Expert: Steve Summers - 5/29/2002

Question
Hi Steve!

My husband and I live in Belgium, and we plan to visit California in september. We don't like sitting on the beach or spending two nights in the same place. That's why we decided to rent a motor home to travel around. If you rent a motor home in Belgium to travel in California, it is very expensive. Do you know if we can rent a motor home in LA, at the airport or close to the airport? Do you have any idea about prices? There is only two of us, so we need the smallest motor home that we can get, as long as it has a shower it's fine. Can you recommend a good rental agency? We might rent one using the internet, so I'd like some names of rental companies that we can trust. Do you think we need reservations if we rent in september?
Is it allowed to camp with the motorhome in the city or alongside the road? If it's not allowed, how strict are they? Are there expensive fines?

Can you also provide a bit of basic knowledge about public transport in LA? Do you have a good subway system? Busses? Can I find maps of those public transport systems on the internet?

Thanks in advance,

Helga

Answer
There are a number of RV rental business in the LA area. Prices depend on the type of RV, the time of year you wish to rent, and how long you will be renting it. The average price is around $100-$150US per day. September is a good month, since most people want to rent in July & August. Some RV rental agencies will even pick you up at the airport (or bring the RV to the airport). Since the weather is still warm in Calfornia, reservations are highly recommended. Check out some of the following:

El Monte RV is probably the best choice. They seem to have the best rates, and offer an airport transfer. Go to www.elmonte.com for details.

CruiseAmerica is a popular RV rental agency. The closest location to LAX is the South Bay (Lawndale) location.

Moturis is another option. They have a location in Gardena, which is close to LAX. www.moturis.com.

Many cities do not allow overnight parking/camping. Some cities are more strict than others. In Los Angeles, for example, you should be able to find a quiet street where nobody will bother you if you park for one night. However, some towns, especially near the beaches, are very vigorous in enforcing the law. They will certainly make you move your RV in the middle of the night. You might also be fined, but I do not know how much the fine is. There is good news, however: Wal-mart (a big US store chain) will let you park in their parking lots for FREE. Check out their web site at www.walmart.com. You can find all stores within 100 miles of any city using the store finder. However, there are some locations that do not allow overnight stays. Check them out at www.freecampgrounds.com/noparking.html. Check out www.freecampgrounds.com for a listing of free places to stay.

Public transportation in LA is poor, I'm sad to say. There is a small subway system, and a large fleet of busses, but it is inefficient, and the busses are not very clean in a lot of areas. However, the subway is still new, and it is clean. People in LA like their cars too much. You can get just about anywhere by checking out www.mta.net (LA County) or www.octa.net (Orange County). If you need to get anywhere using public transportation, you can go to these sites and use the bus route finder.

Have fun,

Steve