Los Angeles is one of the best destinations for families on the west coast of the US. There are so many famous attractions to be found within the city, all of which have been designed to appeal to kids and keep them entertained for hours on end.
There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants to find the next best yummy treat, a variety of healthy green spots for the nature lovers, and some incredibly breathtaking views. All in all, it’s a pretty great place for the whole family, no matter what age you are!
But it’s also quite a large and dense city to spend time in. In the same way you wouldn’t expect a cruise ship to be an exhausting place to walk around, you can easily rack up 10,000 steps by just spending an hour in one single neighborhood in Los Angeles.
As such, it’s essential for us to ensure that if you’ve got LA trip plans with the kids, you’re not going to be totally exhausted after less than a day in town. With that in mind, here are some top tips for getting both yourself and the kids around LA without wasting all your energy and sanity.
Get Off Your Feet
Unless you’re a champion hiker or an Olympic level athlete, walking all over Los Angeles isn’t really going to be a choice. If you’ve got kids in tow, who have their own energy levels and are more than happy to let you know when they’re tired and bored, you’re definitely not going to want to drag them all over the city!
Instead, think about hiring a car, or make sure you’re more than aware of the public transport routes before you arrive. You can get on and off the public buses no matter how far you’re going in the same direction for only $1.75 each, but you’ll need to pay this fare again if you want to head back the other way.
But with the kids behind you, you may want the assurance of your own set of wheels. If this is the case, there are plenty of places to pick up a car rental at short notice.
Don’t Drag the Luggage Around All Day
There’s nothing worse than having to be saddled with luggage because your accommodation doesn’t open for new arrivals for another 4 or 5 hours. If you’ve arrived before midday, and the hotel check-in doesn’t open until 3pm (and you didn’t pay for early check-in either), you’re going to need to find something else to do with your bags!
Don’t decide to just take them around with you all day. That’s no way to start off your time in LA. Instead, look online for a luggage storage los angeles option that’s close and head there instead. Book your stuff in, leave it in the compartment, lock the door, and then come back for it when you want to.
Of course, make sure you take anything you’re going to need out of the bags first – and we always recommend bringing a smaller, more versatile bag for putting these essentials in. Once that’s all over and done with, you can actually start to enjoy the LA scenery, sun, and sights!
Plan Your Route with a Map
When you have a top down view of LA, you’ll be able to instantly find the best spots for when you need to stop for 10 minutes.
You’ll also be able to see how far it is in between cafes, if you need to refill a water bottle or sit down for an early lunch, as well as where the nearest available toilet!
Now you’ll be able to decide the most convenient route for you. Never let a travel plan be finalized before you check the map!
Let the Kids Make Their Own Fun
The great thing about traveling with kids is the amount of fun they can have when they’re literally doing nothing. As long as you’re somewhere new and novel to them, you don’t technically have to take them anywhere at all. You can just find a bench in a park, tell them not to go too far, and then let them make their own fun running around and using their imagination.
And there are plenty of parks to be found in LA! Griffith Park is also home to the LA Zoo, and has a pretty good view of the Hollywood Hills (including the sign). If you head here, you can bundle a great zoo trip and a relaxing break into one. Plus, you can spend time in the Griffith Observatory as well, where you can go on a guided tour, see the stars up close, and then head out the gift shop when you’re done.
Speaking of, if you’ve just been through the gift shop of some attraction or another, and the kids have new toys to play with, this is a great stop-gap activity to do. Find a spot in a park and hand them the items they spent their allowances on, then let them play to their heart’s content.
You get a sit down and a chance to have a revitalizing snack, and they don’t have to wait too long to play with their exciting new toy!
Make Your Trip to LA Fun and Energizing for Everyone
So, fancy a trip to Los Angeles? Most people would love to visit, no matter how old they are or what they like to do. But it’s important to remember that LA can be exhausting, no matter how good your legs are.
You’re going to need to pace yourself, travel as light as possible, and try to get off your feet as much as you can.
Keep this in mind when you’re planning your trip; you don’t only want to realize this the moment you feel your energy levels dropping or hear the first ‘are we there yet?’ from the child sat next to you in the Uber!
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