Getting to Getty Center (Los Angeles, San Diego: where to stay, to rent, hotels)

[odon]

We will be arriving in LA for a short one or two night stopover on the way to Maryland and would like some advice on where to stay (possibly close to airport at hotel with free shuttle) and also how to get to & from the Getty Centre which is what we really want to see (not Holloywood or Disneyland etc) we are on a fairly tight budget so any advice would be appreciated.

[Ponypenny]

The Getty Center www.getty.edu is just up the 405 Freeway from LAX. Google states it is 16.5 miles. Bob Hope Airport (Burbank) is 18.3 miles. Traffic can be bad, but just check sigalert.com when you arrive and it will tell you current traffic info. LAX is the most direct route. You would have to see if any of the hotels near both airports have a free shuttle to the Getty. You may want to rent a car. There are fun things to see near the Getty or take a drive down Sunset Boulevard either west toward the ocean or east toward UCLA. You can drive through some of the neighborhoods and see how the other half lives.

[odon]

Thank you so much, we would not hire a car as we are from Australia and a little concerned about driving on the other side of the road especially after a long flight and in such a busy city. We were hoping for public transport. Any ideas would be great.

[Samoi137]

The site for the Getty museums, http://www.getty.edu/visit/hours/, has info on getting there by public transportation.

We've stayed at LAX area hotels, and gotten some good deals through Hotwire and Priceline, but it's not the most interesting area to stay in. Not much to see. Parking is expensive, but not a factor for you. There will be free shuttles to/from the airport, but I can say with some certainty that none will have a free shuttle to as far away as the Getty Center. Restaruants would be mainly your hotel's restaurants and/or those at LAX (look up the Encounter restaurant in the spider-shaped building in the middle of LAX; great for plane-viewing). I'd prefer to stay in Santa Monica, near the beach.
On our last visit to the area we stayed in Westwood, at the Tiverton House, which focuses on those using the UCLA Medical Center but which is available to others, as well. If you stayed that close to the Getty Center, you could consider a taxi. From LAX I think the fare would be $50 or so, but your hotel would know best (and could also advise you on details of transportation options).

You can get to the Getty Center by bus. Not necessarily easy or quick, but you save the $15 parking fee (entrance to the museum is free). Go to www.metro.net (site for Los Angeles County public transportation), and use the trip planner. You'd depart form the LAX Transit Center, which is essentially a big bus stop used by Los Angeles, Culver City and Santa Monica busses. There's a free shuttle to the transit center from the airport terminals, though you can easily walk form several LAX hotels, which is what we did. I looked up an arbitrary date and time and an option that would take 60-90 mins.: a Culver City or Santa Monica bus to Westwood (pleasant upscale area of shops, restaurants, cinemas and the University of California at Los Angeles). From there, a L.A. Metro rapid line bus to the Getty Center. For a few dollars more, you could go from LAX-- the terminals, not the transit center-- to Westwood by the quicker Flyaway bus (make sure you get on the bus for Westwood as there are also Flyaway busses to Union Station and Van Nuys).

p.s. the Getty Villa is smaller and more intimate than the Getty Center, but in a lovely setting. A bit tougher to get to by public transit, it appears. We drove.

[beckya]

Originally Posted by odon

We will be arriving in LA for a short one or two night stopover on the way to Maryland and would like some advice on where to stay (possibly close to airport at hotel with free shuttle) and also how to get to & from the Getty Centre which is what we really want to see (not Holloywood or Disneyland etc) we are on a fairly tight budget so any advice would be appreciated.

Simply take the 405 freeway up from LAX. The Holiday Inn (the famouse round building) is right next to the getty. Cannot miss it off the freeway.

[odon]

Thank you all for the advice.Moderator cut: link removed Perhaps we will consider staying in Westwood or the holiday Inn which sounds like it may make life a little easier. Looking forward to my first visit to your country.

[Samoi137]

The Holiday Inn referred to above is on Church Lane. I think it's listed as Holiday Inn Brentwood-Bel Air or similar. Not quite next door to the Getty (Google Maps says about a mile from the entrance, from where you take a tram to the center itself), but darn close, and the hotel may have a shuttle. It's right off the San Diego Freeway. Not the best place to be without a car, IMHO (and if you decide to try driving-- lots of Aussies have done it and most have survived--the location would be good, and you could more easily to to the Getty Villa). Westwood would have more things you could walk to, but could also cost more, and you'd have to take a short bus ride to get to the Getty. Santa Monica, near the beach, probably more popular with tourists. LAX area probably the least expensive of these areas, especially if you use Hotwire or Priceline and don't have to pay for parking. BTW, Web site for the Tiverton House says to call for rates; not exactly convenient for you, but the "Contact Us" section has an e-mail address. As I recall, the rate for those who weren't patients at the medical center was about $135. It is not fancy, but location is good. There are other hotels nearby. I've seen the Holiday Inn but haven't stayed there.

[jw2]

To add something else to the mix, why don't you stay in Santa Monica and do one of these sightseeing tours, such as this Los Angeles City Tour and the Getty Museum | LA Sightseeing Tours
I don't know anything about this tour nor have talked to anybody that has been on it. It only came up on a search. This particular one doesn't mesh well with your no interest in Hollywood etc. Just another thought...

One other comment, even though you won't be driving when in the U.S., remember from which direction the cars are coming when you step off the curb.

[odon]

Thanks jw2
good point we all are victims of habit and do thing the way we always do so we will have to take extra care.