Travel & Holidays Recommendations for places to stay San Francisco, LA and Houston

I'm looking for places to stay, I'm doing a holiday over to Europe but flying via the US.

My partner never wants to visit the US (I realised a US holiday will never happen with him) therefore I'm doing this travel by myself however we will meet up in Germany. All the stops will be quick (2 nights in LA, SF and 3 in Houston). A longer overall holiday would be great but I'm lacking annual leave. Next year I'll request salary sacrifice for travel.

So I'm looking for accommodation recommendations. I have to say everything I looked at for SF so far seems very expensive so I'm looking for best bang for buck/any low cost accommodation ideas for SF in particular.

It's for dates either Mid-late September (SF and LA) or early October (Houston).

Happy to get any sightseeing tips too. I have been to San Francisco once before in 2006 so I suppose tips for Houston and LA would be appreciated

 

Houston is an interesting stop - why Houston?

LA is huge - what places are you visiting in LA?

 

I have no idea about LA at all.... Houston because I can fly directly Frankfurt - Houston - Sydney! Dallas was also an option in that direction, I know they are both really close by though.
Since I haven't booked any accommodation yet, I am free to explore.

 

if you want to do touristy stuff then stay in west Hollywood so you are close to sunset, universal and its a short trip to Venice and SM. Heaps to do in LA so first find out what you want to do then book the accomodation.

 

I just looked at the maps.... I can fly to New Orleans return from Houston for $118... not bad....

 

Jambalaya!

 

I actually prefer the US to Europe. I tend to get castled-out relatively quickly.

We always travel on a budget. FWIW, this where we stayed in SF (2 years ago).

Welcome to La Luna Inn | 2599 Lombard Street, San Francisco 94123

Affordable with a free (basic) breakfast ie toast, juice, cereal, coffee. And free parking - we hired a car.

We ate here most of the time for dinner - also affordable and super delish. Not far from the hotel and in a very trendy pocket. Street view it. Google Maps

We stayed in Manhattan Beach in LA...because it was central. In Manhattan Beach, we stayed here: Best Western Plus Manhattan Beach Hotel

I know it sounds like a waste but we spent a lot of time in LA seeking out and driving to diff Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Love the shopping in the US. We passed on the touristy stuff eg Hollywood sign, Grauman's etc but spent a week in Disneyland.

 

MB is a great spot but since Gockie is there for 2 days its going to come down to what she wants to do. If its say sunset, universal etc then I think MB is a bit of a hike. She's going to lose a bit of time in traffic too. Is it weird that I miss LA traffic?

We are planning an east coast trip in 2 years. Lacrim have you been to the east coast?

 

Usa is a great place to visit
Houston , Dallas , fort worth , san Antonia , new orlean all worth visiting .
Try airbnb and buy your own meals from the convenience stores.
The hotels are not cheap nor are the restaurants (especially with tips and the conversion to A $)
Make sure you open a US bank account ...it will save you heaps of fees...(i used wells fargo as it had the most branches )

 

Ta for this. One question. I’m in the US for only 7 nights. Is it really that useful to open a US bank account for a stay of that length?

Airbnb is a definite possibility. For San Fran, not so much, as hosts can only host a proportion of the year so they all seem quite well out of the city.

I just booked myself a bed at the HI/YHA Fisherman’s wharf.
Everything is so expensive accommodation-wise in SF. It was not that expensive back in 2006!

So atm I still have to figure out LA and Houston regions. Maybe I’ll explore a bit, maybe Houston - San Antonio - New Orleans? Too much though for the limited time. Maybe Houston plus New Orleans in 3 days is ok?

 

Sorry haven't been to NY since 2001...but aiming to go in next 24 months.

 

There’s usually plenty of cheap Airbnb apartments in down town LA - there’s the hop on/off tourist bus that goes via down town. Grab a two day ticket and you can explore most of the tourist attractions.

Some spots of down town are a big sketchy though - so a cheap place might be near a crappy area which can feel a bit unsafe.

Shahin’s suggestion is also good.

If you feel like more of a beach vibe then Manhattan beach etc could be a good place to stay - completely different vibe to down town or Hollywood! LA is so massive.

San Francisco isn’t too big (compared to LA!) - I stayed in an Airbnb in North beach a year ago and it was perfect. Walking distance to most stuff.

I’m not sure about Houston.

Cheers

Jamie

 

When I visited SF I stayed at the Pickwick Hotel, best balance of price and location, though TripAdvisor reviews are a bit mixed The Pickwick Hotel San Francisco AU$205 (A̶U̶$̶2̶9̶4̶): 2018 Prices & Reviews (CA) - Photos of Hotel - TripAdvisor . LA: take the train and stay on the Queen Mary at Long Beach - if you like ships, an unforgettable experience The Queen Mary™ - One-Of-A-Kind Long Beach Experience, Tours, Events, Dining & more...

 

The Queen Mary - wow. Unfortunately as a solo traveller I can’t justify spending quite that much on the room, however if I was travelling with a partner I would definitely book it.

Re: SF, I just booked a bed in the HI Fisherman’s wharf this morning. The reviews are brilliant, I’m glad I booked it, I can’t wait to stay there. I’m glad I’ve got that locked in.

 

I see what you mean. Just did a quick browse of Hotels.com. Prices are through the roof. I'm sure I paid circa $160/70 per room...somewhere around there. Wonder what's going on. May need to pack some sleeping bags next time we go .

 

I think it’s because Airbnb has been nearly shutdown in San Francisco, therefore all other accommodation can severely bump up their prices.... even the Hostels are crazy expensive.

 

I can definitely try this place you suggested, it's close to my accommodation.

 

@Gockie Can't offer any input regarding Texas. New Orleans is fantastic. Stay in the French Quarter. Make sure to do a swamp tour. Bourbon street is a given in the evenings.

I've only stayed in SF for three days. Did an "urban safari" and well worth it if limited time. It finishes off with a ticket to Alcatraz. We stayed in Fisherman's wharf. With limited time it suited us. I wouldn't stay there again though.

We had eight nights in LA about four years ago and based ourselves in West Hollywood which worked well. Very quirky vibe and great food. Hop on hop off bus will allow you to see enough of the Hollywood, Beverly Hills and downtown area as well as Santa Monica and Venice. Don't go to Disneyland. Universal Studios is a must do.

Whenever I go to LA again, I will stay in Santa Monica.

 

Yes it is worth opening a bank account ..saved heeps of fees