New to Cali

[xviclx]

Hey, weve been to Orlando lots and now want a change, obviously going to do Disney but also Universal, 6 flags and Knotts berry farm, how far away (how long would it take) to drive from Anaheim to each and how far is Anaheim from LA? Also im under the impression sea world is quite far away from this, is this right ? if so how long would it take to drive, we will have a car

 

[kovets]

Welcome to SoCal!!

If you have not learned this already, almost nothing relating to distance between places is ever described in mileage. Instead, you will be asked:

What time are you planning on leaving?

And the response undoubtedly will be, Ughhhh, three hours, maybe four.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hey, weve been to Orlando lots and now want a change, obviously going to do Disney but also Universal, 6 flags and Knotts berry farm, how far away (how long would it take) to drive from Anaheim to each and how far is Anaheim from LA? Also im under the impression sea world is quite far away from this, is this right ? if so how long would it take to drive, we will have a car

Knotts is close. Maybe 10-15 minutes.

As already posted, the others depend on what day of the week, what time of day, and the mood of the traffic gods (I have been in stop and go traffic at 11PM tonight after the supposed rush hour, and on weekends). With that in mind, I would drive to all of the other destinations after 8PM at night or on weekends, or before 6AM.

The drive to San Diego is very nice along the coast. It is about 80 miles to Sea World so it will be 90 minutes minimum. If you leave at the wrong time it will take 3+ hours.

Univeral is 40 miles with a minimum of 40 minutes. If you leave at the wrong time it will be 2-3 hours.

Six Flags MM is 80 miles north. Same rules apply as above.

For more info that might help related to DLR see:

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

 

[Danauk]

We are doing a So Cal/Las Vegas trip next year and decided that the distances were not worth driving each day so we decided to do 5 nights at DL, then go on to other areas and stay in different hotels nearer the location. We just didn't fancy all the driving backwards and forth! We are coaster fans so have decided to do 2 days at 6 flags and stay a few nights at the recommended hotels from their website.

 

[xviclx]

Thanks for the info everyone, I thought universal hollywood and Disney were close together! Would you say its better to stay in Hollywood or the close surrounding area or Anaheim? If we dont want to split our stay between hotels

 

[kovets]

Are you just going to the theme parks or will you do other sight-seeing?

It really depends ... if you give a bit of what you plan to do, it would be much easier to provide some tips.

(what do you enjoy - beach, bars, clubs, restaurants etc etc) ...

 

[xviclx]

We plan to do Universal, Disney, 6 flags and proberly sea world (would proberly grab a motel for the night instead of the drive back). We like to do the sights to and are not really beach people,, nice but affordable places to eat and a bar afterwards. Shopping to, we know about Rodeo drive but are there any other must do places, like malls?

 

[kabuki]

We plan to do Universal, Disney, 6 flags and proberly sea world (would proberly grab a motel for the night instead of the drive back). We like to do the sights to and are not really beach people,, nice but affordable places to eat and a bar afterwards. Shopping to, we know about Rodeo drive but are there any other must do places, like malls?

Hi xviclx!

I would agree that a motel for your trip to Sea World would be the right move! I would shop around motel wise. LA is USUALLY more expensive but closer to Universal and Six Flags. Except for Disney and Knott's you are in for a good drive between anything else without LA Traffic.
Must do's in LA - PINKS the Famous Hot Dog Stand is great. Canters is a great OLD time Deli. Santa Monica has a great outdoor shopping area depending on your time.
San Diego has great Mexican Food and if you want a FANTASTIC hamburger go to Hoodads in Ocean Beach. The place is nothing to look at but great food and fun bars around!

 

[oldcrow]

One of my favorite places is the Farmer's Market at Fairfax and 3rd. It's not far from PINK's Hot Dogs, which is on La Brea near Melrose. Both places are worth a visit. If you are looking for celebrities, I saw Richard Dreyfuss buying hot dogs at Pink's the last time I was there.

 

[kovets]

Definitely try and spend a night at the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego. Its relatively close to Sea World and the Zoo, but also offers great restaurants and bars.

In LA, I would visit the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood (to get a taste of the nightlife). Go for a drink at the Chateau Marmont for guaranteed star sightings.

If you are big into malls, South Coast Plaza or Fashion Island in Orange County are probably the two best malls in Southern California.

Finally, if at all possible, try and visit Las Vegas. If you have never been, its an absolute MUST.

PM me if you need any hotel or restaurant recommendations.

 

[Danauk]

We plan to do Universal, Disney, 6 flags and proberly sea world (would proberly grab a motel for the night instead of the drive back). We like to do the sights to and are not really beach people,, nice but affordable places to eat and a bar afterwards. Shopping to, we know about Rodeo drive but are there any other must do places, like malls?

We plan on doing a similar trip except for the Sea World part as we have already been there when we visited San Diego a few years ago. On that trip we did have the chance to go to Anaheim but decided not to due to the drive for the day.

This trip we are spending 5 nights in DL, then going to Six Flags staying in a Hilton hotel next to the park for 2 nights, then driving to Hollywood to spend 3 nights there to go to Universal, tour the studios etc. We figured that we wanted to do so much during the days it is better to be right there rather than having to drive each day. Then we are ending out trip in Las Vegas for 5 nights.

 

[HydroGuy]

Then we are ending out trip in Las Vegas for 5 nights.

Good choice. You should be able to win enough money to pay for the whole trip.