Los Angeles holidays

The Pacific Ocean borders this sprawling west-coast city, so it’s a great choice if you're looking for a city and beach break in one. Drive for 20 minutes – or take an hour’s bus ride – and you’ll get to family-friendly Santa Monica Beach, along with Venice Beach, which is prime people-watching territory. Or, venture further north, into the city of Malibu, for more of a back-to-nature beach scene.

Iconic Santa Monica Beach turns heads with its silky white sands, which roll out for three and a half miles. Its 100-year-old wooden pier’s stocked with all your classic seaside attractions, like an arcade and a big wheel, along with a trapeze school and an aquarium. There’s a clutch of restaurants here, too, including a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. And you can work off the calories on one of the volleyball courts or at the Muscle Beach open-air gym.

If you want a slice of Californian coastline all to yourself, try El Matador State Beach, a 50-minute drive out of the city. This small and secluded stretch of sand is backed by cliffs and peppered with rock formations, which look particularly impressive at sunset.

In between LA’s glitzy designer stores, there are a few outlets where you can snap up a bargain. At the al fresco Citadel outlet – the most accessible, thanks to its central location – you can often find big-name brands with up to 70% off. Calvin Klein, Banana Republic and Gap all feature on the directory. There are restaurants, cafés and a chocolate shop here, too.

Apple gadgets, MAC make-up and American Girl toys are the types of thing you can pick up at The Grove – an open-air shopping village. Even if you’re not looking to exercise your credit card, it’s a popular place to hang out, thanks to the pretty fountain-and-tree-strewn boardwalks. It's home to lots of outdoor restaurants and a cinema, as well.

Rodeo Drive is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. You’ll recognise it from its starring role in Hollywood blockbusters, like Pretty Woman, and it’s popular with celebrities who pull up in their shiny Lamborghinis to splash the cash. And when we say cash, we mean lots of it. It’s only top-of-the-range labels that stake a claim here, including Fendi, Rolex and Valentino.

Catching a concert's easy in LA, thanks to venues like the futuristic-looking Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl – a huge outdoor amphitheatre set against the iconic Hollywood hills. The two have a regularly changing schedule of musical acts, from classic orchestral sets to Mamma Mia! sing-along shows.

Downtown LA has all the ingredients for a great night out, with popular restaurants, cocktail bars and nightclubs all present and correct. The drinking holes come in every form, from the daybed-strewn rooftop at The Standard, to prohibition era-themed speakeasies, like The Edison.

LA’s oceanside location means it’s easy to catch a bite of seafood. Head to the Santa Monica seafront to dine close to the source – just-shucked oysters, shrimp skewers and lobster rolls are all listed on the menus here.

You can’t go to LA without tucking into one of their staple French dip sandwiches – which actually have nothing French about them. A soft baguette is dipped in jus and then loaded up with slices of roast beef.

Nearby San Bernardino was the location for the first ever McDonald’s, so fast-food spots and drive-throughs reign supreme in these parts. In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys and Fatburger are just a few places you can head for a fries fix.

The California roll was invented as a way to introduce sushi to this part of the world in the Sixties, and the native Japanese cuisine has sky-rocketed here since. It’s rolled up at both budget-friendly, all-you-can-eat buffets and swanky, fine-dining restaurants throughout the city.

Neighbouring Mexico has had a whole heap of influence over the food in LA – you can get tacos, and wash them down with tequila, on almost every corner. The Chipotle chain is our pick for on-the-go Mexican staples.