Alitalia Flights from Paris, France (CDG) to Los Angeles (LAX)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Alitalia, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Paris, France (CDG) to Los Angeles (LAX) regularly scheduled to depart at 10:15am and arrive at 12:50pm, and 2 additional non-stop flights, departing between 1:15pm and 4:30pm on select days of the week. Usually an Airbus A340-300 or Boeing 777-200 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Paris, France to Los Angeles, CA is 11 hours and 40 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Will Rogers State Historic Park
Will Rogers State Historic Park was once Will Rogers's private ranch and grounds. Willed to the state of California in 1944, the 168-acre estate is now both a park and a historic site, supervised by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Visitors may explore the grounds, the former stables, and the 31-room house filled with the original furnishings, including a porch swing in the living room and many Native American rugs and baskets. Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, hid out here in the 1930s during part of the craze that followed the kidnap and murder of their first son. There are picnic tables, but no food is sold.Who's Will Rogers, you ask? He was born in Oklahoma in 1879 and became a cowboy in the Texas Panhandle before drifting into a Wild West show as a folksy, speechifying roper. The "cracker-barrel philosopher" performed lariat tricks while carrying on a humorous deadpan monologue on current events. The showman moved to Los Angeles in 1919, where he become a movie actor as well as the author of numerous books detailing his down-home "cowboy philosophy."
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The "Fighting Dinosaurs" are not a high school football team, but the trademark symbol of this massive museum: Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops skeletons poised in a stance so realistic that every kid feels inspired to imitate their Jurassic Park bellows (think Calvin & Hobbes). Opened in 1913 in a beautiful domed Spanish Renaissance building, this massive museum -- it's the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States -- is a 35-hall warehouse of Earth's history, chronicling the planet and its inhabitants from 600 million years ago to the present day, and housing more than 33 million specimens and artifacts. There's a mind-numbing array of exhibits of prehistoric fossils, bird and marine life, gems and minerals, and North American mammals. The kid-friendly Discovery Center entertains children via hands-on, interactive exhibits: Kids can make fossil rubbings, dig for fossils, and view live animals such as snakes and lizards. The best permanent displays include the world's rarest shark, a walk-through vault of priceless gems (including the largest collection of gold in the United States), and an Insect Zoo.The Dinosaur Shop sells ant farms and exploding volcano and model kits, the Ethnic Arts Shop has one-of-a-kind folk art and jewelry from around the world, and the bookstore has an extensive selection of scientific titles and hobbyists' field guides.
Griffith Park
Mining tycoon Col. Griffith J. Griffith donated these 4,107 acres to the city in 1896 as a Christmas gift. Today Griffith Park is the largest urban park in America. There's a lot to do here, including 53 miles of hiking trails (the prettiest is the Fern Dell trail near the Western Ave. entrance, a shady hideaway cooled by waterfalls and ferns), horseback riding, golfing, swimming, biking, and picnicking (see "Golf, Hiking & Other Fun in the Warm California Sun," later in this chapter). For a general overview of the park, drive the mountainous loop road that winds from the top of Western Avenue, past Griffith Observatory, and down to Vermont Avenue. For a more extensive foray, turn north at the loop road's midsection, onto Mt. Hollywood Drive. To reach the golf courses, the Museum of the American West, or Los Angeles Zoo, take Los Feliz Boulevard to Riverside Drive, which runs along the park's western edge.Near the zoo, in a particularly dusty corner of the park, you can find the Travel Town Transportation Museum, 5200 Zoo Dr. (tel. 323/662-5874), a little-known outdoor museum with a small collection of vintage locomotives and old airplanes. Kids love the miniature train ride that circles the perimeter of the museum. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm; admission is free. Griffith Park entrances are along Los Feliz Boulevard, at Riverside Drive, Vermont Avenue, and Western Avenue (Hollywood; tel. 323/913-4688; www.laparks.org/grifmet/griffith.htm). Park admission is free.
