Are you sure a car is out of the question?

If it is, I strongly recommend San Francisco over Los Angeles. SF is much more tourist friendly than LA, with LA being more of a working city and not as glamorous as you might think. I think somebody visiting California SHOULD take in Los Angeles for a couple of days but I wouldn't spend an entire vacation here (I live in the LA area). Also, I think you'll find it easier to get around San Francisco without a car, as long as you are prepared for a lot of hills.

If you want theme parks, then I admit that LA is much better than San Francisco. However, Paramount's Great America is reasonably close to SF but you really need a car to get to it since it's actually in San Jose (but it's possible public transport goes there, you would have to look into that).

Even if you did choose LA because it has more (and, arguably, better) theme parks, again you would really need a car to get to all of them easily. You should be able to get to Anaheim easily enough but Magic Mountain is probably the best theme park and getting there without a car is out of the question. Knott's Berry Farm too, probably... I don't know what kind of public transport links that has either.

So, I would choose SF unless theme parks are an important part of your vacation. If they are, LA would be better but it would be tricky to do much more than Disney without a car (of course, you can always take taxis but that could get expensive).

It definately has to be LA, dont fancy being in a city though.

Is there any area which is like I drive, with waterparks, theme parks within distance of the parks?

Im looking at hotels with shuttle services so im not worried about getting around, car isn't an option as dont drive.

How far is universal from anaheim?

Im looking at santa monica, buena park and anaheim.

Which would you recommend as a holiday destination?

Universal Studios is about 35 miles from Anaheim.

There is no area like I-Drive that I know of... I've never been on I-Drive, though.

Without a car it's tricky and SF would be much easier for you than LA. I'm not sure why it definitely has to be LA (perhaps you already bought the plane ticket) but I guess we'll have to work with that. Public transport is available... there are buses and taxis and, as you say, some hotels offer shuttle services but I assume they only go to a few select locations.

Everything in the US is spread out, especially in California. Do you have a list of places you want to go to?

yes, disney, universal, beaches, the waterparks and theme parks
also, shopping and nightlife.

Is there not a tourist location in LA?

Hello,

We visited LA a few years ago after many visits to Orlando and I must admit to being very naive and thinking LA might have been similar to Orlando, i.e.a I-Drive type of area there, how wrong we were. We hired a car and we would have been stuck without one, LA is a vast city with many very interesting places to visit but it's certainly NOT Orlando. By the way, we stayed near to LAX, I found it handy to get my bearings while driving, by watching the direction of the planes coming into land..!!!

We have spent 2 holidays in California and each time had a week in LA.
The first time we stayed in Bel Air which was lovely although we really needed our car. Nobody walked anywhere.
The second time we stayed in Santa Monica and felt much more comfortable being out and about on foot. Its a good choice if you dont have a car as its got shops restaurants etc in a pedestrianised area which felt quite safe, at least in the daytime. Its also got the beach and pier which we enjoyed.
I dont know how we would have managed to get to the theme parks without a car. A taxi I suppose. We particularly enjoyed 6 Flags Magic Mountain.

Is there any chance of getting a drivers license before your vacation? You have about 9 months to do it which should be ample time. Just some food for thought there...

Or, get about three or four driving lessons before you fly out and then get a US driving licence
I'm told it's really easy - once round the block and a reverse across an empty car park, but someone may well know better...

The test is easy but unfortunately you do need to be a US resident first!

Out of interest why no car? Been to California several times and you really do need a car. The only exception is if you have a central hotel in San Fran and are fit enough to walk up and down hills as someone has said. We stayed in the Sportsman's lodge in LA which is only 10 mins drive away from Universal and also has a shuttle bus service although you are tied-in to their timings. Decent hotel with a bit more character than the chain hotels. We got a good deal for 2 nights and 2 day Universal pass through the Universal website.

If it is a case of being wary of driving in the States, right hand side of the road and all that, don't be it is actually easier than drving here: slower speed limits that are enforced, bigger roads and generally better mannered drivers .

Hotel reviews HERE.

