USA

[och]

hi zenn,

r u going to woodsbury outlet in ny? u r going to be spoilt for choice when it comes to outlet shopping this trip, since la, lv n ny hv some of the bigger outlets around the us (the biggest is in orlando i think). so it's really up to u how many u want to go to. if u r going to woodsbury, there will be some overlap definitely.

driving in us is very easy one. their highways r dummy-proof with very clear signs. driving is quite worthwhile, since the weather will be gorgeous in california in sept.

 

[starstar328]

Hi Zenn

Thanks, will try to log into Southwest to do a search.

I have 3nights in LA and 3nights in LV.
arrival 1525hr Day 1 in LA.
Is that enough to cover ? I borrowed some books from the libary but still very blur don't know where to start.

Can you enlighten me. We are not going to drive.
We want to go to Hollywood, Universal studio, Disneyland. Is there any buses or train that takes us there or we have to join their local tours. Which company is more reliable ?

BTW, LA or LV is better for shopping ?

LA & LV - hotels, looking for good location easy to access. any recommendation ?

 

[clear77clear]

Hi Zenn,

Aladdin Hotel's Buffet is about US$20 for Lunch & about US$30 for dinner....
The Average price for a buffet is abt $15 for lunch & $20 for dinner...
Aladdin's Hotel's Buffet is Famous in LV & so far its the best that I've tried

Hmm...walking the whole strip should take abt an hr... its difficult to guage as most of the time I would stop at each hotels...

There are shuttle bus from certain hotels going to Primm Valley Premium Outlets. It's not advisable to take a cab as Primm Valley Premium Outlets is about 40mins away from The Strip (taking taxi would cost a bomb)

As to why I said staying at 2 hotels is not feasible coz..the checking in is 3pm & checking out is 11am... its quite difficult to check into the next hotel if ur going for Day Trips to Grand Canyon which starts early in the morning...

Hoover Dam - the mini tour is about 4 hrs...nothing much to see...jus a Dam lor

Driving in US is quite okie but the speed they are travelling is very much faster than in SG...If your not familiar with the highways...you might be going in rounds...Do bring a compass if you intend to drive

Southwest Airlines - I've tried taking from LA-LV took less than 2hrs... (the planes are not very good..take off & landing quite lousy

)

Hi Star,
Personally I find that it would be too rush to visit the 3 places in LA with only 3 Days...

You might like to try this website:
http://www.lacitytours.com/?1093

 

[zenn]

Hi och,
Yes will be going to woodsbury outlet in NY. LV Premium and Primm selling similar things as Woodsbury?

Hi clear,
Think will give Grand Canyon a miss -_- Worth to go Red Rock?

Hi star,
Me in research stage too. Benefit alot from the rest here. We share share our research ya

Don't think 3 nites in LA enough leh cos you will need 1 day in disney and 3/4-1day in LV. I will be meeting my sis in LA and rent a car from there. You can consider the following website for local tour.

http://www.ivymedia.com/

http://www.fodors.com/

We mayb spending abit more on 1 nite hotel in LV. Other then that, we are looking at 3star only. Btw, when are you going? You booked your tix liao?

 

[hippie]

Oh yah zenn, i forgot to tell u tat i spent 1 day to walk from Excalibur to Caesars & back. Cos we got stop by to take fotos, sign up for casino membership, stop to buy souvenirs & watch some free shows in between...

most of the outlets have around the same shops. I can tell u the outlets in LV & Woodbury have the followin shops:
Polo Ralph, Coach, A/X, Gap, Guess, Nike, Timberland, Adidas, Calvin Klein, French Connection, kenneth cole, etc etc etc...

Woodbury have more branded outlets like Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Gucci & Christian Dior...

I love shopping @ WOodbury, its so huge & there's lotsa varierty, u gonna shop till u drop! PRepare 1 day to shop there...

if u need detailed directions on how to drive from Point A to B, go to www.mapquest.com & enter both addresses. It will tell u the exact distance & time.

