One of the main advantages of a fly drive to Los Angeles vacation is the freedom it gives you to move around. If you suddenly tire of the people and the tourist traps and other trappings of the world's movie capital, you can just pack up the car and explore more of what California has to offer. This gives you endless opportunities that you wouldn't have without a car at your disposal.

When choosing your fly drive holiday there are things that you need to keep in mind. The first is the car itself. How big a car do you need? Check any brochures or information guides carefully because you need to consider your luggage, especially if there are more than two adults, each with at least one suitcase! You may think you only need a medium sized car, but four adults and four-six suitcases may put you up into the next category!

Read the small print carefully before reserving your hire car. Find out exactly what costs are incurred, and when you pay for them; what insurance is compulsory and when you pay for that; and what other "extras" you may be presented with a bill for either upon picking up or dropping off the car. Shop around and see who offers you the best deal on the perfect car.

Next consider if you will be comfortable driving out of Los Angeles International Airport with the car - into an unknown area, and with more lanes of traffic than you are used to, and possibly on the opposite side of the road to that which you normally drive. All of this after a long haul flight, with not as much sleep as you'd like and now you are on a different time zone! If this all seems as if it may be a little too much to handle, seriously consider an overnight stay at one of the airport's hotels that has a courtesy bus which will come and collect you and your luggage from the airport upon arrival and allow you a night to recover from your journey before collecting your strange car and heading out onto even stranger roads! Where possible, book an airport hotel which has a car hire desk so that you can do the car hire transaction right there in the hotel and not have to return to the airport. If you have an early morning flight back home, it might be an idea to reserve a room in this same hotel for your return journey so that you bring the car back to where you collected it.

If you are intending to stay in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles make sure that they have adequate parking facilities for guests. Ask if it's possible to reserve one, especially if you intend to arrive at the hotel late at night when most guests will already be in their rooms, and the car park at its fullest. Check what surcharges the hotel has, if any, for use of the car park.

A fly drive to Los Angeles is a great way of seeing what this city has to offer, and at the same time be free to explore the beauty of the State on the other side of the Hollywood Hills.

Related Links: Visiting Los Angeles, Los Angeles Airports