Rent a Car in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is really a collection of distinct cities and neighbourhoods — Hollywood, Santa Monica, Downtown, Pasadena, Long Beach — connected by an enormous freeway network rather than a compact centre. The Metro rail system has expanded in recent years but still leaves large parts of the county disconnected, so a hire car remains the standard way to get from the beaches to the hills to the studios without stitching together rideshares all week.

A car also opens up the wider region: Malibu's coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway, the wine country of the Santa Ynez Valley about two hours north-west, Joshua Tree National Park roughly two and a half hours east, and San Diego just under two hours south. LAX is the primary international gateway, but Burbank (BUR), Long Beach, Ontario (ONT) and John Wayne/Santa Ana (SNA) airports also serve the metro area and can be worth checking if they're closer to your hotel or offer a shorter queue for pickup.