One freebie tip 4 u gals. When u go to LV casinos, go & sign up 4 their casino players club member. It's free & some of the cards are quite nice actually. U can collect them all & put them in an album. And some of the casinos they give out gifts & discounts/coupons to u when u sign up. Like MGM Grand, u receive a very nice key chain (those metal type, not those cheapo ones) when u sign up. I tink 'm such a sucker for freebies...keke..

 

[zenn]

Hi hippie,

Thanks for your gd tip! Perhaps I should skip all the day tour and focus on the strips and enjoy ourselves in the hote

Yaya we will keep ourselves whole day free for Woodbury heeee

 

[och]

hi zenn, i dun think it's not quite worthwhile to visit red rock. the areas surrounding grand canyon hv lots of red rocks n interesting geography, so might as well leave that to the same trip.

woodbury definitely requires a full day. i was there last month n spent a whole day shopping. but a lot of tourists start arriving between 11-12, so it gets really crowded.

it's generally possible to leave ur lugguage with the hotels if u arrive b4 check-in time or fly after check-out time. most hotels hv a lugguage storage area n they will give u a tag for ur lugguage.

hi star,
i'm going to echo the rest to say that 3 days in la is not quite sufficient.

 

[zenn]

Any idea what's the temperature in sep? Also, is there any bus service to grand crayon from LV instead of joining their day tour?

 

[zenn]

Any recommendation of tour which fly and 1 nite stay in grand crayon?

 

[och]

hi zenn, the temperatures in sept in sf r usually in the mid-low twenties in the day n dips to the high tens at night.

i googled n found this link: http://www.scenic.com/saws1gc_overnight.htm. i'm not recommending the company btw, since i've never flown into grand canyon b4. it's simply the only tour i found that meets ur requirements on the first page of google results.

 

[poohcsl]

hey gals, new here... me going US in Dec.. SIN-SF-LV-LA-SIN... juz started my research... now reading lonely planet... planning to go from 17 Dec - 2 Jan... heard tt itz peak period then n muz pre-booked everything early... ttz true????

frenz who've been there says muz go lake tahoe... anyone been there?

roughly the itinery shd be as follows but hvnt plan details yet... of cse places like disneyland, universal studios, factory outlet, cirque du solei show is a muz...

SF - 2 Days
lake tahoe - 2 days
grand canyon - 2 days
LV - 3 days
LA - 4 days

can someone advise how to travel from one place to the other? frenz advise to drive... but izzit dangerous to drive in winter???

 

[och]

hi poohcsl,

winter isn't peak period in sf, grand canon, lv n la, but i think booking in advance is advisable for all the places, since they r touristy n receive many visitors all seasons. winter is off peak for grand canyon, but since it's a national park, there r limited accomodations within the park itself.

lake tahoe is beautiful in winter, n there will be lots of pple doing winter sports. since u r going there, do try skiing. u can hv a 3d/2n stay n take a half/one day lesson n try skiing on some of the green slopes. tahoe has dry n powdery snow, which makes skiing fun!

the only place where driving might be a problem is to/from tahoe n grand canyon. these two places snow, so u will need 1) snow chains 2) some basic knowledge of driving in snowy conditions n 3) be mentally prepared for the low visibility that occurs during snowfall. it's not dangerous if u r prepared. sf, lv n la doesn't snow, so driving is easy. to get from place to place, u will only need to use the highways, which r extremely easy to navigate.

when planning ur itinerary, remember to give urself some time to get over jetlag.

 

[starstar328]

Hi Clear77
Thanks for the website..at least got some idea how to plan. Have told my hb is too rush
for our initial plan. Ok we will work on this again.

Hi Zenn
When are you travelling ? I have not book my tickets yet.

Hi Och
What brand/thing are attractive to buy in Woodbury ? Do we need to bargain or are fixed price ? I love shopping so may like to spend a day there too. How to get there from LV hotel. By taxi ?

