Things to do in LA on a 24 hour stopover

LA Stopover!

As I sell a lot of South Pacific to my clients often they connect via Los Angeles. And, since it is such a long journey from eastern Canada I often suggest an overnight in LA before connecting the next evening. With good planning you can stop over for free in LA, as long as your stop over is less than 24 hours. This is where my expertise comes into play. Yes it means paying for a hotel for the night but most hotels near LAX are relatively inexpensive and offer free shuttles to and from the airport.

Manhattan Beach Pier

So what do you do that extra day you ask? Well I recently stayed in Los Angeles before flying out to New Zealand the next day and I found a very inexpensive option, the Ocean Express Trolley. Since most hotels have a check out time at noon, you will have to store your bags with the bellman for the day.  The trolley ticket can be purchased from your hotel concierge for 5.00USD for a return trip with hop on hop off privileges and stops at near many of the hotels on Century Boulevard.  You can go to a local beach, like Manhattan Beach and/or shop till your heart’s desire. Not only can you shop in the village of Manhattan Beach but there are also some shopping centres on the trolley’s route where you can opt to stop at if you are a diehard shopper.

Manhattan Beach

Great service at Cotton Cargo, Manhattan Beach! 

 I stopped at Manhattan Beach and checked out the gorgeous beach and pier. It will give you a real taste of the Californian lifestyle, and, it was just so great to walk on the beach and soak up some of the sun! There is a board-walk as well from which you can see some incredible homes!

 The shops in Manhattan Beach are laid back and the service is friendly.

The Ocean Express Trolley is not the only option though that you can do while in LA. There are also tours to see Hollywood, some of the Star’s homes, and day passes to Disney Land in Anaheim.

Having that stopover in LA could actually be an added bonus to you holiday plans with the help of a travel agent in the “know”!

Check out this video on the Ocean Express Trolley

Denise Gushue - Certified Travel Advisor

e. dgushue@maritimetravel.ca