US help.

[aizutto]

In LA, you either suck it up and take taxis/Uber, or you don't go anywhere. The public transport is not up to scratch.

I see. Thank you. Hope I have enough to get around.

Then you got no choice but to taxi/uber. Please don't take metro/buses in Los Angeles.

Noted. Thank you for your help!

So you prefer to be shot/stabbed or mugged at least?

Seriously, you don't have to be rude. I am only asking because I am on a budget and I thought their metro will be pretty decent.

 

[jackieatbtu]

Very latest info - you do not need to purchase US SIM card if you have Starhub prepaid SIM with data.



So get SIM card for $8 and for $12 get 1.2GB data for 30 days. Writing this message from Indonesia while using this setup. No need to buy local SIM cards here any more.

May I know where do you get the $8 SIM card? I was considering this for my Australian trip a few months back but could only find the $15 SIM card. In fact, some staff at Starhub FB told me Happy Roam only works with $15 SIM.

 

[andynjk]

I have US$2955 leftover from my trip to US. Looking to change at rate 1.355. (valid till 29 August)

I will be throwing in a T-mobile sim card. I have used up its credits but u can top-up and save on the initial sim card cost which is about $20 iirc. It offers data plans at $10 for 1gb (7days).
Whatsapp/sms me at 8two331279

 

[HoCL]

You don't - if you try, you will get an error.

Instead, go inside the station and tell the attendant: "xx (dollars/gallons) on yy (pump number) please", like "$20 on pump #4, please". Even if you asked for more than fits into tank, they will send reining funds back.

Couple of points with gas stations: first, at almost all of them will ask you to show your ID (driver's license) when you pay with the card to match your name with the name on the card. So if you have a prepaid card without a name, they will refuse it as a payment.

Secondly, expect problems with ongoing rollout of chip based cards in US and inadequate terminals to read them. On my recent trip about 60% of terminals while had chip reader, that functionality was disabled. As a result, one my card simply did not work in such cases. So make sure that you have couple of cards with you and magnetic strip is enabled on them.

Ok, got it, thanks!

 

[lcpteck]

My attempt at the automated passport clearance booth today ended up with a big X mark and redirect to the manual cbp booth. So much for automated clearance

Oh you tried Global Entry? My interview is in October and hopefully it gets approved. I will be trying it out at San Jose, California on my New Year's trip.

 

[ceecookie]

Oh you tried Global Entry? My interview is in October and hopefully it gets approved. I will be trying it out at San Jose, California on my New Year's trip.

Nope. APC is for repeat ESTA visitors. Global entry was another queue

Good luck on your application

 

[invisible999]

Seriously, you don't have to be rude. I am only asking because I am on a budget and I thought their metro will be pretty decent.

In LA most muggings, killings and stabbing is happening in downtown LA and in their transit system, even during daylight. Take this message from an American, who lived in California for 15 years.

Message here was quite blunt and honest trying to warn you to avoid doing some very costly mistake. And I was not alone.

And what I am getting as payback? Warning from a moderator because 'someone' complained about my message.

Nice. Next time I stay shut and let people 'enjoy their trip'.

Have a nice day.

 

[invisible999]

May I know where do you get the $8 SIM card? I was considering this for my Australian trip a few months back but could only find the $15 SIM card. In fact, some staff at Starhub FB told me Happy Roam only works with $15 SIM.

From their FAQ:

Who is eligible for this service?
All StarHub Prepaid voice & Internet SIM users will be eligible for this service.

Which data plan can be used for Happy Roam?
All Data Plans are applicable for Happy Roam, including free data with top-up. Only the free 100GB data promotion is not applicable.

In a way, $15 SIM is better because it comes with more credits - you can immediately add 1.2GB for $10 and even have credit left in main wallet.

 

[lcpteck]

I have 1 short trip to San Jose and another short trip to San Francisco in January 2017.

Can anybody recommend me a tourist pre-paid SIM card for use? Or are there better alternatives with my StarHub provider?

 

[Shiny Things]

Hi all

We are doing a 18 day road trip in CA in december .. from SF, Yos, DV, GC, LA to SD.