 

[och]

hi star,

sorry to confuse u, but woodbury is an outlet in new york, where zenn was visiting.

there r plenty of outlets in n around la n lv. camarillo (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=20) n desert hills (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6) r around la n lv has 3 outlets: lv outlet centre (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=61) which i din really like, lv premium outlets (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=58) n primm outlets (http://www.fashionoutletlasvegas.com/). u can choose which outlet u want to visit. all the urls give updated lists of shops, n u can see which stores suits u best. it's all up to u n ur buying habits. there r clothing stores, home stores, accessories stores.

oh yah, all the shops r fixed price, but their prices r lower than regular shops.

as for how to get there, all the urls provide links on their shuttle services (if it's available). taxi rides r really expensive in the us, so only consider taxis if the ride is 10 minutes r less. if it's longer, hv to consider either driving urself or taking shuttles. hope this helps in ur planning.

 

[zenn]

Hi och,
Thanks! The cheapest I found is http://www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/night.htm Any comment?

Btw, issit true that it cost around US15 from LV airport to the strip?

Hi Star,
We are planning in Sep. How abt you?

 

[och]

hi zenn,

eh, i really don't know much about tour companies, since i usually drive if i hv to go anywhere. as for the airport to strip prices, i know $15 was abt what i paid for a taxiride 6 yrs ago, not sure if the prices r still current.

do remember to tip ur taxi drivers or shuttle drivers 10%.

 

[hippie]

hi poohcsl,
agreed wif och abt the driving in lake tahoe....oso bear in mind tat snowing wld prolong travelling time as the speed limit wld be reduced.

I was travelling in San Diego/LA/SF/Lake Tahoe/LV in dec 2003. From SF to Lake Tahoe, the Interstate 80 (a main highway) tat we were driving was snowing heavily, but still drive-able, thus we need snow chains. Some of the roads might be closed too due to heavy snow so u gotta bear this in mind when u plan 4 the routes.

hi star,
wats worth buying in US are brands like Coach, A/X, Polo Ralph, Guess, Oshkosh since i heard they are significantly cheaper than in SG. Oso, brands like Abercrombie, Hollister, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, bath & body works are worth buyin too since they are not avail. in SG. Hope tis helps...

 

[clear77clear]

Hi Zenn,
Hmm...I've not been to Red Rock (not sure if it's worth-going) Most people would ask abt Grand Canyon if you tell them you've been to LV...but then it depends on ur interest...if you are a scenic person..you would love the place..
If you are going during the Winter Period - wear a good non-slip shoes...(its actually not advisable to visit Grand Canyon during Winter Period)
I think the coach ride from LV - The Strip is about US$15.00

Hi Poohcsl,
I agree with what Hippie have said abt driving during Winter...
Btw,if you are driving please remember to bring a compass

Hi Star,
Brands like Coach, Oshkosh, Fossils, Kenneth Cole, Cole Hann, Timberland, Nautica is really cheaper than in SG

 

[poohcsl]

Hey gals, u r going veri fast!!! me kinda of lost liao!!! i am still reading up... not sure of wat qn to ask yet!!!!

hmmm, sounds like not a good idea to drive to grand canyon n lake tahoe rite? me n HB no experience in driving during winter leh... if dun drive, then how can i get there???

clear77, u mean grand canyon not worth visiting in winter??? tot someone mentioned tt the sunrise/ sunset views are veri nice... n muz stay overnite there to see???

sorie leh... me still blur blur...

 

[zenn]

Thanks everyone!!

Finally we kinda finalised for West US we will stay 2nites in LV, 1nite in GC, 4 nites in LA and 5nites in SF. We will fly from LV to GC. Kinda x but seems like its the best way...

Btw we intend to drive to yosemite national park. Do we have to stay overnite there? We will be driving from LA to SF. Can we go to yosemite national park dan SF? -confused-

Is yosemite national park very far from lake tahoe?

Sorrie for so many questions...

