Could I use Anaheim as a base?

Question

Traveling to Disneyland end of summer. Want to see some tourist things in Hollywood/Santa Monica. Are day trips from Anaheim a pain? Should I move closer to Hollywood? I just hate having to change hotels during a trip but I also do not want to be stuck in the car all day either.

Answer

Anaheim is excellent for Disneyland, but it is not centrally located for sightseeing in Los Angeles. Whether you should use Anaheim as your base or switch hotels depends on how much time you plan to spend in Hollywood, Santa Monica, and other LA attractions. The distances may not look far on a map, but LA traffic can make day trips long and tiring.

Below is a detailed explanation of what to expect, how long drives really take, and the pros/cons of staying in Anaheim vs splitting your stay.

Driving times from Anaheim (realistic, not ideal)

Anaheim → Hollywood: 45–75 minutes each way (can hit 90+ minutes in rush hour)
Anaheim → Griffith Observatory: 60–90 minutes
Anaheim → Universal Studios: 60–90 minutes
Anaheim → Santa Monica: 60–100 minutes depending on the 405 freeway
Anaheim → Venice Beach: 60–90+ minutes

So yes — day trips are totally doable, but they involve long drives and heavy traffic, especially in the afternoon.

When Anaheim works fine as a base

If you only want to visit Los Angeles attractions once or twice and spend most of your time at Disneyland or relaxing in Orange County, Anaheim is perfectly reasonable. You will have one or two long driving days, but you avoid the hassle of changing hotels.

You plan 2–3 days mostly at Disneyland.
You only want 1 day in Hollywood or Santa Monica.
You prefer staying in one hotel the entire trip.
You don’t mind leaving Anaheim early in the morning to avoid rush hour.

When it’s better to split your stay

If you want to explore LA in more depth, staying in Anaheim quickly becomes inconvenient. Hollywood, Universal Studios, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Downtown LA are much closer to each other than to Anaheim.

You want to spend 2 or more full days sightseeing in LA.
You want evenings in LA (Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood Blvd, night views at Griffith Observatory).
You dislike long drives or being stuck on the 5 or 405 freeway every day.
You want easier access to restaurants, nightlife, and tourist experiences.

Best strategy if you really hate changing hotels

Many people choose this compromise: stay in Anaheim your whole trip, but schedule LA sightseeing smartly.

Leave Anaheim before 8:00 AM to avoid the worst traffic.
Do Hollywood + Griffith Observatory in one day (they’re near each other).
Do Santa Monica + Venice Beach on another day.
Return to Anaheim after dinner to miss rush-hour traffic.
Consider parking in Hollywood and using the Metro to avoid driving between sights.

This reduces the pain of driving but still allows you to avoid switching hotels.

A practical example itinerary

Days 1–3: Disneyland/California Adventure, Downtown Disney, rest days in Anaheim.
Day 4: Hollywood → Griffith Observatory → Beverly Hills → back to Anaheim.
Day 5: Santa Monica → Venice Beach → drive back late evening.

This way you only have 1–2 long drives and keep Anaheim as your home base.

Final recommendation

If you only want to see the LA tourist highlights briefly, Anaheim is a perfectly fine base — just plan for early starts. But if you want multiple days of sightseeing and don’t want long commutes, then splitting your stay and moving one or two nights to Hollywood or Santa Monica will be much more enjoyable.

Could I use Anaheim as a base?

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