is it better to vacation in los angeles or san diego?

[nyclivelife]

i really want to go to LA to see the city and such, but we want to spend a lot of time on the beach. san diego has seaworld..how long is the drive between these cities? is there a bus or train system connecting them? how long would that commute be? Thanks!
or another place in cali?
malibu maybe?
where are the most beautiful beaches?
shopping?
eating?
what about location?
i know in new york we stayed a little out of the city in seacaucus and the commute back in was only 10 min on a bus.
is there something like that in cali? wheres the best place to actually STAY...outside the city were by or in it?

 

[Tony]

My advice would be to spend half your trip in LA (one of my favorite places) then to San Diego (which is an awesome town). You can drive which will take about 2-3 hours give-or-take. You can take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train from Los Angeles Union Station to San Diego Santa Fe depot. That will take about the same time, maybe a little quicker. But honestly try to do both--its worth it!

My last advice about LA is do not stay in any hotel that says "Financial Center". Theres nothing around and its in the heart of boring LA. Stay in Santa Monica, Long Beach, Hollywood, etc. Only problem is the transit system isn't as vast and accessible as New York, so renting a car is highly recommended because all of the sights to see are spread out and a little far from the city itself...such as Disneyland in Anaheim.