 

[och]

hi poohcsl,

oh dear, i hope u don't get the idea that driving in winter is necessarily bad. it takes some preparations n caution, but it need not be dangerous or impossible.

it doesn't snow everyday, even in winter. if it's not snowing, usually the roads would hv been ploughed clear of snow. driving in those days is pretty standard.

it only becomes unfamiliar when it snows while u r driving. snow creates 2 types of problems: low visibility n icy roads. when snow is falling, visibility decreases, so u will need to drive very slowly n turn on the head lights. if u don't feel confident, can also turn on the hazard lights to let cars behind u know that u r driving slowly. the lane dividers may not be clear, in which case, the unspoken rule is to follow (but not tailgate!) the cars in front of u. n since cars compresses the snow into ice, the roads will be icy. drive slowly n if u need to step on breaks, gently pump the breaks. pumping the breaks does the same job that abs breaks do, it increases the braking distance but prevents skidding. that's all i can think of at the moment.

u only need snow chains if there is a particularly heavy downpour of snow. u can always drop by an auto store to buy the snowchains n ask for a demo on how to put on snow chains. along the way, if snow chains r required, there will usually be signs that tells u to put on snow chains.

n i'm the one who advocates visiting grand canyon.

i visited grand canyon around the same time as u did 8 yrs ago. snow fell on our way up, but the skies were clear the few days we were on the rim. if u wish to do day hikes, i encourage u to buy cleats for ur shoes. they help with traction in the icy parts of the rim.

 

[och]

hi zenn,

yosemite is far away fr tahoe. yosemite is 5 hours southeast of sf, tahoe is abt 4-5 hrs northeast of sf.

n yes, u can do la-yosemite-sf. can use mapquest to do a search for directions.

i will encourage u to stay at least a night n two nights if u intend to hike. if u hv 1 night, try to arrive in the day time when there's still light, since the drive into the valley is scenic. mirror lake will be very pretty if the water hasn't dried up. for sunset, try to go to either glacier point or one of the plains to catch the half dome at sunset (http://www.dannyburk.com/drum_scanning.htm, http://community.webshots.com/photo/74596544/74596544WCASPY). next day, can visit tuolomne meadows for alpine meadows landscape.

if u hv more time, can consider some easy day hikes. i know hiking sounds a bit crazy, or at least i thought so b4 i visited any of the national parks. but after visiting so many national parks, i find day hiking to be very enjoyable. the us national parks hv made day hiking easy n relatively safe. just visit ranger offices for hiking maps n a list of trails. the trail description will give brief descriptions of what u will see on the trail, the distance, difficulty level n time u need. i had many fond memories of hiking the panorama trail n the vernal fall trails on the same day. it was our first time hiking, n we were tired at the end, but boy, the scenery was gorgeous.

the official webpage of yosemite: http://www.nps.gov/yose/. might help with ur planning.

 

[poohcsl]

och, oic...but abit the worried still leh.. me not driving... HB's an impatient driver!!! other than driving to lake tahoe, how can i get there from SF? or shd i fly direct to lake tahoe? fm there then go SF-grand canyon-LV-LA? me heard of yosemite park oso!!! wld i hv time to squeeze it in? heard of the 17mile drive oso!!! but dunno how to fit tt in... how about napa valley??? me super blur liao!!!! think i trying to squeeze in too many things rite????

 

[zenn]

Thanks och! Think will give hiking a miss cos I will be going with my dad and 4yr old nephew. If we not doing hiking issit necessary to stay overnite?

Errr tuolomne meadows for alpine meadows landscape is at yosemite?

 

[zenn]

Anyone stayed in Luxor b4?? Any comment on pyramid and tower room?? Which is better?

 

[och]

hi pooh,
oooo, impatient driver. hm.... not sure abt direct flights to tahoe, but u can fly to reno, n fr there, drive abt 50 min to tahoe. if u r really uncomfortable with the idea of driving in snow, i think u can take shuttles from reno to some of the casino hotels n take the ski resort shuttles from those hotels to the ski slopes. sorry that i'm so vague, i'm really bad with public transport options, since i usually drive. i used to head for heavenly http://www.skiheavenly.com/, but there r other ski slopes around. all of them maintain websites, so u can check for their shuttle times n ski ticket prices.

i dun think u can squeeze yosemite in as it is. moreover, if u r afraid of driving, yosemite receives a lot of snowfall too n i find driving on yosemite slopes a bit more tiring than driving on tahoe/grand canyon slopes.

napa n sonoma is more or less on the road between tahoe n sf. i personally think napa is abt a half-one day thing only lah, so u can do it as a day trip fr sf (1-1.5 hr away) or a stop along ur drive between the cities.

