Here is the second part of the dos and dont’s in Los Angeles. Universal Studios, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, Museums, Hotels and Downtown Hollywood, write them down!

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If your just now reading these tips about our trip to Los Angeles, then don’t forget to read part 1, where we talk about the itinerary, the car rentak, shopping, food and even the hike to the Hollywood sign!

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6 – Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios is one of the major theme parks of the United States. Within the park there are several theme areas that go from the Simpsons, Jurassic Park or even Harry Potter all the way to Walking Dead. We are (really) big Harry Potter fans, so we were excited to finally go to Universal so we could visit Hogwarts and Hogsmeade!

Dos:

• If you’re really thinking about going, do it on a weekday. It’s less crowded and you’ll be able to go on every ride. We went on a tuesday and got to go on several rides more and once (Harry Potter was one of them, of course). You can buy your tickets here!
• The fastest and cheapest way yo go to Universal Studios is by metro. You get in the red line and get out at Universal City. When you step out of the metro, just take the escalators and you’ll find a free shuttle that takes you to the park. Universal opens at 10am, so if you want to be one of the firsts in, get there to catch the 9h50 shuttle.
• Are you a Potterhead like us? Then you have to try the famous Butterbeer! It’s delicious. And of course, a trip to the Honey Dukes candy store is mandatory! You’ll be able to find chocolate frogs, every flavour beans, i mean… everything you can imagine!
• Still at the Harry Potter park, if you decide to visit the wand show, at the beginning, the actor asks “Is there a wizard here?”. The first person to answer gets invited to join the full show, that is the process of the wand selecting the wizard. It’s so cool!
• Probably the best tip: in any ride you can ask for a fast ticket. This is a ticket that has a specific time on them (14h15-14h30, for example) that allows you to enter without waiting in line. Another way is going on the Single Rider line, where you get separated from your group to do the ride, but get in super fast. You can save a lot of time doing this, trust us!
• If you’re a movie or series lover, then you really need to take the Studio Tour. This is a tram tour that goes in and around famous studios like Desperate Housewives, Bates Motel, and the current Netflix’s show The Good Place. It also offers a cool special movie effects immersive experience like a earthquake and a giant flood. It will all seem very real! ahah

Dont’s:

• Don’t leave The Simpsons ride for last, because it’s always full. It’s one of the favorites because its a 4DX adventure with the yellow family. We loved this one so much! And all of the Simpsons theme park is incredible, take a lot of photos there!
• Don’t forget to take an extra t-shirt with you. The Jurassic Park ride has a lot more water and free falls then what we predicted. You’re going to get wet!
• Don’t miss out on the Simpsons’ famous pink donut. They come on a XL size and it’s super delicious. Get one and share it with your group.
• If you want to avoid spending a lot of money on food inside the park (everything’s expensive), then bring your own food. The only thing you need to buy are the drinks and some great candy!

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7 – Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive are clearly the richest areas of Los Angeles. You won’t find crowded streets or trash around the sidewalks. It’s a quiet and more refined place, but not suited to everyone’s budget (including us)!

Dos:

• You have to go to Rodeo Drive. It’s just like the movies and you’ll feel that this is the fanciest area in Los Angeles. If you’re thinking of spending big, then this is the place to be. Just put Pretty Woman on your phones and you’ll feel at home.
• Want to take that perfect shot with the best palm trees? Hum.. easy: Beverly Hills. Just keep driving down those fancy streets, windows open, music loud and without a specific destination. You’ll love it!
• If you want a photo with the famous Beverly Hills sign, here is the exact address to put on your GPS (or Here we go app). 

Dont’s:

• If you think your going to find any cheap shops and restaurants, forget it. Don’t go in the first place you see, because your jaw might drop. Instead, here is a cheap and healthy place you can go: Harajaku Crepe
• Don’t visit Rodeo Drive during the night. We didn’t pay much attention to that and the shops were all closed. But it’s ok, we weren’t thinking of buying anyways! (eheh)
• At night everything is closed and they also take everything out of the shop’s windows. It will feel like they are all empty and you won’t be able to look at things you can’t buy (at least we couldn’t, i bet!)

