One of the first things that comes to our minds when we talk about the USA, is definitely Hollywood! All of us pretty much have seen and loved Hollywood movie productions, series and tv shows! A huge film industry, countless stars, great ammount of money, glory and scandals and awards are only few of the elements that make up what we call the Hollywood movie industry!

And where exactly are all these productions filmed? At huge and expensive installations and facilities, one of which, probably the most famous, are the Universal Studios!

Universal Studios are located in Los Angeles and cover an incredibly large area! Its almost as large as a city we would say! In this “city” of Universal studios, old-historical production studios as well as sets of famous films and of course the Universal Studios Park where you can spend moments of relaxation and joyfull memories!

One day at Universal Studios

Basic rule number one! Start your day early! Especially if you only have a few hours at your disposal to spend at Universal studios, like us! Be at the entrance at 8.30, where there is already a long visitors’ queue!

For those of you who arrive by vehicle, you have to pay for the parking zone you choose, the closer the more expensive of course and then you have walk to the entrance!

For those who will arrive by Metro there is a free shuttle bus that takes you to the entrance!

It is understood that you must have purchased your tickets in advance according to the ticket you choose and have them printed! We chose the  One day general admission tickets which is the most common amongst travellers and personally we think it is not worthy to spend more if travelling without kids and costs 109 USD! We were looking for some experience of course but didnt have great expectations! Finally this feeling of ours was right! Dont expect too much! Its an amusement park perfect for kids and for all of you who have a playfull mood!

We also suggest if you are visiting Universal stuidios withfriends to split before the entrance into those who will wait at the main entrance and those who will wait at the tickets booths. Sometimes they open both entrances and it can get annoying having to fight with other people in order to survive!

Study the map before entering so that you ll know in advance where to run in case you are in a hurry!

Of course we were in a hurry  to join the classic tour that tends to get pretty kitschy nowadays. The tours lasts 60 minutes and for those of us who had only 4 hours to spend at Universal Studios it is important to join the first ride of the tour!

Apart from the classic tour, families usually run in to get in line for the train! In the beautiful and thematic village you can stroll, train, taste delicacies and experience some of the magic of Harry Potter, even entering small shops that take you to fairytale movie scenes, all accompanied by the corresponding music sounds!

universal studios

In general there are many activities you can try-enjoy:

In addition, you can pop in food, juices, ice creams, chocolates, watch movies, meet heroes from movies and experience scenes action! More generally, those who visit the Universal Studios with children will surely need a whole day to wander around!

For the rest, half a day is enough! Also take into consideration that the longer you stay in there the more you get to spend!

The main Highlight of Universal Studios for us was the Universal Studios sign which is located at the entrance  before the red carpet! The navigation is easy you will not confused but do not forget to take a picture before you go in because the exit does not take you back to that point! Don’t miss it!

This was just a glimse of the adventurous world of Universal Studios we hope to have brought you some of the magic vibes of the park always within reasonable thoughts and without any exaggerations!

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A tour in Los Angeles in an educating and entertaining way, conveniently stopping at key places of interest. On the tour, you will see the absolute best that the city has to offer from historic Hollywood, to glitzy Beverly Hills, to the Trendy Sunset Strip and everywhere in between!

After visiting LA Downtown and having checked the starts at Walk of fame and the amazing Dolby theater in Hollywood we crossed across the street and found ourselves in a beautiful place, easily recognizable by its vivid orange colour! Time to meet Proper Sightseeing and its team! Jackie, Tony and the best driver ever David were there to welcome us in the warmest way! Extraordinary vibes and passionate people eager to explain any details about the tour just to make sure that all passengers would make the most out of it!

The crazy orange bus is there for us and the adventure begins! You can start at any of the stops you wish and of course take your time sightseeing after hopping off the bus! You have the freedom to hop-on and hop-off as many times as you’d like. Sit back, relax on fully cushioned seats, and explore one of the globe’s most creative and expressive cities in a manner, and at a speed, that suits your interests!

We started our tour from the very first stop, but there more to explore since there are 13 stops in total waiting you to discover them all! So lets take a look:

Stop 1: PROPER/TMZ TOUR CENTER

First Stop is located close to El Capitan Theatre across the street from the Hollywood & Highland
shopping center. Come in & purchase your sightseeing tickets! The friendly staff we ll help you out!

Stop 2: ROCK WALK (GUITAR CENTER)

Second stop is a music shop with the largest chain of musical instruments throughout the US! This
location is best known to be a place where famous musical artists and bands have imprinted their hands.

Stop 3: LAUGH FACTORY/CHATEAU MARMONT

Third stop is recognized as “the #1 comedy club in the country” by USA Today. Great stop to enjoy a stroll down Sunset Strip & all the area’s most famous hotels!

Stop 4: COMEDY STORE/SUNSET STRIP

Fourth stop is where hilarious performances are held nightly. The popular late night show host, Johnny Carson, was one
of the first to perform here when it opened.

Stop 5: WHISKEY A GO GO

Fifth stop is an awesome rock band venue where you can catch rock music nightly! This venue is located on the
Sunset Strip, which is known for the famous wall-to-wall colorful billboard ads, notorious bars, nightclubs, rock clubs and more!

Stop 6: WEST HOLLYWOOD/PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER
Sixth stop is an award winning design center that showcases the best modern interior design. The city of
WEST HOLLYWOOD offers amazing food and beverage options.

Stop 7: 3RD STREET/BEVERLY HILLSMON-SAT:
Seventh stop is a connection stop is where you can check out Rodeo Drive and the beauty of the wellknown
Beverly Hills. This city is comprised of the most luxurious shopping, dining, and hotel destinations in the world.

Stop 8: BEVERLY CENTER
Eight stop is California’s hot spot for shopping with 8 floors, 160 stores, and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci,
and Michael Kors inside. Nearby is LA’s famous Restaurant Row featuring notable restaurants such as The Original Lawry’s Prime Rib, Fogo de Chao, The Stinking Rose and more!

Stop 9: LA BREA TAR PITS/LACMA
Ninenth stop is where you can visit the Tar Pits Museum & the Los Angeles County Museum of Art- LACMA;
the largest museum in the Western US with over 100,000 sculptures, paintings, other fine works of art. Just a block away
from Petersen Automotive Museum’s rare car collection.

Stop 10: ORIGINAL FARMERS MARKET/THE GROVE
Tenth stop is where you’ll be surrounded by over 160 shopping stores & restaurants! The
Original Farmers Market features more than 100 restaurants, grocers, and tourist shops. North of the market is the famous
CBS studios, where The Price is Right, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol are filmed.

Stop 11: MELROSE SHOPPING
Elenenth  stop is where you can walk down the street that made the show “Melrose Place” famous. Excellent
dining choices and wonderful local shopping makes this stop a must! Don’t forget to stop at Pink’s Hotdog stand where you can get one of the most delicious hot dogs in LA or even possibly spot a local celebrity getting their grub on. Make sure you bring cash if you want a hot dog!

Stop 12: PARAMOUNT STUDIOS
Twelveth stop is where you will get off if you made a reservation to do the Paramount Studio Tour. North of the
studio is the final resting place for Hollywood’s founders, stars, directors, writers, and performers at The Hollywood Cemetery.

Stop 13: HOLLYWOOD & VINE/PANTAGES THEATRE
Last but not least stop is the last stop before returning to stop #1. If you want to explore the Walk of Fame, see
the famous Capitol Records, visit the Pantages Theatre or see what’s happening in the area, get off here! This intersection used to be the Time Square of the West Coast and the main hub for what was happening in Hollywood

So travellers all you have to do is relax and explore the City of Los Angeles at your own pace on our fantastic Hop On Hop Off tour and spend time at the most famous locations! This team is full of energy and passion for what they do!

The Proper Sightseeing’s Hop-On Hop-Off tour was complimentary though all the opinions expressed above remain our own and they are based on our personal experience! Totally recommended!!! Many thanks for the amazing experience!

The post DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD AND BEVERLY HILLS BY PROPER SIGHTSEEING HOP ON – OFF BUS TOUR appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

1.Los Angeles – Santa Monica

• 06.00 Wake up at Hollywood
• 06.30 Uber to Downtown LA – Breakfast accross the Bradburry Building – Bradburry Building – Open Market – Walt Disney Concert Hall – Skypace – The last bookstore – Grab some coffee
• 10.00 Uber to Hollywood – Walk of fame – Highland Mall – Dolby Theater – Hollywood sign – Chinese Theater
• 12.00 Ride Proper Sightseeing (Hop on – off bus) see the whole itinerary here
• 14.00 Beverly Hills – Rodeo Drive – LACMA
• 15.30 Uber to Santa Monica
• 16.00 Bike Center Santa Monica for more info click here – Santa Monica beach – Santa Monica Pier – Little Venice – Muscle beach – Boardwalk
• 20.30 Uber to Hollywood

2.Los Angeles – Malibu – San Barbara –  San Simeon- Bixby bridge – Big Sur – Karmel

• 06.00 Wake up at Hollywood
• 06.30 To Griffith Observatory  – Donuts for breakfast & black coffee
• 08.30 Universal Studios – grab a light lunch at Universal park
• 13.00 Maibu – Lululemon – Farm deck – Pier – Lighhouse – Pacific Ocean view
• 14.00 Santa Barbara – San Simeon – Elephants seals view – Piedras blancas light station – – Bixby bridge – Big Sur – Rocky point
• 22.00 Carmel by the sea

california roadtrip

3.Karmel- Silicon Valley – San Francisco

• 06.00 Wake up at Karmel – Donuts for breakfast & black coffee
• 06.30 Carmel by the sea –  Lone Cypress (or just other trees… free of charge) – Mission
• 10.00 To Silicon Valley
• 14.00 To Premium Outlets San Francisco – Lunch
• 20.30 San Francisco

california roadtrip

4.San Francisco

• 06.00 Wake up in San Francisco (Guerrero street)
• 06.30 Uber to Painted Ladies – Uber to SF Downtown – Civic Center city hall – Powel Station – Cable car turnaround –  Financial District – Ferry Building
• 12.00 Uber  to Fisherman’s Wharf – Pier 39 – Sea lions – Lunch at Bubba Gump
• 14.00 Jump Bikes to Ghirardeli chocolate factory – Golden Gate Bridge – Lombard Street
• 18.00 Cable car towards Powel Station – Try both 3 lines – Dinner

5. San Francisco – Wine country – Mendocino Country – Redwood Valley – Fair Oaks

• 07.00 Wake up – Cereal Bars for breakfast & black coffee
• 08.00 Uber to Dylan’s tours
• 09.00 Dylan’s tours – Original 6 hours City Loop Electric Bikes – For the whole itinerary check here (Golden gate park, Height – Ashburry, Golden Gate Bridge etc.)
• 15.00 Lunch – San Francisco to Wine country – Stop at Sausalito – Battery Spencer – Bonita Light house – Muir Woods
• 16.00 Wineries

california roadtrip

6.Wine country – Mendocino Country – Redwood Valley – Fair Oaks

• 09.00 Wake up – Breakfast
• 12.00 Wineries

7.Fair Oaks – Sacramento – Amador city – Sutter creek – Columbia State Park – Sonora – Jamestown

• 07.00 Wake up – Brunch by the Lake
• 12.00 Placerville – Shutter Creek
• 17.00 Columbia State Historic Park
• 18.30 James Town – Dinner

8.Yosemite National Park – Tunnel view – Bridalveil fall viewing point – El capitan meadow – Lower Yosemite Fall -Vista Point – Mirror lake – Tuolumne Grove Trailhead – Olmsted point – Whoa Nellie Deli – Mono Lake – South Tufa Area 

• 06.00 Wake up – Donuts again for breakfast
• 07.00 Yosemite Entrance
• 08.5 Yosemite Valley – Tunnel view – Bridal veil fall – El Capitan Weadow – Vernal falls – Mirror lakes – Lower Yosemite Fall – Tuolumne grove trailhead – Tenaya lake – Whoa Nellie Deli – Mono lake South Tufa Area
• 19.30 Mammoth lake – Dinner

california roadtrip

9 Mammoth lakes – Devil’s Postpile National Monument – Bishop – Lone Pine – Death Valley National Park (Devils Golf Course, Badwater Basin, Artist’s Palette, Zabriskie Point) – Las Vegas

• 06.00 Wake up at Mammoth lake
• 06.50 Devil’s Postpile
• 9.10 Bishop for gas and breakfast at Schats Bakery
• 10.25 Lone Pine – Badwater – Artist’s pallete – Devils golf course
• 14.15 Zabriskie Point
• 17.00 Las Vegas – Dinner

california roadtrip

10.Las Vegas – Route 66 California Highway – Hooover Dam – Grand Canyon – Grand Canyon Village and Navajo Point – Page

• 06.00 Wake up – Breakfast at Motel (oh yeah)
• 06.30 Welcome to fabulous las Vegas sign
• 07.50 Hoover Dam
• 08.20 Route 66 entrance
• 12.40 Grand canyon village – Bright Angel Lodge parking – Shuttle bus to Mojave – Maricopa – Powell – Hop – By car to Yavapai point – Mother point- Pipe creek vista – Yaki point – Grandview, Moran, Lipan, Navajo, Desert view watch
• 19.30 Page – Dinner

11.Horseshoe Bend – Antelope Canyon – Gooseneck’s state park – Glen Canyon Dam Overlook – Mexican Hat – Monument Valley

• 06.00 Wake up – breakfast
• 06.45 Horse shoe bend – Sunrise
• 07.45 Antelope Canyon Upper
• 12.45 Goosenecks state park – Mexican hat
• 15.00 Forrest Gump poin – Monument Valley
• Camping Night at Monument Valley – booked through airbnb platform

california roadtrip

12. Monument Valley – Monument Valley Safari – Las Vegas

• 07.00 Wake up
• 08.00 Monument Valley Safari
• 12.00 Glen Canyon Dam overlook – If theres is time see Toadstool Hoodoos – Kanab – Valley of state park
• 19.20 Las Vegas Airport

We hope you enjoyed our detailed itinerary and we would be very happy to know that you tried it yourself! The final total cost of airtickets, accommodation, transportation, Internet, water, food etc… was approximately  €3,700, not bad ha??? If some of you would like to send you an even more detailed itinerary with miles, the exact times etc. Send us an email via our contact form and we will be happy to share it with you!

Finally, we will be glad to have you in our travel company! You can subscribe to our newsletter here:

The post USA – 12 DAYS ROADTRIP ITINERARY appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

We chose The Bike Center in Santa Monica, the perfect place for the lovers of cycling, for their years of experience and values in promoting a culture of sustainable environmentally friendly means of transportation such as bikes!

At the entrance of the Bike Center, two wonderful bicycles with the necessary equipment (helmets and locks) were waiting for us! That’s where we met four amazing people, the Bike Center team! Meet sweet Sandie, the most adventurous Sandra, eager-to-help Iggy and of course Ron the owner of the Bike Center in Santa Monica, who was rather helpful, friendly and willing to show us around The Bike Center, and share his ideas and values of using the bike as a part of our daily life! After having explored the Bike Center, they explained to us that their moto “Why not take the bike, instead of the car?” is more than just a moto, it’s a way of thinking and living!

They are actively participating in the transformation of Santa Monica into a community of bicycle travelling both for the tourists and the locals. They positively see the prevalence of cycling in the future offering, not only unforgettable cycling rides, but tours as well! The main aim of The Bike Center is to establish the use of bikes in everyone’s mind, whether it is for a tourist who wants to enjoy the wonderful beach through an interesting cycling experience, or for the locals who commute to and from their workplace! For this reason they have prepared special facilities with safety lockers, showers and storage lockers where the personal objects of cyclists can be safely stored!

In addition to bicycle and equipment rentals, The Bike Center in Santa Monica offers various tours and cycling experiences that feature Santa Monica and Los Angeles’ main attractions, which include tours that combine food tasting experiences, segway tours and walking food tours! The Bike Center covers all the needs associated with cycling! In addition to renting and selling bicycles and equipment, they offer a number of other services. Experienced specialists are there for you to help or advice you and let you know about their bike travel programs. And of course, while you are cycling or exploring the city on foot, your luggage and personal stuff is safe in the special lockers we mentioned above!

We did not join any tours, we chose to take a bike ride instead, but we got all the necessary instructions and tips from the tour expert Sandra, a real bike enthusiast who shared with us her favorite spots to live the experience in the best possible way! The California Incline bicycle path is a wonderful place where you leave the city and its roads through a unique circular descent by bike, and you find yourself suddenly in front of an extraordinary beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean! Wonderful and indescribable view… The feeling was awesome!

The Bike Center in Santa Monica is located in a fairly accessible area, near the Pier of Santa Monica and very close to the Metro station! The team is willing and ready to help you choose and customize the right bike for you or show you around the shower facilities, so dont you worry about anything!

The thing that also characterizes this team is the moto “locals too, not just tourists” and we hope this great team can inspire both locals and travellers to use bikes because it truly stands out by building a community of unique cyclists both in Santa Monica and Los Angeles!

A wonderful experience that we highly recommend to anyone of you who is lucky enough to travel to Santa Monica! For those of you who live or work there already, no further recommendations are needed. The Bike Center in Santa Monica and its wonderful team are waiting for you in their modern and friendly Bike Center to initiate you in the world of bikes! The team is more than eager to share its secrets and tips for a more sustainable way of travel! We fully support such efforts and it is a pleasure and an honour to be able to promote such professionals to the wide travelling audience!

Many, many sincere thanks to the Bike Center of Santa Monica for their kind offer to us! The bike ride was complimentary by The Bike Center of Santa Monica but all the opinions expressed above is our personal view which was based on our personal experience of the excellent service and quality bicycles that we got from The Bike Center!

The post THE BIKE CENTER SANTA MONICA “WHY TAKE THE BIKE INSTEAD OF THE CAR?” appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

We woke up at 6.00 am and in one day tried to explore the whole city! Did we make it? Read further to find out!

With some goodwill, luck, planning and Uber help, we started from Hollywood and headed to downtown Los Angeles. There we wandered at the highlights of LA, including Walt Disney Theater, the Bradburry Building, the Open Market where you can grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a good breakfast to keep you strong during the busy day, MOMCA and the Last bookstore (definetely a new post will be released)!

los angeles griffith observatory

After we explored almost everything, have to admit that we were going kind of “fast forwardly”, we took an Uber ride again back to Hollywood and headed to the Walk of Fame, walking around the stars and finally got ourselves at the Dolby theater, the historic theater where the Oscar awards are hosted for the past years!

There you can find a small “bridge” that connects the two buildings of Dolby theater and take some views of the Hollywood sign! Actually there are a lot of spots for you to grab the perfect Hollywood sign photo and we ll share them with you later. Till then keep in mind that this sign is more than just nine white letters spelling out a city’s name it’s one of the world’s most evocative symbols, a universal metaphor for ambition, success, glamour for this dazzling place, industry and dream we call HOLLYWOOD.

malibu

Then we visited the Chinese theater famous for the Hollywood stars’ handprints and foodprints and after we met some crazy Batmen, Catwomen, Elvises etc. we passed across the street to relax and enjoy a two-hour Hop on off Bus tour from Ride Proper Sightseeing. A two-hour tour from Hollywood to Beverly Hills and beyond (we also made a stop at the unique LACMA museum)! This ride was a good opportunity to take a quick and stress-free look at some Hollywood secrets and gossips!

After we ve seen almost all of Hollywood, we headed on Uber to the seaside area of Santa Monica where the famous movie series Baywatch was shot!

Santa Monica is a coastal city west of downtown Los Angeles. Santa Monica Beach is fringed by Palisades Park, with views over the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica Pier is home to the Pacific Park amusement park, historic Hippodrome Carousel and Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

So what’s the best way to explore Santa Monica? The right answer is… on bikes! We chose The Bike Center Santa Monica, the perfect place for the lovers of cycling, with years of experience and the values of promoting the culture of sustainable way travelling and environmentally friendly means of transport such are bikes!

Find out more about the new Santa Monica project for sustainable travel and our adventures there!

It is almost 20.00 pm and it is time to return to our hostel at the Walk of fame safely with an Uber cab, to a quite expensive, small and not that clean room, with shared bathroom, and bass sounds from the clubs but… honey this is Hollywood!

Next day will find us early in the morning ar Griffth Observatory the famous place where La La Land was filmed and after that our next stop will be at the Universal Studios, the studios where thousands of films have been filmed, we will tour in the sceneries, we will see the studios where even today productions and series are filmed and we will become kids again! Read more about Universal Studios!

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