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[QUOTE]Originally posted by smitty195: [QB] nittfan: You are very welcome! I know how it is to travel and do something new, and feel a bit nervous. It's always nice to hear from people who have been there, so that once you go, you already feel a bit experienced at things. I just checked the price for the night of September 5th at the Hilton Hotel/Los Angeles Airport. This is a hotel I have used many, many times over the years for my Amtrak travel. The price I am getting on Hilton's web page is $135/night. This of course is a full-service hotel, with restaurant, etc. I have found it to be a great hotel if you're just overnighting and you don't plan on doing any sightseeing (because there's nothing to see there--you're at an airport). If you choose to stay here or another Airport hotel, you will need to know a couple of things about this which may effect your decision: 1) There is a 24 hour *free* shuttle that runs in "loops" and goes back and forth between the airport terminal and the Hilton. However, keep in mind that the Hilton shuttle is shared with the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. Once you leave the airport, the first stop is the Hilton, and the second stop is the Four Points (which means in reverse, when heading back to the airport, you will first go to the Four Points). Don't pay any attention to the "schedule" that is posted on the website---they DO NOT follow the schedule. The shuttle shows up when it shows up (roughly every 15 minutes or so, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). 2) When the hotel shuttle stops at the Hilton, you and everyone else going to the Hilton will of course be getting off the shuttle at the same time. This means when you walk into the hotel to the check-in counter, all of those people on the bus with you will now be standing in line. That's not a huge deal, because at this particular hotel they are used to the shuttle crowds. But I just wanted to let you know that you will NOT be walking up to an empty counter---no way---you will have to wait a little bit. 3) When you check out of your hotel in the morning to catch the Flyaway bus to Union Station, and THIS IS KEY!!!!!, you *must* allow enough time for you to stand down by the lobby waiting for the shuttle bus (if you're running late for some reason, you're going to start getting very nervous as you stand there waiting for your shuttle bus---the best way to avoid this stress and hassle is to BE EARLY!!!!). I say this from personal experience on multiple occasions. What I have ended up doing is taking a taxi from the Hilton to the Airport---but here's the rub. Most taxi drivers will tell you "No way!!" because the distance is too short and the meter won't even get up to 5 bucks. In these situations, I've had to "eat it" and I will tell the taxi driver straight up, "I'll give you 20 bucks to take me to the terminal because I'm really late". In those cases, it has worked every time. But of course the best way to avoid this last minute hassle is to BE EARLY!!! Trust me on this one---you will want to be early---been there/done that. 4) Los Angeles traffic is terrible. You need to take a Flyaway bus that will get you to Union Station in time. The nice 35 minute ride during non-commute hours will suddenly become an hour and 20 minute ride, all because of traffic. So again, BE EARLY and plan ahead. One of THE WORST things you can do when taking a train trip is to run late. That's because the train is going to depart with or without you. They don't care if you're there or not---they will leave. And with this knowledge, it makes things very stressful if you're constantly checking your watch saying, "Oh no, we're not gonna make it!". BE EARLY. I can't stress this enough if you choose this option because you will be heading to Union Station for a pretty good distance away. LAX Airport is nowhere near LAX Union Station! If you decide to stay downtown at the Metro Plaza, I also recommend Frank's choice of visiting Phillipe's. But just know that this is an extremely casual, sawdust on the floor, picnic bench style of restaurant that only accepts cash--no credit cards. It is not a nice, quiet sit-down restaurant and for that reason, some people may not care for it. The one thing I don't like at all about Phillipe's is that it is all "bench seating" (meaning there is no back support). I have a bum back (a bionic back actually, with lots of hardware, screws, etc), and I can't tolerate sitting on those hard benches that they have there. So this may or may not be your type of place to eat---I just wanted to let you know the specifics about that. If you wanted to stay downtown and within a reasonable distance to Union Station, honestly, I don't think you're going to find anything in the price range you're looking for. Since it is "downtown Los Angeles", you're going to pay a premium for that. For example, I just checked "my" hotel (the Omni--fantastic hotel with free Lincoln TownCar service to/from Union Station) and on the night of September 5th, a room is currently going for $239. What you are getting for this extra price is the peace of mind in knowing that you are already downtown---you don't have an ocean of traffic to fight between the airport and the train station. Travel time from the Omni to the train station's front door is about 3 to 4 minutes. They just completed a top-to-bottom refurb on this hotel, and it's even nicer than it was before. They did a really fantastic job! I also wanted to point out one more thing: Since you mentioned you are >65, do either of you have any mobility issues? If so, when we say "walking distance", it might not be that way for you. What's walking distance to us might not be walking distance to you. In the case of the Metro Plaza Hotel, with luggage, you just might want to take a taxi over there. But if you choose an LAX Airport hotel (such as the Hilton, where you can't possibly go wrong---they are just great there), the key thing to remember is to watch your time and be early. That will make or break your trip---guaranteed. You will love the train ride on the Coast Starlight. You're definitely doing the right thing by getting a sleeper and having access to the Pacific Parlour Car. Once you've traveled in that car, you'll wonder why all of their long distance trains don't have this amenity. It's a really comfy car to hang out in, and you generally don't have the screaming babies, loud music, and stoned teenagers that the Sightseer Lounge Car has. :) [/QB][/QUOTE]
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