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8 – Museum(s)

We’ll admit, visiting museums wasn’t our first, second or even third priority. However, we decided to go The Broad. It is a contemporary art museum and it’s located right in the center of Los Angeles.

Dos:

• You really should visit. It is a free museum and the art is very “different” than what you would expect to see. As you would expect, there is a big queue to get in. People start getting inside in groups of 10 or 15 at a time, but it is super well organized. We decided to go on the afternoon so we wouldn’t be under the sun whilst waiting to get inside. We waited about 1 hour.
• If you want to visit the famous Infinity Room by Yayoi Kusama, as soon as you get inside, on the left side, you’ll see an ipad. Put your phone number there and, when it’s your time to enter the Infinity Room, you’ll get a text (but get ready for a 2 or 3h wait). Most people in the queue to the museum were only talking about that room, so we were very curious. But we gave up because our waiting time was almost 3h and that was our last day in Los Angeles and still wanted to visit other places. The best way to visit the Infinity Room is to be at the museum entrance when it opens (11am on weekdays and 10am on weekends).
• If you don’t like waiting, there is a “similar” room, where you wait in line for about 20/30 minutes. When it’s your time, you have to stick your head inside a box for 30 seconds. Literally. This box has a lot of special lighting inside, but honestly, not worth your time.
• Want to see the famous Campbell Tomato cans? Or the two Marilyns? Then don’t miss this museum. Photo tip: look for the famous AMERICA neon sign, and take a photo or even a boomerang in front of it. It’s super cool!
• Bring your camera, you can use it freely, without flash.

Dont’s:

• Don’t be dummie like us, and book your ticket online here. Despite being a free museum, you can pick the time you want to get inside and avoid waiting in line. The only show you can’t book online is the Infinity Room.
• At the museum you can’t drink or eat. So if you’re thinking of spending a few hours watching art, don’t forget to do it with a full stomach.
• If you decide to wait and go to the Infinity Room, then you have to take a photo. But be quick, you’re only allowed 45 seconds inside. But don’t forget to also enjoy the room.
• Don’t miss out on the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s right next to the museum and it is a gorgeous building. It’s really worth taking a look at.

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9 – Hotel

During our 10 day stay in the United States we were in three different hotels. One in Downtown Los Angeles, another in Hollywood Boulevard and a third one is Las Vegas (but Las Vegas will have it’s own post here).

Dos::

• We decided to stay in different hotels in 2 different areas of Los Angeles, se we could walk in the surrounding areas and get to know some great spots. By choosing a hotel in the Hollywood area, more specifically on the Hollywood Boulevard, we were at a walking distance from attractions like: Walk of Fame, Dolby Theater, Hollywood Sign, TCL Chinese Theater, etc.
• At the time of year we travelled (beginning of May), one room with two queen beds was around 100€ (115$) per night. Since we were a group of four, each night costed us around 25€ (29$) per person per night. We recommend The Dixie Hotel, at the Hollywood Boulevard, because it is super affordable, with a good location and has parking included in the final price. It’s enough if you just want to sleep and walk around all day. 
• When searching for hotels, choose one with a mini-kitchen area (mini-fridge, microwave). This way you can prepare your breakfast and snacks to have with you during the day. Like we said on the part 1 post, you won’t be able to find healthy food that easily, so by bringing your own food you can save money and also your stomach! eheh

Dont’s:

• Be very careful about the extra fees. When booking your hotel don’t forget to read the small letters. Some hotels charge extra fees and you only realize that when you arrive at the hotel.
• We made all of our reservations through booking.com. As you should know, when booking the hotel, you have to use a card. In some hotels you need to pay some part in advance and the rest there. But be careful with the card you use in this first payment, because they can ask for your id and it has to match the name on the card. If it doesn’t match they can cancel your booking.
• Don’t forget what we said on the part 1 post, make sure your hotel has free parking or what is the rate for this service.