Can I ask whether there is any problem with paying at gas stations using SG credit card ? I read online that the machines will ask for a 5 digit zip code? How do we enter our 6 digit postal code? First 5 digits?

Yeah, people have explained this already, but it won't work - the machine's going to try to validate the address on your card and it won't match. Follow Invisible999's advice: just rock inside and say "$50 on pump x" - they'll make sure your card has $50 of credit available, and then you can pump up to $50 worth of gas.

As a handy rule of thumb: a large car's gas tank is about 16 gallons, and gas in most places is about $3 a gallon (more in SF, less in Nevada), so if you say "$50 on pump whatever" that'll be more than enough to brim your tank.

Pro tip: Arco is almost always the cheapest place to fuel up, but that's because they only take debit cards - no credit cards at all - so be careful there. There are a few Chevrons (mostly in the Bay Area) that take Apple Pay/Visa PayWave, if you've got that hooked up.

 

[xtc 88]

hi Shiny Things

many thanks for your valuable input and suggestion . Now need a good camera to take pics there


after your input and some research i came up with a drive plan i need your input whether it is viable or certain route or stop could cut since it is really December a winter time there ,here it is as follow :-

D1,D2 -SF
D3 -morning leave SF --> Yosemite
D4-Yosemite
D5- Yosemite afternoon leave for --> bakersfield over night here
D6 -Leave bakersfield morning for --> DV
D7-DV
D8- morning depart DV -> Red rock Canyon--> Valley of fire -> stop and stay at Springdale,ZP
D9-ZP
D10-leave ZP morning to Page-->Antheope canyon--> horse shoe --> Cameron trading ----> stop and stay at G C village
D11- GC
D12 -Depart morning GC for LV --hoover dam worth to look at ?
D13 -Depart LV for LA
D13 -LA ahamenin
D14-Santa monica
D15-Santa monica

btw, is madaza 6 or chrylser 2000 okay for above winter condition driving .



Regards

Yep, then your itinerary is pretty good. There's a few things you won't be able to hit, but ten days is a nice compromise - let's see what we can do for you.



Fair question. You won't be able to get over the back of Yosemite (Tioga Pass is going to be snowed in); you almost certainly won't be able to get up to Bryce Canyon; and the Grand Canyon South Rim is going to be a coin-flip (I've been there in October and it's been snowy). Carry snow chains for your car just in case (or get a 4WD), but everything else should be fair game.



Most places will be fine with this - but also, roadside accommodation is cheap.

Let's see what you can do with eleven nights on the road in the great American West...

Day 1: SF to Yosemite. If you leave SF early, you'll have plenty of time to spend the day in Yosemite enjoying the chill (make sure you pack warm!). If you can't get a room in the national park itself for the night, get a room down the hill in Mariposa or Merced.

Day 2: Drive down through Bakersfield to Death Valley National Park (you'll get there late in the evening, trust me, that is a LOOOONG drive, and don't skimp on fuel; once you get past Bakersfield it's pretty bleak). Try to get a room at the Furnace Creek Ranch, which is lovely.

Day 3: Spend the morning seeing the sights in Death Valley - Badwater (the lowest and hottest point in America), Zabriskie Point (a magical overlook), and the Artist's Palette. Then drive out of Death Valley and head for Las Vegas (stopping on the way at the Area 51 Truck Stop and Brothel, just because); spend the night in Vegas (it'll be dirt-cheap in December, so splurge on a nice room in a nice hotel).

Day 4: From your base in Vegas, head out to Red Rock Canyon for the day. In the evening, either treat yourself in your hotel's spa, or go out and catch a show (see below re: Penn and Teller at the Rio).

Pro tip: if you want the best view of the famous Bellagio fountains, go to Hyde nightclub early in the evening, between five and six p.m.; that time of the night you'll have no trouble getting a seat on the outside patio, literally right behind the fountains, where you can enjoy a cocktail and laugh at all the suckers crowded along the Strip on the other side.

Day 5: You can do another day in Vegas if you want, or hit the road and head for Zion Canyon. Stop off at the Valley of Fire on the way for some epic scenery; then press on through Arizona and into Utah. For the easiest access to Zion, stay in the little town of Springdale, right at the park entrance; if you get a room at the Cable Mountain Lodge you can literally walk across a bridge and into the park, or if you're further up town (the Desert Pearl Inn is fab), there's a shuttle bus that takes you to the park entrance.

If Springdale is snowed in, you can stay down the hill in St. George; there's lots of cheap motels there, and you can drive up the hill when the roads re-open.

Day 6: Spend a day in Zion. You've earned it. (I've never done Zion in the winter, so I'm not sure what's open and what isn't, but: post photos when you get back!).

Day 7: Normally at this point I'd tell people to head out the back of Zion and up to Bryce Canyon, but this might be tough. As an alternative, you can get from Zion to Bryce the long way round, through Colorado City and Kanab; this road should be clear even in the winter. (I've driven that road while it was snowing, in a two-wheel-drive sports car, with no chains. It was totally fine, but I needed a change of pants afterward.)

Bryce Canyon NP itself might be snowed in; you'll want to check in advance re: what's open in the park.

Day 8: At this point, it's a bit of a sprint to get back to Los Angeles. Head down to the lil' town of Page, and drop into Antelope Canyon.

Day 9: Head to the big daddy: Grand Canyon Village, on the south rim. This may be quite snowy - the south rim of the Grand Canyon gets surprisingly snowy, and the north rim closes entirely in winter - so drive carefully; stop over at the Cameron Trading Post on the way for souvenirs.

Day 10: Explore the Grand Canyon, then get on the road late in the afternoon. Push on as far west as you can, then bail for the night. Your destination is:

Day 11: Palm Springs, home of 50s Hollywood glamour. Get here, take a tour of the stars' homes, and have a well-earned sleep.

The good thing about ending this trip in Palm Springs is that you're over on the west side of Los Angeles, a quick hour-and-a-half drive from Anaheim, which is where Disneyland is.

Enjoy!

 

[Shiny Things]

D8- morning depart DV -> Red rock Canyon--> Valley of fire -> stop and stay at Springdale,ZP

Oog, this is going to be a really long day. What I'd do is split this day in two: stop in Vegas for the night after Red rock, then do Valley of Fire the next morning.

I actually don't think you need a whole day in Death Valley, either. You can knock it over in a few hours - some time in the evening on day 1, and some time in the morning on day 2. You don't actually want to be in Death Valley at noon anyway; that's when it gets hottest, and you're talking about the single hottest place in the world.

How about this:

On Day 5, leave in the morning (you've got a pretty long time in Yosemite already) and drive all the way through to Death Valley; you'll get there in the late afternoon, so you'll reach DVNP in the cool of the evening.

On day 6, explore DVNP in the morning, then leave around lunchtime, and drive down to Las Vegas. You can pop into Red Rock Canyon in the afternoon on the way into town.

On day 7, leave Las Vegas in the morning; stop and see Valley of Fire on the way through to Springdale.

Day 8 in Zion; day 9 you can head down to Page, and that gives you a leisurely afternoon to do Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Then you can get back on your original schedule.

btw, is madaza 6 or chrylser 2000 okay for above winter condition driving .

Noooo, no no no no no. You want a four-wheel-drive - not just an SUV (which might or might not have 4WD). Check your car before you drive off and make sure it's got actual four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.

 

[invisible999]

Pure driving from Death Valley to Las Vegas is 3 hours and drive from Vegas to Springdale in UT is another 3 hours. Well, unless you want to set land speed record on I-15, my suggestion - don't. Cops are out there with radars.

You need to split the trip on two days. Secondly, spending just one day is Zion - is to see nothing. Trust the person who have been in Zion more than dozen times. If you take shuttle from Springdale and come back - you have missed 99% what you can see there - you need to see Zion both top and bottom.

Two hikes are must in Zion - at Angel's Landing Point and Narrows. Former would take half day, combined with Emerald Pools and latter is full day hike - 8 hours. If Narrows is not an option (too cold water), than East Rim hike with Hidden Canyon and Observation point - another 9h hike with 2200ft elevation change.

 

[xtc 88]

hi shiny things,

appreciate the feedback again.

how long the drive from yosemite to DV actually

can i say that for winter driving best is to get a SUV with 4 wheel drive?
or sedan with 4 wheel is ok as well or there is no 4 wheel saloon in US

regards

Oog, this is going to be a really long day. What I'd do is split this day in two: stop in Vegas for the night after Red rock, then do Valley of Fire the next morning.

I actually don't think you need a whole day in Death Valley, either. You can knock it over in a few hours - some time in the evening on day 1, and some time in the morning on day 2. You don't actually want to be in Death Valley at noon anyway; that's when it gets hottest, and you're talking about the single hottest place in the world.

How about this:

On Day 5, leave in the morning (you've got a pretty long time in Yosemite already) and drive all the way through to Death Valley; you'll get there in the late afternoon, so you'll reach DVNP in the cool of the evening.

On day 6, explore DVNP in the morning, then leave around lunchtime, and drive down to Las Vegas. You can pop into Red Rock Canyon in the afternoon on the way into town.

On day 7, leave Las Vegas in the morning; stop and see Valley of Fire on the way through to Springdale.

Day 8 in Zion; day 9 you can head down to Page, and that gives you a leisurely afternoon to do Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Then you can get back on your original schedule.



Noooo, no no no no no. You want a four-wheel-drive - not just an SUV (which might or might not have 4WD). Check your car before you drive off and make sure it's got actual four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.

 

[invisible999]

I have 1 short trip to San Jose and another short trip to San Francisco in January 2017.

Can anybody recommend me a tourist pre-paid SIM card for use? Or are there better alternatives with my StarHub provider?

Anything you will buy there will be 3x more expensive than Starhub prepaid card - Tmobile's own card start from US $35.

Just get the card and top off it every 6 month with $5 - it will extend the validity of the card for another 6 month.

 

[lcpteck]

Anything you will buy there will be 3x more expensive than Starhub prepaid card - Tmobile's own card start from US $35.

Just get the card and top off it every 6 month with $5 - it will extend the validity of the card for another 6 month.

How much data does it have? I'm mainly getting the Tourist SIM card for purely data.

 

[lastkopek]

In LA most muggings, killings and stabbing is happening in downtown LA and in their transit system, even during daylight. Take this message from an American, who lived in California for 15 years.

Message here was quite blunt and honest trying to warn you to avoid doing some very costly mistake. And I was not alone.

And what I am getting as payback? Warning from a moderator because 'someone' complained about my message.

Nice. Next time I stay shut and let people 'enjoy their trip'.

Have a nice day.

Truth hurts..

Sometimes people dont realize how dangerous is LA. Even if you drive follow gps, you might end up passing some bad neighbour hood. Tale sign is the graffiti on the walls.

Skip the public transport in LA.

 

[gerald85]

Is there a booth/shop for T Mobile at LAX airport? Planning to get a sim card to use for GPS and data during the roadtrip

 

[invisible999]

How much data does it have? I'm mainly getting the Tourist SIM card for purely data.

The $15 SIM card comes with $18 credit. Using that credit you can buy 2.4GB of data for $15 which lasts for 30 days. Or 1.2GB of data for $10. Take a look:

http://www.starhub.com/personal/mobile/prepaid-plans/data-add-on-plans/prepaid-data-plan.html

One thing to remember - you won't get 4G speeds on your phone because Tmobile 4G will use different frequencies.

 

[lcpteck]

The $15 SIM card comes with $18 credit. Using that credit you can buy 2.4GB of data for $15 which lasts for 30 days. Or 1.2GB of data for $10. Take a look:

http://www.starhub.com/personal/mobile/prepaid-plans/data-add-on-plans/prepaid-data-plan.html

One thing to remember - you won't get 4G speeds on your phone because Tmobile 4G will use different frequencies.

Now I just need a phone with dual sim. Guess I'll buy a Samsung Galaxy S7 if needed. Anybody wants a Samsung Galaxy S6?