Travel Between Multiple Cities

[xiaofeizhu]

Ok, so we have a family reunion in Las Vegas next year, but first, hubby and I would like to stop in Los Angeles to renew his passport. I have a few questions for anyone with any knowledge that is willing to share

 

1. How many days will we need in Los Angeles? Can we just submit the passport and have them mail a new one or is it best to wait there? Is one day enough, or is three, or more, better?

 

2. Is the best option to fly into LAX, get a hotel, and then fly into LAS, then fly back to Hawaii? Or does anyone else have any other ideas?

 

3. Anyone know of good, cheap hotels either near LAX or near the consulate? I can get meals and hotel for $350 for 4 nights in Las Vegas through a popular company, Vacations Hawaii, so I am not as worried about that part.

 

4. I am guessing that from Hawaii (HNL) this should cost around $2,000 per person? Am I getting ripped off at that price?

 

Any and all suggestions welcomed!!

[Randy W]

Looks closer to $1300 through Travelocity (including Hotel) in early Feb of this year - the three flights come to $520x2 people.

Edited January 2, 2010 by Randy W (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

Can always rent a car and drive to Las Vegas and back. Vegas is only about 5 hs north of LA on I-15.

 

The Mohave Desert is quite scenic can stop for lunch at the Bun Boy in Baker CA and get a picture next to the Worlds tallest Thermometer.

 

http://www.golemgroup.com/images/bunBoy.jpg

 

http://www.lessansculottes.com/tourjournal/rectal.jpg

Edited January 2, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[C4Racer]

The Los Angeles Consulate should be similar to San Francisco in time needed to process his passport. You can handle this a couple of different ways with several options. Finding flights should not be a problem. All but one, I found had a stop in either San Francisco or LA, so just select the one that goes through LA and increase the layover to provide enough time.

 

Take into consideration when you make plans they will be closed Feb 6,7 & 8 for Chinese New Year.

 

You can drop off and pick up his passport.

1. This option should require 2 -3 days in Los Angeles. Drop off his passport and pay an expedite fee to have it in two days. This was $30 two years ago at San Francisco. Otherwise, it will take them a week or two. See the sights in Los Angeles, pick up his passport in two days and continue to Las Vegas.

 

2. Drop off his passport on the way through LA. Find a flight that arrives in the morning and leaves in the evening. This allows you enough time to get from the airport to the consulate and back. The consulate is very close to the airport. The drive is 20 minutes by car, figure an hour if it is rush hour. You will still need to pay the expedite unless you are spending a week in Las Vegas. Now do the same thing on the way back. This option saves you hotel costs in Los Angeles. You still personally handle the passport.

 

You can drop off his passport and Fedex the new one home.

3. Drop off his passport on the way through LA. Find a flight that arrives in the morning and leaves in the evening. This allows you enough time to get from the airport to the consulate and back. You will still have a fee, but it is a shipping fee and I am not sure how much it will cost. No hotel fees to pay in Los Angeles. This would be the option I would choose if you don't care to spend anytime in LA.

Edited January 2, 2010 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Isn't the processing time more like a few weeks? Be sure to bring a self-addressed pre-paid envelope (USPS or FedEx) if you don't want to stick around that long.

[Batmaniac]

I second the car rental idea. Your husband might get a kick out of the desert. My wife did on our trip out there.

[C4Racer]

 

Isn't the processing time more like a few weeks? Be sure to bring a self-addressed pre-paid envelope (USPS or FedEx) if you don't want to stick around that long.

 

 

 

Yes, so you can either opt to have it shipped or pay an expedite fee. The expedite fee is $30 or so and you can pick it up in two days. I took my wife to San Francisco and we spent a few days seeing the city. Picked up the passport on the way out.

Edited January 2, 2010 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[2mike&jin]

 

Isn't the processing time more like a few weeks? Be sure to bring a self-addressed pre-paid envelope (USPS or FedEx) if you don't want to stick around that long.

