For those who don't want to read the whole breakdown, short answer is probably not!
Now that you can't accuse me of click bait let me break it down a little better. I go to Los Angeles once a year or so, sometimes to visit friends, sometimes a long layover vacation, and sometimes for business or a show/concert. The last trip I went on I had to seriously re-analyze to rent a car or not to as I have done both many times. The overall google search talks about LA being spread out, and you need a car, blah blah blah, but our behavior and tourism while there in my humble opinion says otherwise. Especially for budget travelers coming there the first few times not visiting friends and not having a driving itinerary.
When To Not Rent (most times):
If you are going to do some of the standard things like Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and Hollywood, you don't need a car. An Uber to and from Venice from Hollywood is definitely pricey. But so is a rental car, oh you have a discount from a rewards program? So do I, so I get my rental cheap, so at a glance it looks like it will be cheaper than Uber or Lyft, but then when you pay for the magic word parking it gets really dicey! Some Airbnb's offer free parking, a hotel that offers free parking in an ideal location is not really existent. Last trip going around the three main parts above I spent almost $55 in parking, $150 for the rental, plus gas, plus not being able to enjoy a cocktail. The Uber total would have been around the same, if not cheaper, and I would have spent zero time looking for parking. And if you are with multiple people of course this can be divided up. I just don't think it's worth the hassle if you are doing the main tourist spots. Uber/Lyft tends to take a little bit longer in LA, so call it 10 minutes before you need it.
When To Rent (sometimes):
Ok flip side, when to rent a car. Your Airbnb has free parking, you are going to the Rose Bowl or something where Uber/Lyft is going to be VERY pricey, and you can pre-plan this on both apps/websites. You are visiting family, you want to take a road trip, or you just don't like taking a taxi. Then of course, rent away. My only warning that I have made the mistake of is paying more for "in terminal" rental, there is not in terminal rental, I don't know how the rental companies get away with advertising this, but every car is a 5 to 15 minute shuttle to get your rental, spend an extra 10 minutes for one out of the terminal to save some money, you are going to be taking a shuttle bus either way.
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| On top of Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach (not enjoying a cocktail because I had a rental!) |
Hopefully this helps with your decision! The next time I go unless its for a concert or game, I'm going to be taking Uber/Lyft. Hope this article helps, please feel free to comment or ad your own tips below!
Choose the continent!!!!
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