Los Angeles is sunshine, sprawl and the movies. This vast Californian city stretches from the Pacific beaches to the Hollywood Hills, taking in the Walk of Fame, the Griffith Observatory, palm-lined boulevards, world-class museums, and some of the best and most diverse food in America. It's the home of the film industry, a place where the celebrity dream shimmers over everything, and yet its real magic is often found away from the glitz: in a perfect taco from a truck, a sunset hike to the Hollywood sign, or a lazy afternoon on Venice Beach watching the city's gloriously weird parade go by.
Here's the honest budget picture: LA is one of the pricier US cities, though cheaper than New York or San Francisco, and it comes with two specific challenges. First, it's enormous and spread out, so getting around costs more time and money than in a compact city. Second, hotels carry taxes and fees that inflate the advertised price. But the brand promise holds, because LA has a fantastic free side. The beaches are free, Griffith Observatory is free, the superb Getty Center is free, the hikes are free, and the city's legendary street food, the taco trucks, In-N-Out, Koreatown barbecue, is cheap and extraordinary. Get your accommodation and transport right and LA opens up beautifully. We'll show you how.