the 17 mile drive is between sf n la. it's in an area called monterrey/carmel. 17 miles is at most an hr drive, so it doesn't require much time. if u r driving between sf n la, do this along the way lor. n i highly recommend u continue ur drive to la on the scenic highway 1 (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/San_Francisco/California_1_South_Scenic_Drive.html). however, if it rains, maybe better to drive on highway 101.

hey zenn, eh, a disclaimer ok, none of the suggestions i make r absolutely necessary

. pls plan based on how comfortable u r with covering that amount of distance everyday. i suggest staying overnight simply bcos yosemite is set in a mountainous area, n it took me abt 5 hrs to drive there fr sf. anyhow, staying within the park is fairly expensive. cheaper alternatives within the park, e.g. curry village n housekeeping inn, give a more rough-it-out experience, which might not suit ur needs, so u might want to stay in nearby towns http://www.yosemite.com/tripplan/lodging.html. tuolomne meadows r in yosemite. oh yeah, when in yosemite, don't leave food in the car. bears r known to break into parked cars to get at food.

 

[starstar328]

Hi Och
Thanks for the links on the outlets.
When are you travelling ?

Hi Zenn
I plan to travel either Dec or Jan. Is Winter, wonder is the weather is really very cold.
Have you shortlist which hotels to stay?

Hi Hippie
So many worth buying brand in US, thanks for the info. When will you be travel again.

Hi Clear77
Is it advisable to arrive at 1730hrs in LA and
travel down to Anaheim ? My friend say is very dark on the road not so safe.

My current plan for the trip

Day 1 SAT : LA to Anaheim (by coach 1hr)

Day 2 SUN : Visit Disneyland - will it be very crowded on Sunday ?

Day 3 MON : Back to LA to connect a flight to LV
or to take coach from LA to LV. (still cannot decide) just want to check if to fly I need to be at the airport 2hrs before the flight take off or 4hrs ? Flying time is 1hr to take coach is 6hrs... really don't know how to decide from here.

 

[och]

hi star,
i'm currently in the us.

no longer staying in the west coast, but i stayed in the bay area for a few years many years ago.

domestic flights usually require u to check in at least 2 hrs b4 flight time. if u r taking southwest, they hv a free-seating arrangement, so might want to turn up earlier to get a better queue number.

 

[zenn]

Hi och,
Thanks! Ya most of the hotels in yosemite very x! Ok will look into the website later.

Hi star,
You only plan to go disney in LA?

We are still at LV planning stage. Struck here for so long Trying to find out the price and timing if taking train to GC instead of flight. How abt u?

Anyone tried taking train to GC?

 

[starstar328]

Hi Och
Oh! which part of US you are in now ?
You must be an expert in US now. I didn't know the southwest is free-seating thanks for telling me. In this case maybe I will take LA to LV by United Airline (UA). I wonder are they using bigger aircraft than Southwest.
Need to find out whether UA have seat number and their taking-off/landing it is better than (SW).
UA flight : LA to LV - SGD90 per way incld tax.


Hi Zenn
My homework only up to day 3 and got struck.
Cont'd tentatively plan.

Day 4 Tue - LV

Day 5 Wed - LV

Day 6 Thur - LV to LA
Back LA visit Hollywood/Universal studio

Day 7 Fri - LA to Sin
Day 8 Sat - still flying
Day 9 Sun - Arr Sin

Hotel :
Holiday Inn Anaheim
MGM grand or Cesar's Palace

How about your plan ?

 

[zenn]

Hi star,

FYI southwest has more timing as compare to other airline. You might wanna take a look at the timing when planning.

What's ur budget for LV hotel? If you are prepared to pay more, you can consider mirage.

Here is my tentatively plan :

Day 1 : Reach LV noon time. Check in to cheaper hotel
Day 2 : Fly to Grand Canyon and overnite in GC
Day 3 : Back to LV around noon and check in to better hotel (considering Luxor)
Day 4 : Drive to LA (Omni hotel)
Day 5 : LA (Omni hotel)
Day 6 : LA - Disney (cheaper hotel)
Day 7 : LA - Universal (cheaper hotel)
Day 8 : Drive to Yosemite (not decided to overnite or not)
Day 9-12 : SF
Day 13 : Fly to NY

Have not really plan SF and the rest. Now still trying to find whats the best way to go GC.

 

[zenn]

Gals, issit difficult to drive from LV to GC? It really save alot to drive but I very scare leh.

 

[hippie]

hi star,
Disneyland is crowded every day, even on weekdays. I was there in Apr earlier tis yr & i tink tat there are no parades on weekdays, if my memory did not fails me.

hi zenn,
its not tat difficult lah, the road signs here are easy to navigate. Basically most of the interstates highway have 2 lanes, the right lane is for slower vehicles whereas the left lane is for faster vehicles. If u wan to play safe, jus stick to the right lane & drive within the speed limit. It will be fine...

another tip:
try to book hotels opposite Disneyland, tat way u can jus walk across to it. Btw the name of the road is call Harbor Blvd.

 

[poohcsl]

hi och, HB cfm driving liao... think itz easier to get around wif a car... i'm now looking at the map to plan the route... but got so confused!!!! not going yosemite but HB wants to go san diego to see the whales... so now going SF, LA, LV, Lake tahoe, grand canyon, SD, napa valley... from the map realised tt they are all over the place!!!! think can advise me how to plan the route??? mine only specific requirement is to be at disneyland during christmas... heard tt the fireworks are wonderful then!!! departing Sin 17-12-05, departing CAL 02-01-05

 

[och]

hi star,
no lah, not expert. us is too big for me to be an expert.

southwest n united uses the same size aircraft, since sizes r determined by the traffic on the routes.

hi zenn,
i might be biased lah, but i think it's really easy to drive around. like hippie said, clear signs, wide road lanes. one thing though, there r seldom street lamps on the sides of the roads. first time drivers in sg often complain that roads get dark at night. the highways may look dark, but the lanes n shoulders r marked with reflective paints, so as long as u turn on ur headlamps, darkness is not an issue.

hi pooh,
eh... u r covering a lot of places! r u arriving in sg on 02/01 or leaving on 02/01? assuming u mean arriving in sg on 02/01, here's what i will do:
17-19: Arrive in SF. Take it slow in SF city.
20: Long day. Set off for Napa/Sonoma early in morning. There will be very light traffic going northwards, but within sf, traffic might be heavy. Drive over Golden Gate Bridge on your way out. Reach Napa/Sonoma in late morning. Have lunch there. Then continue to Lake Tahoe. Overnight Tahoe.
21: Try skiing. Visit the lake.
22: Set off from Tahoe and begin drive southwards. Overnight: Anywhere between silicon valley area n monterrey will be good.
23: Long day. Set off for Monterrey/Carmel/17 mile drive. If not tired of driving yet

, continue on the scenic highway 1 to LA. Overnight LA.
24-25: Disney and everything else.
26: Boxing day! Best day for shopping. Head to the outlets. After shopping, drive to San Diego.
27: Sea World / San Diego.
28: San Diego - Grand Canyon. it's going to be >8 hrs drive, so u might want to break it up into 2 days.
29: Grand Canyon
30: Set off for Hoover Dam. Continue on to LV. Arrive afternoon.
31: LV. Watch new year celebrations in LV.
1-2: LV-LA by flight. LA - SIN.

let me repeat the disclaimer

, this is only a suggestion n u should feel free to change it ok. u can also fly instead of drive everywhere. i didn't check prices, so what i merely planned according to ur requirements. it's also not optimised for any budget. if u hv an additional 2 days, pls choose to extend where u think is worth more time.

if u r nervous abt driving in snow, do make sure u cover any areas that might snow when there's still light. in winter, this means any time b4 5pm. n remember to bring sun glasses. sun on snow is very glaring!

 

[poohcsl]

wow!!! och, u really good leh!!!! ur itinery really fit well into my original intentions to spend x'mas in disneyland n new year in LV!!!!

the one tt i came up with seems to back-track alot!!! actually the entire trip quite rush rite??? worse come to worse may drop one or 2 destinations... where wld u suggest for us to stay longer and which ones to drop ?

