Whether the immigration angels were looking down on us or not, my family and I (two adults and two children under 5) breezed through LAX both on arrival and departure. Family lines were opened for us, and the passport queue on entry was just four passengers deep; we sailed through in around 20 minutes.
TOP TIP: Download the MPC app. New since April 2026, this helps speed up the Customs process. While on your flight, use the app to take a selfie and answer a few questions, which can be done up to four hours before landing in the United States.
Hiring a car from LAX
This isn’t Wellington – you’re not rolling off your flight and into a rental car stationed outside the terminal. The LAX Rental Car Centre is 4km from the airport and requires a shuttle. There are various pickup points outside terminals, but you’ll have to signal the coach displaying the name of your rental company. The driver will help load and offload your luggage, so have a few dollars on hand to tip.
A 10-minute ride later, you’ll be deposited in a neighbourhood-sized car rental mecca. Desks for each company are upstairs, and once the paperwork’s finalised, you’ll collect your vehicle from the undercover garage.
TOP TIP: Hiring a child seat, too? Don’t hang around waiting for help – plastic-wrapped capsules are self-service, and you simply pick the right size for your kid(s) and affix.
Navigating multi-lane motorways
We’ve all seen footage of OJ Simpson hurtling down a multi-lane highway in his white Ford Bronco. Even in 1993, the vastness of those wide motorways startled me more than the ludicrous chase.
Anna Sarjeant shares tips for a budget-friendly US road trip with her family in California. Photo / Unsplash
Full disclosure. I refused to drive. With the right-hand-side predicament – and two children on board – I don’t do six-lane LA driving with 70mph (112km/h) speed limits.
Fortunately, my husband is a competent and confident driver – and you need to be both. Los Angeles is fast and furious, and the slow lane is actually the fast lane, and the fast lane (which is the slow lane) is often an exit-only lane, with seemingly no warning.
TOP TIP: Carpool lanes are known as HOV lanes – simply meet passenger requirements as per NZ. However, be mindful of Express Lanes. Albeit tempting, drivers need to acquire a FasTrak Transponder before using them – or expect a fine.
Are road laws different, difficult, or both?
Road into LA. Photo/ Unsplash
Only twice did we set off on the left-hand side of the road, and mercifully, both times we were cruising quiet streets with no vehicles.
It did take a full day of driving to find ease with the rules of the road, but at no point did we experience any hostility from other drivers. To the contrary, most Californians drove with signature Californian chill.
TOP TIP: In California, drivers can turn right on a red light. There are stipulations, so I’d read up on these before hiring a car. I found it disconcerting; my husband revelled in the rebellion.
Finding downtime among the drive time
Signature palm trees. Photo/ Unsplash
Spoiler. The US is big. California alone is 1.5 times bigger than New Zealand. If you want to get from A to B, you’ll have to put in the drive time. And that’s okay, because absorbing the state’s celebrated landscape as it zips past at 60mph is a road trip highlight. From cloud-poking palm trees to coastal vistas, the Californian version of I-spy is a non-stop delight.
TOP TIP: Breaking up the trip is a no-brainer, but look beyond the fuel stops. The Cabazon Dinosaurs, which include Large Marge and her dino mates, are along Interstate 10. An icon of any Californian roadie, there’s a dinosaur trail, foraging opportunities for dino eggs (prizes included) and a gift shop in the body of a diplodocus.
Large Marge. Photo / Anna Sarjeant
Family safety
No such thing as stranger danger for us, more like nice as pie. Less than two minutes after we left LAX, a gentleman saw me looking confused and asked if I needed help (“Ma’am”), and on our last night, a lovely young chap offered to take a photograph of my son and me on the steps of our restaurant (“cuuuuute girlfriend”).
Only once, while filling up the gas in LA, did we find ourselves on a sketchy forecourt, akin to a scene from Grand Theft Auto. My oldest son, brought up in NZ and as innocent as they come, jumped out of the car and shouted, “Oooh, mummy – dandelions!” and proceeded to pick (in all likelihood a urine-drenched) flowerbud and blow its seedlings … “fairies!!”
Everyone stopped and looked over, including the hazy-eyed man who may have had a substance-use disorder, but if anything, I think they found my son’s behaviour quite novel.
TOP TIP: Be smart, not skittish. Pick the dandelions.
On-the-ground costs
I spent US$18 (pre-tax) on a Piglet pen, which was extreme but not as extreme as my reaction when my bank statement converted it to NZ$40. At the time, I felt bad that the 1-year-old wasn’t getting any Disney gifts. That same 1-year-old tossed it and lost it within the first five minutes.
Screenshot Disneyland. Photo / Anna Sarjeant
There’s no getting around this – the USA is not cheap right now. The current exchange rate is rough on Kiwi travellers, and it’s easy to forget add-ons such as tax and tips. However, it can be cheaper.
Load up on cereal and lunch items from supermarkets and Trader Joe’s stores – for in-room breakfast and picnic lunches. Certain on-ground activities are cheaper if you book in advance. Research “free days” which are common at places such as museums and botanic gardens. We also spent an entire morning at playgrounds and arcade bars, where US$40 paid for myriad games – and culminated in points towards “free” toys.
TOP TIP: LA’s famed Griffith Observatory is a cultural landmark and entry to the building, its grounds and public telescopes is free. You can also take the obligatory photo of the Hollywood sign here. Our children happily ran around the lawn area and stretched their car legs. Their smiles and laughter? Free of charge.
CHECKLIST
California
Getting there
Fly direct from Auckland to LAX in around 12 hours with Air New Zealand.
DETAILS
Visit California | visitcalifornia.com
Visit Ventura | visitventuraca.com
Visit Anaheim | visitanaheim.org
Visit Greater Palm Springs | visitgreaterpalmsprings.com
New Zealand Herald Travel travelled courtesy of Visit California, Visit Ventura, Visit Anaheim and Visit Greater Palm Springs.