Advice Please on Nine Hours in LA

[PLANT]

Get a copy of the 90's movie "speed" and it is really like that on the freeways!

 

[cove]

You leave your luggage at the Marriott and they will hold it in their store. Keep the chits and pick it all back up later in the night and remember to tip on a per bag basis.
There are taxis at the Marriott West Century if you are at 5855 West Century.
Heading north there is the first In N Out where the road splits to the right off Lincoln to Sepulveda if you want to do a Wayne's World lying on the boot /trunk with planes screaming overhead.
Ours is further north at Washington where you turn right off Lincoln. There is a Costco there as well so we tend to go there but a newbie to LA usually will try the planes overhead idea at least once.

 

[pippen_2k]

I'd go with the Universal Studios option as well. When I was leaving LA last year I just left my luggage at the Hotel and went to Universal Walk. Saw a movie at the theatre and had some Johnny Rockets. Killed the time well.

 

[Renato1]

Get a copy of the 90's movie "speed" and it is really like that on the freeways!

That sounds exciting - too exciting - but I will go wherever the Navigator leads me.
Cheers,
Renato

You leave your luggage at the Marriott and they will hold it in their store. Keep the chits and pick it all back up later in the night and remember to tip on a per bag basis.
There are taxis at the Marriott West Century if you are at 5855 West Century.
Heading north there is the first In N Out where the road splits to the right off Lincoln to Sepulveda if you want to do a Wayne's World lying on the boot /trunk with planes screaming overhead.
Ours is further north at Washington where you turn right off Lincoln. There is a Costco there as well so we tend to go there but a newbie to LA usually will try the planes overhead idea at least once.

Thanks. This In-N-Out might be my highlight of LA.

How much would you tip per bag please?
Regards,
Renato

I'd go with the Universal Studios option as well. When I was leaving LA last year I just left my luggage at the Hotel and went to Universal Walk. Saw a movie at the theatre and had some Johnny Rockets. Killed the time well.

Thanks. This option certainly seems to be the popular choice.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Update: State-of-play.

My wife read all your responses and is very keen on Universal Studios.
Whereas I read all your responses and was more enthused by the beach drives.

So - no decision made yet. I suppose we don't really have to make it till very close to the date - but my wife usually gets her preference.

I rang the hotel and they have extended check out available - but it can't be booked, it depends on the day.
It would certainly be handy to have it - freshen up with a shower before we catch plane.

Thanks once again for all your help.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[cove]

I would go $2.50 a bag tip regardless of whether you are a guest at Marriott 5855 W. Century.

 

[Renato1]

I would go $2.50 a bag tip regardless of whether you are a guest at Marriott 5855 W. Century.

Thanks - it's good to have an idea of expectations over there.
Regards,
Renato

 

[fourohfive]

there is a lot of good advice here - just to add in my two cents...
If you want to do Universal - it is actually pretty easy to do with public transport from the airport. get the LAX fly away bus which takes you directly to union station in downtown LA. Then you can get the subway to universal studios (one line approx 25 minutes). The traffic won't effect your trip between Universal and Union Station as you will be underground, and the trip on the flyaway bus uses the special lanes on the 110 Freeway and then carpool lane on the 105 freeway. If you left universal at 5pm, it would still give you plenty of time to get to LAX for your night flight.
Definitely get some in-n-out too.
The other thing I would suggest doing is getting tickets to a TV show taping. There are studios in Culver City which isn't far from the airport. You could easily Uber there for $15-$20 or so. TV show tapings usually last for a few hours. Check websites like tvtickets.com to see listings in advance.
You could easily just uber around the local areas as others have suggested and keep things on the cheap (Culver City, Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo beaches, marina del-ray).

 

[Renato1]

there is a lot of good advice here - just to add in my two cents...
If you want to do Universal - it is actually pretty easy to do with public transport from the airport. get the LAX fly away bus which takes you directly to union station in downtown LA. Then you can get the subway to universal studios (one line approx 25 minutes). The traffic won't effect your trip between Universal and Union Station as you will be underground, and the trip on the flyaway bus uses the special lanes on the 110 Freeway and then carpool lane on the 105 freeway. If you left universal at 5pm, it would still give you plenty of time to get to LAX for your night flight.
Definitely get some in-n-out too.
The other thing I would suggest doing is getting tickets to a TV show taping. There are studios in Culver City which isn't far from the airport. You could easily Uber there for $15-$20 or so. TV show tapings usually last for a few hours. Check websites like tvtickets.com to see listings in advance.
You could easily just uber around the local areas as others have suggested and keep things on the cheap (Culver City, Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo beaches, marina del-ray).

Thanks for your input and valuable advice.
I've book marked this page for when I need it in four weeks' time.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[BAM1748]

Keep the car and visit Disneyland....great fun on the final day of trip.

 

[Renato1]

Keep the car and visit Disneyland....great fun on the final day of trip.

I hope my wife doesn't read this suggestion - she has raised Disneyland a few times, and I've just gone and talked about something else. I'm a Looney Tunes fan.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[harvyk]

I hope my wife doesn't read this suggestion - she has raised Disneyland a few times, and I've just gone and talked about something else. I'm a Looney Tunes fan.
Cheers,
Renato

I wouldn't bother with Disneyland, by the time you've driven down to Anaheim, gotten the tram from the car park to the entrance and actually gotten in side the gate you'll have eaten a good amount of your day. You'll then likely only really have a few hours inside the park (most of that time you would be standing in line), before you'd need to leave.

We dedicated 3 whole days to Disneyland / California Adventure back in 2014, and even then that wasn't enough.

Certainly do Disneyland one day, but don't think of it as a place to kill a couple of hours before heading to the airport.