty vibrant, plenty of bars and restaurants. You're also within reach of Malibu and Six Flags, again if you want a thrill-based theme park.

 

San Diego is more relaxed than LA, obviously closer to the Mexican border and therefore more noticeable hispanic than LA. Sea World is a big pull in that part of the world, as is San Diego zoo. Sea World does have some negative press around its treatment of large beasts, so has lost some of its popularity. If you are faced with an either/or choice, I would go to the zoo in preference to sea world.

 

All of theme parks are a complete money making machine, so you have to be tolerant of this, or it just gets depressing. You will also pay top dollar for entrance, which again can leave you feeling a bit hard done by if you re only there for a few hours, because people have had enough/too hot/too tired etc....

 

You are within driving distance of San Francisco, Death Valley, Las Vegas, or San Diego. You won't have time to see all of those in a week, but if you're good travellers in a car, then you could expand the horizons a little by putting some motorway miles in.

 

You could the major tourist stuff in LA 2nights, then drive to Death Valley (c 4 hours), night stopover there. Then head to Las Vegas, 2.5 hour drive from Death Valley, 2 nights there, Then head for Palm Springs, 4 hour drive, night stopover, then back to LA, 2 hour drive, then home.

 

Depends on what you enjoy doing/seeing. Personally, travelling that far isn't something that has happened very often with the family so I don't like sitting on a beach/by the pool. Going full-on for a week is just about do-able, but everyone does get tired, and you are likely to want some time out just to blob by the pool. Also, if you've go to drive, beer consumption takes a hit, which isn't much fun when you're on holibobs.

 

There is an awful lot to do/see/eat in that part of the world. Get everyone to give you their "must see" and hopefully you'll have enough time to do the top idea from everyone.

 

We're not telling the kids they're going, it's going to be a surprise.

 

Mrs and I were in San Fran last year and we are toying with driving up the coast but I would sooner do that as part of a two week San Fran - Vancouver trip I think.

 

Vegas is of no interest and nor are the theme parks but I reckon San Diego zoo might prove to be a must do for the girls, less so for my lad and me, if we go south.

 

The kids will want to do the Hollywood stuff, the wife and I did that many moons ago, and perhaps Venice Beach. They are more wildlife, eco, beach types if I'm honest. The lad will want to get some NBA action in LA if possible.

 

If I'm honest, I've no idea what we are going to do!

[Lighthouse]

We're not telling the kids they're going, it's going to be a surprise.

 

Mrs and I were in San Fran last year and we are toying with driving up the coast but I would sooner do that as part of a two week San Fran - Vancouver trip I think.

 

Vegas is of no interest and nor are the theme parks but I reckon San Diego zoo might prove to be a must do for the girls, less so for my lad and me, if we go south.

 

The kids will want to do the Hollywood stuff, the wife and I did that many moons ago, and perhaps Venice Beach. They are more wildlife, eco, beach types if I'm honest. The lad will want to get some NBA action in LA if possible.

 

If I'm honest, I've no idea what we are going to do!

 

San Diego also has Sea World, depends on their views on the whole Blackfish thing TBH.

[ooh it's a corner]

The Hollywood stars and Chinese Palace are obvious tourist pulls. Get down to the palace early doors, close to 9am as poss, and you'll have some space around you, but during the day it is like a 1980's football turnstile at 2:55pm.

 

Many of the Chinese palace names and hand-prints, foot-prints are famous folk from yester-year. So having to explain who Ronald Reagan is, makes the effort less interesting for the little people. We got our girls to find a star who they wanted to take a picture alongside and then you can google where their star is, along what is now a 2mile+ stretch of Hollywood Blvd with stars on it.....

 

If you don't know where the star is, you've got no chance of stumbling upon it.

 

NBA tickets aren't that hard to get hold of, but you can expect to be in the gods, if you want to pay a football esque price for your tickets. Getting close to the court will end up costing you £200+ per ticket. There is a huge corporate demand and that inflates the bloomin prices. Go direct to Ticketmaster as soon as your flights are booked and arrange to collect on the day. If you can tolerate the length of game, baseball is cheaper !!!

 

Enjoy the beaches. There is something distinctly magical about looking at the Pacific Ocean, and I've never been able to work out why that is.....

 

makes me want to go book some flights somewhere....

[View From The Top]

The Mrs has decided that she wants to stay south of LA but north of SD and ideally on the coast.

 

I'd better get searching then!

[buctootim]

Santa Monica is nice - got a pier, good beach, restaurants and shops. Very walkable too. Six Flags is the best theme park if you like roller coasters, otherwise Universal. Give Disney a miss imo. San Luis Obsipo can be fun on Thursdays when its Farmers market and all the Caltech students are ****ed - but thats probably a trip for without the family. Joshua Tree National Park is good for a walk. Alternatively take a boat out on Big Bear lake.

[SKD]

San Diego, without a doubt.

[Kingsland Red]

The Mrs has decided that she wants to stay south of LA but north of SD and ideally on the coast.

 

I'd better get searching then!

 

Use Newport Beach as a base and you can travel to SD and LA as well as Palm Springs and enjoy the beaches.

[View From The Top]

My Mrs has decreed that she wants 3-4 days based around Oceanside and then 3-4 days based around Malibu.

 

Who am I to argue with her!