Usually when I travel internationally, I always try to factor in an approximate 9 hour plus layover in a new city I have not been to. I personally think it’s a great way to see another city on your trip. Also, I try to schedule my layover during the daytime for safety reason and it’s also much easier to navigate from the airport to the city and vice versa. 

With that said, when I was booking my trip to Sydney, Australia there was an opportunity for me to take advantage of an 8 hour plus layover in LAX. This layover was part of my return itinerary back from Sydney to NYC at no additional cost.

I’d landed in LAX on a Saturday morning, March 23, 2019 around 6:00 AM. My connected flight to NYC should have been 3:00 PM, but there was a 4 hour delay with my flight. So that gave me 12 hours to actually do some sighting seeing in LA considering this was my first time in the city and as well as leaving LAX airport.

Things to know before you leave LAX – Airport:

LAX Luggage Storage:

If you are a light traveler like myself and just have a carry on and don’t want to take your luggage with you into the city – LA, then unfortunately LAX does not have lockers like some of the other airports that you can rent out for a few hours. If you find yourself in this situation, then I’d recommend using: https://laxluggagestorage.com 

This luggage company is reliable, affordable and makes your layover at LAX extremely convenient. I personally think it’s a bit risky to RSVP ahead of time considering you don’t know if your flight would be delayed or perhaps there is a change in your itinerary. When I actually landed in LAX, I’d immediately reached out to the LAX’s Luggage storage company to get a time frame as to how long they will take to pick up my luggage.

Surprisingly it only took them about 15 minutes to meet me outside of the American Airline Terminal at LAX. I left my luggage with them for about 7 hours and the cost was under $20. They advised me to give them a call when I needed to have my luggage dropped off.  Overall the experience was seamless and pleasant. Also, please ensure you have enough cash on you since they did not accept credit/debit cards at that time.

How to travel from LAX to Hollywood Boulevard?

From my research, there were a lot of ways to get from the airport into the city or Hollywood Boulevard since thats where I was heading to. You can either take a taxi, uber, rent a car or take the FlyAway shuttle, which is the cheapest route. If you happen to be a typical New Yorker like myself and DO NOT have a driver’s license then taking the shuttle would be the best solution. 

You can find the FlyAway shuttle as soon as you exist Tom Bradley’s terminal. It’s affordable, convenient and easy to get into the city. They have a few shuttles going to either downtown LA, Hollywood Boulevard and other locations in LA, therefore you should pay attention to the signs before hopping into one of the shuttles.

Also, you can buy a single or round trip ticket directly in the shuttle or online before hand.  I purchased my tickets in the shuttle and it cost me $16 round trip from LAX to Hollywood Boulevard and vice versa. The drive each way was about 1 hour or so and it really depends on the traffic as you know rush hour can be a pain. You may want to give yourself a good amount of time to ensure you are back at the airport in a decent time to either pick up your luggage and clear security so you can be on time for your connected flight.

What to do in Hollywood Boulevard?

Where to Eat?

I must add that you’d appreciate the ride and view from LAX to Hollywood Boulevard. The scenery of the city is breathtaking. As soon I reached Hollywood Boulevard, I was starving and decided to have breakfast at Hollywood’s Burger/Hollywood Cafe located near the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This was a really good place to grab breakfast or lunch. Considering it was about 8:30 AM when I  had arrived in Hollywood Boulevard, I decided to order their Hollywood Breakfast bowl including eggs any style, crispy tots, grilled bell pepper & onions with melted cheese & pico de gallo and it only cost $4.99. It was indeed the best breakfast I had in such a long time. 

Hollywood’s Burger was a  very spacious restaurant and also enjoyable as you eat your meal.

Hollywood Sign:

After having breakfast, I started walking and spent  about 2 hours or so walking as close as I could get to the Hollywood sign. Finally I had a gorgeous view of the sign on of the streets going towards the hills. My intention was not to climb up the hills and get an up and close personal view of the sign. There were a lot of hills, I’d recommend wearing comfortable shoes to help with your walking. 

Hollywood Walk of Fame:

I invested a few hours walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame where I was able to explore and learn more about the world’s most famous sidewalks and celebrities it honors. Haha and most importantly take some sweet pics with my favorite stars. It was a lovely experience. 

Mission accomplished, I was able to see all my points of interests in Hollywood Boulevard. I’d then made my way back to LAX, collect my luggage and clear security and scope out Tom Bradley’s terminal. It’s one of the most beautiful terminal in LAX. It’s packed with art work, fine restaurants, lounges, cafes, shopping center and so much more to do.

I have heard so much about P.F. Chang and decided to enjoy a late lunch there.  I’d ordered their chicken lo mein and that was absolutely delicious. Also, I enjoyed a nice glass of red wine. 

Thank you for such an amazing time LA. 

I hope this blog was helpful with your planing when visiting LA especially if your stay will be as short as mine.

Please do not pass up on a good layover especially in LA.  Plan wisely and enjoy your travels.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions.