Noob question. I've never rented a car in the states before and I'm over 25. The rental car company obviously needs my driver license and credit card info but do I also need to show them my ICBC insurance papers to rent and insure their car?

No, you can just decline their insurance when you get there. Just be sure you have adequate coverage elsewhere (either through your insurance policy or through your credit card) but they usually won't ask for proof.

However, do read your policy closely. I know CC insurance will cover the car you're driving. However, if you also damage someone else's car in the process, you're on your own. Not sure about ICBC coverage. Best to check with your insurance agent to be sure.

If you have the ICBC roadside plus, it covers everything car related while you are traveling. I believe I paid ~$70 for a year when I renewed my insurance.

The usual procedure is (experience from Avis and Enterprise):

1. Book your car through their website or you can priceline/hotwire it, anything will do since you are over 25.
2. Arrive at the counter, show them the reservation code. They will ask for DL and CC.
3. They will bring you to the car, if not they will give you the keys + fob.
4. They will ask you to sign rental papers and see if you need insurance from them.
5. Accept/decline insurance offer (car damage, people damage, personal belongings theft). If you don't want your ICBC rate to be affected, then just go for the car damage (in LA, it's only $9 a day from Enterprise. You can practically crash the car and not have to pay anything. That doesn't mean you can damage other people's cars.)
6. They will return the papers to you with an "estimate cost". Expect the final cost to be +/- $20 that amount.
7. Way you go

Step 3 and 4 can be interchangeable.

Tips:
Bring your own GPS, or you can pay $10 a day for it.
Don't accept the gas fill up offer, unless you are lazy. It's something like $3 a gallon when the average pump price is 3.10-3.40 depending where you are.
Fill up before you return the car, or else they will rape you with $4.50 gallon gas cost.

Have fun!

We're looking at Disneyland California Adventure and wondering if it's worth spending another seperate/half day there?

If you have Roadside Plus through ICBC, you are covered for rental insurance. :)

Can't comment about Disneyland California Adventure. It's been close to 8 years since I went there. :p

IMO yes, I went with my gf 4 years ago and although it's not as great as the Disney side there were still a few sick rides we kept going on and on. Specifically the ride where you are in an elevator and it free falls is awesome. Plus your entry fee already covers that park and it's a 30 second walk from the entrance to Disney Land you might as well spend some time there.

If you have never been, it's worth it. You go when:

1. You are little
2. You are with your gf
3. You have a family + kids

I guess you belong to #2

btw, you will need 1 day for each side to see everything.

Looking at the ticket prices it looks like it costs almost double to buy 2-day tickets to both parks.

On another topic, is there any recommended LA city passes that include Hollywood and other attractions? I've found ones that include San Diego Sea World but don't think would have time to venture that far.

TIA

Anyone know where I can get discounted Disneyland tickets online?

For anyone else who wants to know in reference to insuring your car in the states, I do have Roadside Plus and paid $50 a year included in my renewal. My autoplan broker gave me the Roadside Plus card and has a number on there that verifies my ICBC insurance coverage for the states.

They are no where cheap but right now I can get a 5 day pass for the cost os a 3 day pass. My work system pretty much gaurentees the best prices in Canada for these woot.

Agreed. One of our clients at my former employer worked for Disney (in their vacations dept) and the best she could do for me was 10% off (which was their staff discount). If they're not willing to give staff discount, then I doubt they'd offer discounts anywhere else.

However my client said she could sneak me in for free if we were there when she was working. :woot2:

For anyone interested, you can layout your California itinerary with this:

http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

from all my buddies down in Southern California, even the LA guys tell me San Diego is nicer, city just looks nicer, is cleaner and much easier getting around than LA, basically they say it has the best of LA without it's shit. LA is just LA, it's the center of everything a place you HAVE to go nonetheless, but on my road trip down to SoCal this summer I am definitely hitting up Daygo as the locals call it.


you guys got any pictures to share and post in here btw ??

going to LA soon and I am going to shop a lot... Anyone know the best malls to get trues and other LA brand clothings?

My turn!

I've posted enough in the Vegas thread to hopefully get some help & responses in here ;)

I'm heading down there in August with another 6-7 friends. Which hotels have the best location + crowd? We're all mid 20's and primarily down there to sight see during the day and party all night during the evening so finding a hotel that has that kind of crowd would be nice since we can have people to party with.

Hey Ch28,

It depends where you're looking to go clubbing but the main club district is spread throughout K-town and Sunset Blvd (North Hollywood.) There are a tonne of hotels in these areas but you'll have to end up driving to your destination anyway. There isn't much around downtown LA because it's dead at night and not much of a night life.

I'm sure there are lots more in terms of clubbing options and districts but these are the most popular areas. Don't forget to make a trip down to Cafe Lu ;)

Heading down again in 2 weeks. :D

I don't know anything about partying because I didn't do any.

I walked past the Beverly Hills and Hollywood hotels. It seems like the new ones are pretty cool. E.g. SLS, W?, some other newer ones.

As for sightseeing...

Mullholland Drive
Hollywood Star Tour
Rodeo Drive
Beach near Santa Monica
Griffith Observatory/Park
Melrose

IN-N-OUT BURGER!!!

Sorry, not much help. I only go to LA to see the Lakers. :fullofwin:

universal studios
six flags
disney land
strip club

I think we've come to the conclusion that we're going to book a place through VRBO in the Hollywood or Beverly Hills area.

We can get a nice rental home for the price of 1 hotel room. Since we have 6-7 people going it just makes sense to do that instead of getting 3 hotel rooms per night.

^
It's much better to rent a place than to hotel it in LA. :)

So we've been in contact with a house owner that is located around the southern part of Griffith Park. The place itself is around the Los Feliz Blvd/Franklin Ave. intersection

Does anybody know how that area is? The place we're looking at is absolutely awesome and can sleep up to 10 people so its perfect for us but we want to make sure that neighbourhood is ok.

Great area and close to everything/everywhere you want to go to and do.

As long is it's not south central LA, you will be fine.

*just looked at google map*

That area is awesome, similar to kits and 4th in Vancouver with all the coffee shops/etc. No beach though.


Oh, 1 more thing that you will not find in Vancouver anymore... If you are Chinese, check out harbour kitchen. $6 for 2x2lb lobsters if you order 3 entree dishes! killer deal.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...11,309.43,,0,2

I clicked on your Harbour Kitchen deal and this was the first thing I saw on the left hand side :lol

1411 South Garfield Avenue, Alhambra, CA, United States +1 626-289-2328 ‎ Rate it...
63 reviews
"Harbor Kitchen is very bad restaurant, the service is very bad, food is ..."

Not trolling you dude. I went to LA in November 2010 and discovered this place after watching the Lakers. Went there again when I visited LA in Jan 2011.

This is the exact deal I got...

"Promotion going on: With a purchase of 3 entrees, you can get their Live Lobster, Buy 1 at $5.99 and get 1 free! That's 2 lobsters for 6 bucks!!! Holly smokes! :-))"

I ordered
garlic fried snow peas 9/10 - on par with most Vancouver late nights
black bean sauce clam 10+/10 - so big, so juicy, so good, beyond Vancouver's late nights
beef mushroom fry 6/10 - nothing special, just needed something to fill the 3 entree quota
2x2lb lobster 10/10 - so good, you need to eat it twice!

Although... the bill at the end came out to be $60 including tax for 2 people LOL

I don't know, this might not work when you have 10 guys visiting LA.