Sheraton Universal Hotel
Despite the addition of the sleekly modern Hilton just uphill, the 21-story Sheraton is still considered "the" Universal City hotel of choice for tourists, businesspeople, and industry folks visiting the studios' production offices. Located on the back lot of Universal Studios, it has a spacious 1960s feel, with updated styling and amenities. Although the Sheraton does its share of convention/event business, the hotel feels more leisure-oriented than the Hilton next door (an outdoor elevator connects the two properties). Choose a Lanai room for balconies that overlook the lushly planted pool area, or a Tower room for stunning views and solitude. The hotel is very close to the Hollywood Bowl, and you can practically roll out of bed and into the theme park (via a continuous complimentary shuttle). An extra $35 per night buys a Club Level room -- worth the money for the extra in-room amenities, plus free continental breakfast and afternoon hors d'oeuvres; business rooms also feature a movable workstation and a fax/copier/printer.Facilities: Casual indoor/outdoor restaurant; lobby lounge w/pianist; Starbucks coffee cart in lobby; outdoor pool and whirlpool; health club; game room; concierge; free shuttle to Universal Studios every 15 minutes; business center; room service (6am-midnight); babysitting; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; executive-level rooms.
Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
There are three reasons to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey: 1) You're a watercraft cognoscenti and you desire a serene view of 10,000 beautiful sailboats and yachts from your private balcony; 2) You want to take advantage of this business hotel's excellent weekend rates; or 3) You want to stay in style near the airport (a traffic-free 10-min. ride). Otherwise, if you just want to be pampered at a luxury resort hotel, a better choice is one of the other two Ritz-Carlton properties in Pasadena or Dana Point. In typical Ritz-Carlton fashion, the Marina del Rey is swathed in elegant European decor -- Italian marble bathrooms, French doors leading to private balconies, English countryside oil paintings, and the most comfortable goose-down feather bed I've ever slept in. The two top floors consist of the Club Lounge, with a dedicated concierge, on-the-house cocktails, and complimentary gourmet spreads all day (including breakfast). Tip: Request one of the "27 series" rooms, which are larger and have the best views. Thanks to its marina location, the hotel offers yacht and sailing charters, and reserves several slips for boat-bound customers. Venice Beach is about a 15-minute walk, but it's easier to rent a bicycle from the hotel.The hotel's superb restaurant, Jer-ne[li] (pronounced "journey"), serves New World cuisine in a stylishly modern setting, but I prefer a table on the deck overlooking the harbor. Be sure to sample chef Troy Thompson's unique Bento Box: five contrasting delicacies artfully arranged in a traditional Japanese box (a full meal for one).Facilities: 2 restaurants; 2 lounges (bar, lobby lounge for high tea); heated outdoor pool and whirlpool; 2 lighted tennis courts; fitness center; sauna; bicycle rentals; basketball court; concierge; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry-cleaning service.
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
This intimate-feeling 16-story hotel attracts a mix of A-list jet-setters loyal to the Four Seasons brand and an L.A. showbiz crowd who cherish the hotel as an après-event gathering place. The small marbled lobby is anchored by an always-stunning floral extravaganza, and lush gardens will help you forget you're in the heart of the city. Four Seasons operates terrific hotels, with a concierge that's famously well connected and service that goes the distance. Guest rooms are sumptuously furnished in traditional style and pastel hues. Luxuries include custom extrastuffed Sealy mattresses with heavenly linens and pillows, marble bathrooms with vanity TV, and French doors leading to private balconies. Room rates rise with the elevator, so bargain hunters need to sacrifice the view; ask for a corner room to get extra space at no additional cost.Since you're already in for a penny, get the pounding as well: a California Sunset Massage at one of the private poolside cabanas. Along with a full-service spa, the view-endowed fourth-floor deck features a lap pool, poolside grill, and glass-walled fitness center. Gardens is a refined and excellent California-French restaurant often overlooked by locals.