 

 

 

Yes, so you can either opt to have it shipped or pay an expedite fee. The expedite fee is $30 or so and you can pick it up in two days. I took my wife to San Francisco and we spent a few days seeing the city. Picked up the passport on the way out.

 

 

XiaoFeiZhu;

 

I must've done the fly to LA - Drive to Las Vegas - or the reverse about 20 times. It really doens't matter which end you do this from I.e. LAS-LAX it works...with the car rental. Hotels are cheaper in LAS and you can time and do your business accordingly if you take the 'red-eye" to LAX. The issue is the car-rental...LAX is notoriously high if you go to published rates from Hertz or something like that. I use "Priceline" and have often saved as much as 50% on the car rental - return to same airport - but it is spotty and you must be prepared to pay full price if you "never get your price". Also - depending on what kind of "experience" you want in Las Vegas there are some really good deals. The Coast Hotels - again you need a car - usually are only $29.00 - and they aren't bad. Timeing is also important in Las Vegas. Prices on Thurs-Sat are really expensive but fall to NOTHING on the other nights. I usually get the Pyramid Tower at the Luxor for $79.00 King - (They had a convenient parking lot for my ex-Hummer)....but they soar to $169.00 on weekends - usually. If you want the "las Vegas Experience" you need to get a hotel that is linked - via the walkways...most are!

 

Ok, my 2 cents...have done this...fly into LAX on Hawaiian or some Airline that will get you there in the AM on a Monday depending on how fast they can do the passport. Rent a Car(return same place) LAX - drop your Passport - Drive the 210 to the 15 and to LAS. Reverse when ready - etc. Hopefully they can do the passport in 5 days or you can extend to pickup the next monday or some combination like that. No matter what you do - it's easy and you will have a ball.

 

Enjoy.

Edited January 3, 2010 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[xiaofeizhu]

Thanks for all the replies. Transportation in LA is not so much of a problem...3 of my mom's siblings and all their kids live there, so they have volunteered there. We thought we would fly into LAS, but actually, we can technically catch a ride from above persons to Vegas if we want to. I prefer to fly because I am prone to car sickness, and my morbid fear of flying will last only one hour vs. 5 hours of wanting to barf...

 

I don't mind having the passport sent if you guys think it's safe. If I am understanding correctly, I could technically not even spend a night in LA.

 

I like the idea of flying into LAX and then flying out of LAX, dropping the passport off and then picking it up.

 

In Vegas, I don't need the "experience" lol. We will most likely stay downtown, since I am pretty familiar with the area (we used to go to Vegas almost once a year). We will probably save some money that way and then visit the Strip on one of the days, maybe spend a night there if we save enough money by not staying in LAX.

 

Thanks everyone for their input. Has anyone had their passport Fed-Ex/UPSed after dropping it off? Do I prepay this by going to a Fed-Ex or UPS office and buying some kind of envelope?

[warpedbored]

My wife and I flew to SFO to have her passport renewed. We went to the consulate and everything we needed was right there. Passport photos, return envelope etc. She received her passport in about 3 weeks at home.

[xiaofeizhu]

My wife and I flew to SFO to have her passport renewed. We went to the consulate and everything we needed was right there. Passport photos, return envelope etc. She received her passport in about 3 weeks at home.

 

 

Sounds good. I hope this is the case in LA too. How much did you have to pay for the shipping? Was it Fed-Ex/UPS or USPS? One day is definitely enough, if we go this route, right?

[dnoblett]

My wife and I flew to SFO to have her passport renewed. We went to the consulate and everything we needed was right there. Passport photos, return envelope etc. She received her passport in about 3 weeks at home.

 

 

Sounds good. I hope this is the case in LA too. How much did you have to pay for the shipping? Was it Fed-Ex/UPS or USPS? One day is definitely enough, if we go this route, right?

You can go down to your local post office and pick up a flat rate priority mail envelope, address it to yourself, and put $4.90 in postage on it.

 

http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm