Los Angeles Travel

Climate
Los Angeles enjoys a temperate climate for most of the year. Summers are warm and occasionally hot. Fall and Winter bring some of the clearest weather and often some of the most beautiful days of the year... it's not uncommon to spend the day at the beach mid-January and wind up with a healthy tan. Spring brings a mix of sunny warm days and gloomy rain. The coast tends to stay a bit cooler, and gets quite chilly at night even in the summer, don't forget a sweater and pants if you're staying for dinner.

Get to Los Angeles
By Driving: It's the most flexible way to travel, but once you get to Los Angeles, traffic can be a hassle and it could take a long time to travel those last few miles.

By Air: it's not much more expensive than the bus or train. On the downside, depending on where you're starting from, it could take almost as long as driving there.

By Bus: A bus can be slow, some of them stopping at every small town along the way, but there are faster options, too.

By Train: The train seems romantic, but  you might have to change trains to get the places that the trains do not stop at.

Shopping
Shopping malls in Los Angeles will dominate your shopping trip as they are nearly inescapable in many of your destinations. For example, the Hollywood & Highland mall, the Grove (next to the Farmer's Market) and the Beverly Center, which is quite unlike other shopping malls as it is multilevel with a nice view of Los Angeles from its food court patio.

Lacking any significant public square, Los Angeles funnels its commercial life onto its streets. Among the most popular street is Larchmont Blvd. which caters to the wealthy elite of Hancock Park with one-of-a-kind boutiques. Melrose Avenue, especially in the West Hollywood portion, one-ups Larchmont Blvd. with celebrity presence.

Specialty
Downtown is the destination for some focused retail therapy. You can buy art in Gallery Row up and down Main Street or see artists at work in the Artist District. They are located mostly just east of the towering Financial District.

What to Bring
1. Most California businesses follow a "business casual" policy, and some tend toward shorts and tennies with no socks.

2. If you want to blend in at the trendiest restaurants, bring your trendiest clothes and if plan to go to the theater or eat at a very exclusive restaurant, bring dress clothes.

3. In winter, bring an umbrella and light rain coat.