Pippy

Hi Cazianne,stayed in Santa Monica last year ,buses and subways go to hollywood no problem just ask at your hotel reception for directions.Also you can go to universal studios by bus or there are loads of coach tours from santa monica ,they will pick you up at your hotel and drop you back off again they go everywhere ...universal ,knotts berry farm etc not very expensive .If you go to hollywood by bus or tube there are loads of smaller bus tours to take you round the stars home .I think Santa Monica would be a good central place for you and you have the beach too.

I have been to LA and at the time i couldnt drive. You dont need to if seeing the tourist stuff. We have been to the Carousel inn and suites in Anaheim where Disneyland is, the first one ever built. It is 2.5 stars but great, clean and a free breakfast. Also the breakfast room over looks the monorail at Disney. There isnt a hotel nearer than this hotel, you walk across a small road and you are there. This hotel is with Virgin, or funway (who come out always cheaper), kids stay free at the Carousel as well, a there is a adequate swimming pool on the roof.

Along the road is a tourist information kiosk who are great, they do shuttles to all the malls, six flags magic mountain, knotts berry farm, all the water parks and all the malls, including Universal, seaworld.

They have great malls but some expensive, the one the Americans tend to use is Ontario Mall, a bus can get you there or a cab, although we went via bus. Buses stop all the time outside the castle inn which is virtually next door, another i would recommend. A little down the road is the Raddisson, another hotel i have been in. I prefer the Carousel because it is small but rooms big, and the view and the fact it is only 2 mins walk from the entrance of Disney.

From the kiosk you can do all the beaches within half an hour, Laguna and venice beach, muscle beach is where Arnold Swazegneagger got world famous to be a body builder.Hollywood tours are recommended and universal.

You can buy your trips from the hotels as well, but check that they come with transport. You can hire a limo for the day.

Restaurants are very decent in price, there are loads, Mcdonalds is next door to the Carousel.

If there are any questions please let me know.

Michelle x

ps...Here is one of the many tourist info bureau
http://www.anaheim.world-guides.com/index.html

The Ontario Mills Mall is a long way from LA... I wouldn't have thought it was really worth it if you don't have a rental car (though I guess it wouldn't be that expensive to go by bus but it would take a while to get there... it's not even in LA county). It's a big mall but there are other malls closer to LA. Try the mall at City of Industry. It's not that big (at least not compared with Ontario Mills) but I always get a kick out of going there because it's the mall used in all the night time scenes in Back to the Future.

On the bus it took us around an hour i guess, yes it was a little way out, but hubby used to go on his own as well. I recommended this because a coach driver told us the tourists that this was where all the bargains were to be had, he wasnt wrong and it was so easy to get around in there. We paid a third of the price than we did in south plaza for instance., and other malls. But we did have the time as we were there a couple of weeks, we used the Carousel inn as a stop jap and used all the transport for trips and shopping.

Ah I see, fair enough. I'm surprised it only took an hour by bus, that's not bad going. I'd have thought an hour by car and longer by bus. I used to live in Ontario, quite close to the mall, and what's why I was interested.

We were the ones in the bus lane lol

Just don't attempt to go by public bus from Anaheim near Disney to Universal! We did many years ago and we didn't get there till mid-afternoon, having started after breakfast! Slow was not the word. We should have taken a coach tour.

The tourism bureau offers coaches to take to any park, they get you in for about 10am and usually leave depending on parks around 6pm-7pm depending which park you are at. Seaworld is the furthest, it takes two hours via coach, but it has a toilet on it and your departure back to the hotel is around 7pm.

We always spend two weeks in Anaheim as a base but hop on and off coaches with a guide, we never had any problems and always felt we got there at a good time. With LA traffic you can be stuck in chaos, but they use the bus lanes so you get there faster unless it is unfortunate to get a delay of some kind.

It is a different world to Florida and i have been extremely lucky to go to both several times, and it certainly wont be the last, if you plan your itinerary and transport by letting the bureau do it or your hotel, there wont be any problems i am sure.

It has to be one of the best holidays we have had, we covered miles.