We travelled to LA and San Diego when our little one was 5.5 months old. I can truly say that travelling with a baby got slightly less easy with each trip (this is trip 4 since his birth). It was still extremely doable and enjoyable, but there were a few changes we had to make on our subsequent trip to Rome for instance.
LA is one of my favourite cities. It's got a cool and trendy mix of great places to eat, places to stay, art and museums, beaches and the usual tourist attractions. We did not see many babies in the city overall, I have to admit. But that might be because of where we stayed and ventured to. However, we found staff in hotels and restaurants so accommodating towards our little one. They made the stay so easy! What I loved, versus London for instance, is that they were really considerate in a restaurant in terms of where we were seated and baby's needs. All in all, definitely a city to go to with your little one!
Overall, I recommend car hire or using taxis in this city. Public transport is not notable and walking is not an option as the city is big! Take your travel stroller along. You have wide smooth pavements to ride on. Baby changing facilities can be found in most places like shopping malls, hotels and chain cafes. Beware of the time difference if you are travelling back East and prepare for how you will adapt baby. It took our little one 1 week to finally get back into his rhythm and routine. Most hotels provide babysitters which need to be booked in advance at $30 an hour. You will need to also pay for their travel.
There are so many things to do in LA. We have been a few times before but these are our 10 top baby friendly things to do in LA.
Universal Studios
We loved this attraction, our favourite being the Wizarding World. Time your visit, please, especially if you are travelling with a baby! There is a lot to do and it's all achievable only if you get in at first entry and leave late. However, the wait times are bad so a fast track pass is not a bad option. There is a parent swap option for rides where one parent goes on the ride, whilst the other waits, and then the other (the other joins the fast track queue after the 1st parent returns). This works really well, in most places, unless the fast track queue is long. We found that we spent 1.5 hours at Despicable Me for instance which wasn't great. Babies will love this area, and the whole park, with many movie characters walking around. Beware that strollers are allowed, but you do need to pack them up and carry them when you use escalators with babies. The other thing to note about strollers, is that you need to park them in front of the ride, in the stroller park if you wish to ride. It seemed safe enough but in many places strollers were left unguarded so this is at your own risk. We did the Universal Studios Tour where babies are allowed but I wouldn't recommend it for toddlers or older infants as some of the virtual reality scenes might be scary.
Retail Therapy
LA is great for shopping with so many places to go! Of course, you have the famous Rodeo Drive for high end brands, but also Melrose Place & Avenue for mid-high brands and places like Century City and The Beverly Centre for more diverse brand shopping. For us, coming from the UK, prices were extremely competitive so we returned with fully packed bags!
Malibu Visit
We love Malibu! Particularly Malibu Pier and Robert H Meyer Memorial State Beach for the most beautiful scenic views. Use a carrier/sling for the latter as there are steep stairs to go down the cliff to the beach. A great picnic spot!
Getty Museum
Great art collection here and very baby friendly. A must do in LA!
Santa Monica Pier
Very baby friendly. There are lifts to access the pier from the car park, but these are found only with the restaurants like Bubba Gump. Baby will love the beach, sounds and lights. Pack a picnic here. Also check out the original muscle gym here, just off the pier.
Griffith Observatory
See the cosmos through telescopes and visit the planetarium. More importantly, take in the views of LA and the Hollywood sign. Good park and baby friendly access with stroller.
Disneyland
Completely flat as opposed to Universal Studios so very baby/stroller friendly, and lots of sights and sounds for baby.
Hollywood Sign
There are so many places to take a picture with this sign. We tried the Beachwood Canyon Drive at Glen Holly. Easy drivable route and you can park so you can get a picture with baby and the sign.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Check this out on Sunset Boulevard. Easy pavement walking and stroller access
Venice Beach
Go here for a nice stroll with baby to take in the canals behind the beach area, and do lots of people watching.
Note that Warner Bros Studio does not allow tours with a baby or children under 8 so please get a babysitter if you wish to do this.