 

[zenn]

Hi och,

Wow you really gd ya! We mayb changing our plan again (this is the dunno how many times!)

Anyway, issit necessary to ve car in SF? Cos we are thinking of renting car last day of SF then drive to Yosemite.

Hippie & och, ok sound not that scary. Now will see if my sis bf can meet us earlier. At least 2 drivers can take turn. Think its quite tiring to drive 4-5hrs non stop!

 

[starstar328]

Hi Och
See, you really good in planing itinerary.My plan is to arrive on 28Jan-04Feb(in/out LA). Seem likes UA and SW have the same type of aircraft then I can also consider SW as well. I ever took a small airplan only 12seater turbulence really horrible experience. My holidays is short most likely we have to fly which same more time but we will missed out all the nice scenary on the road.

Hi Poohs
You spend so many days in US. Envy you my hb cannot take too many days leave so we can go max 10days

Hi Zenn
I'm looking for cheaper hotel too.
Will you be booking the hotel in Sin agent, internet or direct online with the hotel?
LV hotel on weekend are costly that's why we plan to go LV on Mon.

Hi Hippie
Are the hotels opposite Disneyland, cheap or expensive (Harbor Blvd). Any hotel that you can suggest? In fact my initial plan was Holiday Inn Anaheim but wonder is this hotel near to Disneyland.

How about Hollywood/Universal studio ?
which hotel is near there ?

 

[poohcsl]

star, the only benefit my co has ttz worth mentioning is the 2 weeks marriage leave!!!! i've oso hv abt 20days of leave from last year to clear... but poor HB got to ration his leave this year lo... he's saving his leave for year end... + 3 days of marriage leave shd be juz nice lo...

i find it so difficult to pen down the actual itineary... not sure how long to travel fm one place to the other... dunno how long to stay in one place oso... och's really a great help!!!

 

[zenn]

Hi star,

No need to envy lah. Will be broke after the trip. I calculated - the est for whole trip will easily cost $6.5k-7k. Actually can go europe meh -_-

I have not check spore sin agent. Issit cheaper? So far I am looking at hotels online. Some hotels esp LV more x one, its cheaper to book direct cos sometimes they will have those $10 discount or promo themselves.

What are the hotels you shortlisted? For LA, the cheapest 3 star we found is Best Value Inn @ Hollywood and it comes with breakfast and free parking. Any comments on this hotel?

 

[poohcsl]

zenn, ur estimation izzit is for one person or for the group??? i hope to spend not more than S$10k for 2 on the trip leh... preferably under S$8K.. hvn't check out the rental costs/ flight costs/ entrance fees/ accomodation costs yet leh!!!!

 

[poohcsl]

btw, any idea if all rented cars will have global tracking system? izzit necessary in order to drive there?

 

[zenn]

Hi poohcsl,

It's per person but don't base on mine cos oni me n my sis paying for accomodation, hotel and food so will b more. Xiong meh....

Hey can someone advise me how much is the petrol? Issit true that car insurance per day is US20?

 

[och]

hi poohcsl,

dun mention it. planning an itinerary is much easier when u know the place. i've been planning my peru itinerary for weeks, still not done yet.

u hv 2 weeks marriage leave? envious man.

where to drop/extend really depends on u n ur husband n ur budget. eg skiing is expensive n extending in tahoe for winter will bring up ur costs quite a bit. i will advise visiting at least one of the scenery sights, simply bcos i think one of the best things us has is its easily accesible nature sights. usually, when i go on trips n don't want it to be too tiring, i try to base myself in a place for 3 days at least n give myself time to recover fr jetlag when i first arrive.

cars don't usually hv global tracking system. i personally think it's not necessary considering where u r going. it's only useful when u go hiking off the beaten paths (hiking in trails of national parks dun count). all u really need is a good highway map to put ur route into context, then some good mapquest directions.

for 3 weeks, i think S$10k for 2 is more realistic than S$8k. let's say u get cheap air tickets for S$1.5k n ur accomodations average US$80/night + 15% in tax. theme park tickets r US$60/day n u visit 3. then there's car rental. if u rent from one place n return in another city, it's easily going to be US$800 for rental (including insurance, taxes n what not). renting n dropping off at same place lowers the costs by US$100-$200. just calculating these 4 items will cost u >S$8k liao.