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10 – Hollywood 

This is probably the most well-known area of the entire city of Los Angeles. When you think about Hollywood, besides the Hollywood Sign, we bet that your mind goes directly for the Oscars or the starts of the floor. And you’re right because those are some of the greatest symbols of the city. But being honest? It was a big let down. There was a lot of trash on the streets, some right on top of the stars, gift shops everywhere.. We were not impressed with the Hollywood Boulevard, but still, worth to visit to see some specific locations.

Dos:

• As we mentioned, this is a good area to explore by foot. If you walk the entire Hollywood Boulevard you will see the famous Walk of Fame stars (there are about 2,600). Stay alert so you can take a picture with your favorite celebrity. We took with Daniel Radcliffe, Britney Spears, Johnny Depp, etc. But you can find random names like Minnie, Mickey, Lassie the dog, among many others. You just have to go with eyes wide open!
• Want to see where the Oscars take place every year? Then you really need to visit the Dolby Theater! And also at the Chinese Theater, where you have all the biggest stars’ hands marked on the floor. Once again, as we are big Harry Potter fans, we had to go there, to put our hands on top of theirs eheh.
• If you’re thinking about shopping in Hollywood then the place to go is the Hollywood & Highland Center. It’s on the same spot as the Dolby Theater and offers a spectacular view of the Hollywood Sign.
• Is chocolate your thing? Then don’t miss the Disney Store in the middle of the Boulevard and try the Ghirardelli chocolate. We tried the caramel one, and as you can’t find these in Portugal, we had to buy 2 big bags of them.
• Gostas de chocolate? Então não deixes de visitar a loja da Disney em plena Walk of Fame e experimenta o chocolate Ghirardelli. Ficamos viciados no de caramelo, e como não há à venda em Portugal, tivemos que trazer connosco dois sacos enormes. Needless to say, they didn’t last a week…

Dont’s:

• Be careful with the different “actors” that walk around the boulevard disguised as spider-man, optimus prime, batman, etc. If you take a picture of them, or with them, expect to give them money. They are not there for free, and if you don’t pay they won’t have any problems in calling you out.
• Don’t go to the Hollywood Boulevard after 4 or 5pm. The streets get very crowded by homeless people that sleep right in the walk of fame. Some of them have tents right on the sidewalk. Sadly there were a lot of them. Los Angeles is for sure the city with the highest number of homeless people we’ve seen. Unfortunately, this is was the area that disappointed us the most.
• Don’t buy your souvenirs on the first gift shop you see. Two stores right next to each other can have very different prices. For example, we saw 3 magnets that costed 10$ and at the shop next door we saw 4 magnets for the same price.
• Don’t dare to do this Boulevard by car. It is practically impossible to park your car in the surroundings, and the parks the you find are very expensive. And worse, the traffic drives anyone insane! The best option is by foot!

 

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Dica Extra:

T-Mobile data SIM card

If you want to be online during the day, with no data limit, we recommend that you buy a T-Mobile SIM card. We opted for a card with 4G and unlimited GB of data. We payed  80$ (70€) and never had any problems with service or internet connection. It was perfect to communicate with our family via whatsapp, go to all our social media profiles and search engines. It was truly a great buy and worth every dollar.

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This was, for sure, a trip we will never forget and that brought us all closer together. Our favorite moments of the entire trip were the (complicated) 10km hike to the Hollywood Sign, the day we spent at Universal Studios and of course, all those hours we got to spend together on the car. We travelled more than 3.000km but we wouldn’t change a thing.

Also, on top of our list is everything we did while in Las Vegas and Arizona. But we’ll leave that to another post. Where we are goin to tell you all about the Grand Canyon, Route 66, the Vegas nightlife and all those hotels and casinos. It is truly something out of this world! Stay tuned!

Now that you’ve read all the good and the bad of our experience in Los Angeles, do you still want to visit the Lalaland?

Life is full of choices.

When in doubt, flip a coin.

Cara|Coroa