Parents know that sometimes the thrill of simply riding the transportation to a main attraction is enough fun.  In Los Angeles, the CitySightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off open-air double decker bus glides through  the bustling city, past colorful neighborhoods with a variety of tempting aromas, and alongside beaches dotted with runners, sunbathers and cyclists, making the ride in the California sunshine the attraction itself for most children.  But when you add in stops at the most popular family-friendly attractions along the way, you have the makings of a fun-filled family holiday which is hassle-free.  Starline Tours, the most trusted name in Los Angeles tours, has introduced two new Family Fun Itineraries highlighting places to visit using the Starline CitySightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off service that promises no bored children on board from toddlers to teens.

The 100-mile CitySightseeing Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off service, the world's largest, offers four different colored tour routes which combine to stretch across the entire city. The Green Route Family Fun Itinerary covers the beach cities of Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey, while the Red Route Family Fun Itinerary covers Greater Hollywood.                

These itineraries are the ideal way to explore Los Angeles with a mix of fun and learning, exploring different cultures, shopping and dining for every taste, and experiencing outdoor California lifestyle activities – all of which adds up to a superb family holiday.  Each passenger receives a personal headset to experience the tour in their choice of nine languages, or unplug and enjoy the ride without commentary.   Parents will delight in the fact that there is no worry of car rental, driving and parking.

The full itineraries are available at www.citysightseeingLA.com/itineraries where discounted tickets may be purchased in advance for 24, 48 or 72 hour use.  There is also an online special where 48 hour tickets can be purchased at full price ($59 for adults, and $35 for children 3-11) and each ticket then comes with a complimentary admission ticket to Madame Tussauds Hollywood (a savings of up to $27).  An added bonus with every Starline CitySightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off ticket is the Show & $ave program – which turns the bus ticket into a savings pass at many attractions, with many offering two admissions for the price of one (details can be found online or on the brochure map).  The greatest value is the Family pricing, for two adults and three children ages 3-12, which is $125.00 for a 24-hour ticket and $170.00 for a 48-hour ticket (young than age three is complimentary.)  Family tickets are only available by telephone, toll free 1-855-452-4676 or direct, 1-323-950-6155. Tickets may also be purchased directly from the driver, so the fun and shopping may begin anywhere.  Some highlights of the CitySightseeing LA Hop-On Hop-Off Family Fun Itineraries include:

Santa Monica Pier is a great place to start.  Seen in countless television shows and movies, the iconic pier stretches out into the Pacific Ocean and has fun shops and restaurants. The pier's main attraction is Pacific Park on the Pier, a traditional pier amusement park which sits over the sea and features the world's first solar-powered Ferris wheel, while the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium has been voted by Nickelodeon as the “best place for family bonding” and is a delightful ocean classroom with touch tanks. (Green Route, Stop 81)

It is hard to go wrong choosing a beach in Los Angeles, but for families, Marina Beach, lovingly referred to as Mother's Beach because of its calm waters and no surf, is a great spot for families with young children.  A children's playground is nearby and these calm waters make a great place to learn to Paddleboard, with rentals and instruction available. (Green Route, Stop 74 or 86). Families with teenagers, though, may prefer the wide surf-filled beaches of Santa Monica or Venice Beach, and beach supplies such as chairs, umbrellas and surfboards can be rented from Perry's Bike & Beach (Green Route, Stop 82). Families can also rent bikes or skates from Perry's Bike & Beach to explore the coast using the Coastal Bike Trail which runs through Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey.  For more marine adventures visit Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey. With the feel of a Cape Code village, it is a good place to spot coastal wildlife, grab a snack from a dockside café, rent kayaks, jet skis or boats from Marina del Rey Rentals, or take flight with Marina del Rey Parasailing along the California coast.  (Green Route, Stop 71)

Sports-minded families will not want to miss spending some time in Venice, which is the birthplace of modern skateboarding. Here the Venice Skate Park is located next to the beach with 27,000 square feet of concrete featuring two bowls, a snake run, rails, stairs, and ledges and boxes. It's free to use and to watch.  Nearby are the Venice Basketball Courts, where the high level of street ball has produced many college and NBA stars, and is a great place for an open-air workout. (Green Route, Stop 76 or 84)

 Parents who like to blend education with fun have many museum choices in Los Angeles.  Two of the best for families are accessible on the Hop-On Hop-Off Red Route (Stop 10) The La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum piques the interests of junior paleontologists and scientists – where a million fossils from the ice age have been discovered.  The tar pit acted like giant flypaper, trapping and sticking animals into the tar.  The George C. Page Museum does an excellent job of bringing the animals “back to life” with interactive displays to understand and explore the phenomenon. Across the street is the Peterson Automotive Museum.  Welcome to LA's car culture!  Children learn basic scientific principles through the fundamental functions of a car in the Discovery Center, or just admire the many hot rods, motorcycles, trucks and movie cars on display.  

