Car HIre in San Diego and Los Angeles

San Francisco	San Diego	Los Angeles	Touring in California	Driving in California

San Diego

San Diego is another of California's finest offerings. Visitors can expect a laid-back stress-free beach vibe, with a consistent 85-degree climate. Touted for its endless beauty, you may find it difficult to leave.

The city is home to miles of beaches and wonderful pockets of parkland, most notably Balboa Park, a beautiful spot to while away an afternoon. There are also 15 major museums to discover. One of the highlights is the Japanese Friendship Garden - two beautiful acres which originated as a teahouse in 1915.

Don't miss the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where visitors have the chance to take control and pilot an F-22 Raptor, or simply take a flight through aerospace history.

Visitors should also check out the Museum of Photographic Arts, the Museum of San Diego History, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Man; in fact, whatever your museum needs, you can expect them to be well catered for.

Alternatively you can just relax in the stunning gardens - there are more than eight to choose from. Whether it's in the award-winning rose garden, the Desert Garden or the Australian garden, you are guaranteed to find a serene and beautiful spot for contemplation.

Animal-lovers should also head straight to Balboa Park, where the world famous San Diego Zoo can be found. For more wildlife encounters visit the San Diego Wild Animal Park, 35 miles north of the zoo on San Pasqual Valley Road.

Pasqual Valley Road.

A melting pot of cuisines are at your disposal when it comes to dining out in San Diego, with Mexican influences aplenty. The Gaslamp Quarter is the place for romantics and would-be historians alike, you'll be treated to an eyeful of Victorian architecture and a restaurant to suit every taste.

Just outside town, the Torrey Pines State Reserve is the place for anyone interested in the great outdoors. Expect wild terrain, where you can catch a glimpse of rare birds.

The city's beaches are some of the best in the world, offering miles of wonderful Pacific views, with pastel-coloured cottages dotting the coastline. Favourites include Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Coronado

Los Angeles

Meanwhile, Los Angeles, to the north of San Diego, has been lauded for decades as the place “where dreams come true”. It is California's largest city and a world centre for science, technology, trade and education - not to mention popular entertainment.
Love it or hate it, there's no escaping Hollywood.

Universal Studios is the first stop for would-be star spotters and film lovers, who are invited to go behind the scenes on the Universal Studios Tour.

Famed the world over, no trip to LA is complete without a little window shopping on Rodeo Drive. It is certainly among the most exclusive retail space in the world and a unique insight into life in LA.

El Pueblo Historic Monument offers an explosion of colour on Olvera Street. It features 27 historic buildings and a traditional Mexican-style plaza area, where strolling bollero musicians rub shoulders with performing Aztec Indians.

Another local attraction is the La Brea Tar Pits, one of the world's most famous fossil excavation sites. A vast and diverse assemblage of extinct Ice Age plants and animals are showcased in its Page Museum.

Or if you really want to get active, take on Mount Lukens; with steep trails and spectacular views of the LA Basin, it is the tallest peak within the LA city limits and well worth the climb.

Famous for its warm sandy beaches, the city of Malibu is to be found in western LA. This is the place to glam it up and a little bit of posing never goes amiss on Surfrider Beach, Zuma Beach, Malibu State Beach or Topanga State Beach.

Or if you're more interested in nature than star spotting, the Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas holds the promise of mountain lions, bobcats, deer and golden eagles, not to mention spectacular scenery, incorporating the Pacific Ocean, Malibu Lake, Liberty Canyon and Udell Gorge.

And, if you really want to get active, take on Mount Lukens; with steep trails and spectacular views of the LA Basin, it is the tallest peak within the LA city limits and well worth the climb.