Los Angeles (Aug. 31, 2019):
Baker
Los Angeles
Monterey
San Diego
San Francisco
Saint Joseph
Saint Louis the Bishop
Santa Barbara
Solvang
They're not from California, but I'm adding them because we also did them on this trip:
Grand Canyon (Arizona)
Las Vegas (Nevada)
Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico)
A brief history of Los Angeles:
Origins:
The area where Los Angeles is located today was inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples such as the Tongva and Chumash, who established villages, trade routes, and a deep relationship with the natural environment of Southern California. European presence began in the 18th century with the Spanish missions.
Middle Ages:
There is no equivalent Middle Ages in this territory; during that European period, the region continued to be populated exclusively by indigenous communities with their own social, political and cultural systems, without influence from Western medieval development.
19th Century:
In 1781, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles was officially founded. After passing from Spanish to Mexican rule and finally to American rule in 1848, the city experienced rapid growth thanks to the railroad, the oil boom, and the arrival of new residents. The 19th century laid the foundation for its urban and industrial expansion.
Present:
Today, Los Angeles is one of the world's most influential cities, renowned for its Hollywood film industry, cultural diversity, technological innovation, and economic importance. It is a global hub for entertainment, commerce, science, and creativity.
In Los Angeles we visited the following sites, among others: Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu.
Pasadena and Altadena: We loved it, everything was spotless and the people were incredibly happy; in fact, everyone greeted each other with a smile when they passed each other on the street.
They are small and you can see them quickly.
Hollywood: Another disappointment, the famous Walk of Fame is disgusting, it's full of trash and most of the stars are broken and crushed.
At least the most important ones are there 😅
Beverly Hills and Bel-Air: The exuberance is extreme; the mega-mansions are worth seeing.
Venice/Santa Barbara: Since we're such geeks and could check large suitcases for free, we brought our own roller skates to do (among other things) that famous boardwalk between Venice and Santa Monica, checking out the famous beach gyms. They say it's an imitation of the canals of Venice, but it didn't seem that way to me at all. End of Route 66 at the famous pier.
Malibu: A huge disappointment. After seeing it a thousand times in movies and TV shows, we were expecting something impressive, but all we found was a road and beaches that were absolutely disgusting. And what are supposed to be mansions (the ones you can see) are practically just shacks, all in a pretty dilapidated state.
Santa Barbara: BEAUTIFUL! 😍
We visited many small towns in between that are in the guide but don't have any relevant things to highlight.
Los Angeles goes very well with San Francisco If you're looking for a complete West Coast route linking iconic major cities, and with San Diego as a natural extension to the south with beaches, mild climate and very easy journeys.
Direct flight Madrid-Los Angeles with return from San Francisco with a stopover in Lisbon: 1.040,42€ The two of them. Caught with eDreams.
Car: 272,51€, 11 days. Ford Focus 5-seater automatic with air conditioning. Picked up at Los Angeles airport and delivered to San Francisco airport. Booked with Booking.
Hotel: Lincoln Park Motel €82, 1 night for 2 people with parking. Booked with Agoda. Just one night, but: Here you have to check if there are dead bodies in the bathtub, horrible, run away!.
Hotel in Hollywood: Hollywood Historic Hotel: €90 for 2 people, 1 night with Expedia. It was pretty cool. You can park on the street, but check the street cleaning times carefully or the tow truck will take it away.
Hotel in Santa Monica: Seaview Hotel: €90 for 2 people, 1 night with parking booked through the hotel's website; it's a surfer-friendly, clean hotel and the people speak Spanish. Seaview.
Travel Insurance: 98€ The two of them. Caught with Iati.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: It must be electronic and have a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of entry into the U.S. and at least two blank pages. The passport must have been issued after 2006.
ESTA form: Spanish citizens must complete the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) form at least 72 hours before their flight. This allows stays of up to 90 days without a visa. 40,27$/Person. LINK.
Return ticket: You must present a return ticket dated within 90 days to prove that you will leave the country within that time.
Travel insurance: It is recommended to have adequate travel insurance due to the high cost of medical care in the USA. In our case, we always used Iati, but lately we've been using Globalfine, which is much cheaper.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
Special conditions: If you have traveled to certain countries, such as Cuba, Iran, or Syria, after specific dates, you may need a visa instead of an ESTA.
International driving permit: It is requested through the website of the DGT.
It costs €10.51. The good thing is you can order it online and pick it up without an appointment. It took a couple of days for ours, then you go to pick it up and it's a cardboard card like the ones they had 20 years ago.
Travel insurance: It is recommended to have road insuranceHeh. The best known and most complete ones are Iati y Heymondo, if we don't need insuranceWe'll grab him with... oh fat Globalfine which is much cheaper, in this case we use Iati.
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut definitely.
Roaming: NO There is, so if you have data enabled you can take a nice little gift back.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps for Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
Other destinations in California: 