No trip to Los Angeles is complete without shopping, just ask your teen who will want to hop off the bus at Melrose Avenue, where fashion shops range from eccentric to mainstream, affordable to upscale, and grungy to glamorous.  (Red Route, Stop 12) A separate Vintage Shopping itinerary is available at www.citysightseeingla.com/itineraries for some cheap and unique finds. The whole family will find something at the Original Farmers Market with its large range of restaurants, specialty stores, bakeries and grocers. Next door sits The Grove, a breezy designer brand shopping experience, and home to animated musical fountains. Young girls will not want to miss The American Girl store, a large flagship store with the full range of dolls, a doll hair salon, a photo studio, the café and matching clothing options for girls and their dolls. (Red Route, Stop 11)

The end to an active day is a stroll along Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame to spot favorite star names on the sidewalk, then take a family photo with the backdrop of the Hollywood Sign on the hill from the Babylon Court Archway at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center. While at Hollywood & Highland, kids will want to visit Sweet!, the greatest candy store on earth with 30,000 square feet of every imaginable sweet experience and a “Yucky” section for boys and an “As If” section for girls. Then relax and take in a family movie at the El Capitan Theatre, the Disney Premiere House, where Disney tunes are often played on an historic Wurlitzer organ before the movie, actual movie props are often featured in the lobby areas and there are even occasional live stage shows before the movie featuring Disney characters.  (Red Route, Stop 1)

More suggestions on what to do while enjoying the Starline CitySightseeing Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour can be found at www.CitySightseeing.com/itineraries where a wide range of itineraries are available including shopping, discount shopping, movies & TV and general sightseeing.    For more information about the Hop-On Hop-Off service visit www.citysightseeingla.com or call toll free 1-855-452-4676 or 1-323-580-6155. The CitySightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off tour is fully narrated in nine languages and delivered via personal headsets for crystal clear, informative touring.                                   

About Starline Tours

Hollywood's number one celebrity tour company, Starline Tours, is the oldest and largest tour company in Los Angeles, having pioneered the famous Movie Stars' Homes Tour in 1935.  A full range of sightseeing tours of Los Angeles and Southern California is available. Starline Tours has been featured on Ellen, American Idol, the Muppet Movies, Iron Man 3, NBC's Today Show, as well as newspapers and travel magazines from around the world.  Starline Tours operates the Grand Tour of Los Angeles in nine languages, and the world's largest Hop-On, Hop-Off tour with Starline's CitySightseeing Double-Decker buses offering comprehensive tour narration in nine languages via personal headsets. The open-top Movie Stars' Homes Tour and TMZ Hollywood Tour, recommended by travel agents worldwide, are visitor favorites and operate daily.

 Tours to theme parks, movie studios, San Diego and Tijuana are available, with pick up from more than 250 hotels in the Los Angeles.  With locations throughout Hollywood, a new Visitor Welcome Center at Hollywood & Highland and a ticket office at (Grauman's) TCL Chinese Theatre at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, the company also has a sales office on Santa Monica Pier, starting point for the Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour, a new Santa Monica Terminal at 11857 Santa Monica Boulevard, and in Anaheim at the Travelodge across from Disneyland Resort.  The company is privately owned, will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2015, and is operated in conjunction with TourCoach – the company's Bus Charter division. For reservations, visit www.starlinetours.com or call toll free 1-800-959-3131 or direct at 1-323-463-3333. 

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Media Contacts:

Susan Wilson, Publicist, Starline Tours,  (480) 824-3015, susanwilson129@gmail.com

Philip Ferentinos, Director, Starline Tours, (323) 785-6707 or (323) 864 8339 Philip@starlinetours.com