hi star, heh heh, i share ur concerns over small planes. i took a 20-seater b4.

hi zenn,
petrol prices skyrocketed over summer. now it's abt $2.20 per gallon. a full tank for a compact car costs US$20.

in california, the basic insurance - loss damage waiver - only covers damage to the car n costs $10/day or so in california. but if i'm not wrong, u need to hv liability coverage to drive in california n liability (to cover the other parties who may be hurt in accidents) costs US$12 per day. so yes, then the insurance will be US$20. if ur sister has a credit card in the us, can check if her credit card offers some free car rental insurance. or ask her to apply for one that does b4 u guys arrive.

 

[hippie]

hi star,
Not all hotels on Harbor blvd is ex. Last time i went, i booked Anaheim Plaza, costs ard $60+ per nite, 10 mins walk to Disneyland. There are hotels even nearer (5 mins walk or jus directly opp.) like Ramada & Best Western but i do not noe the rates. Wat u can do is go to the followin website (each website may offer diff. rates so u might wan to compare) to chk the rates:

www.hotels.com
www.orbitz.com
www.cheaptickets.com
www.travelocity.com
www.expedia.com

Abt Universal studio, i only went there 4 a short while durin the daytime so i can't advise any nearby hotels.

hi pooh,
its not necessary to hav global trackin system. Wat u need is a gd reliable map (most hotels hav those area maps which i find is quite gd) or if u have time, u can go to nearest Walmart, buy their big yellow Atlas ($5), tat one oso quite gd, my one used until the cover detached & some pages torn liao. Cos we always bring this along when we travel.

hi zenn,
yah the petrol really shoot up alot compared to last time. Like wat och had mentioned, it averages $2+ per gallon. U may find it strange but the petrol is more expensive in California, the highest can go up to abt $3/gallon.
Yah most of the roads here dun hav street lights but i still find it ok loh. And if its snowin, try not to drive after 5 pm, cos it will get dark & it will be more dangerous wif even lower visibility.

for those renting cars, u may wanna chk out www.alamo.com & www.enterprise.com
i find these 2 are more reasonably priced. My hubby always booked Alamo cos its cheaper & cars r quite new.

 

[zenn]

Thanks och & hippie,

Och, my sis just started working so they rejected her application for credit card

We will be driving in LA. So issit better to stay in Hollywood/Bevery Hill?

Also, any recommendation for lodge in Grand Canyon and Yosemite? All so X!

 

[och]

hi zenn,
what abt ur sister's bf?

yah, i empathise. i find accomodations in the parks really ex! check out:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/grandcanyonsouthrim/1930_indacc.html
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=grand_canyon@215&cur_section=lod

i stayed in holiday inn express in the village near the entrance to the south rim of grand canyon (http://www.gcanyon.com/HI/). it was US$79 then.

in yosemite, i've stayed in both curry village n housekeeping inn. if u n ur party r the type who tend to expect at least 3-stars accomodations, curry village n housekeeping inn r too rustic for u. yosmite lodge will probably be the cheapest in-valley option. otherwise, hv to base urself outside the valley.

if u want more options, lonelyplanet has guidebooks on grand canyon n yosemite, which should hv listings of accomodations.

 

[leehz]

Hi

I see that everyone has a different starting point for the holiday to western USA.

Would like to know if I would like to visit LV, LA, and SF, what is the most appropriate no. of days to go for?

What is the best route to start from and end?

And I see you gals mention grand canyon, yosemite. Are these places on route to each destintaion?

 

[zenn]

Thanks och!

I checked my date for Holiday Inn GC and its US118! But it seems to be the cheapest among all liao -_-

Btw, do we need car in SF? If the public transport convenient?

 

[och]

no problem zenn. hv u tried best western n comfort inn? i find best western to be of pretty good standard normally. comfort inn tends to vary by a bt.

u don't need a car when u r in sf itself. parking is expensive anyway n finding parking lots in fisherman's wharf, lombard area n chinatown is a pain anyway.