Whether it is a business trip or a vacation, planning in advance is always helpful. A well planned trip to any city helps derive maximum benefit out of it and saves from several hassles. If you are considering visiting Long Beach, California, it is crucial that you efficiently plan your travel to the city and within the city by obtaining sufficient information about the city. This article aims at delivering useful information about Long Beach and will help you significantly for your tour to the city.
Basic information about the city:
Long Beach is situated on the Pacific coast and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is the 7th largest city in the state and 36th largest in the country with a population of over 460,000 residents. The city is also the 2nd largest city of Greater Los Angeles area and is only next to the city of Los Angeles. 
The city’s port is one of the leading ports in the world and in terms of container transportation, it is the second busiest in the country. The city also has a flourishing oil industry and manufacturing sector. Long Beach has seen several human settlements for over 10 millennia. The region was dominated by the Tongva tribe before the arrival of Spanish sailors in 16th century. The modern day city was incorporated on 13th December 1897.
Important sites in Long Beach:
· Aquarium of the Pacific is situated on the Rainbow Harbor and is spread in an area of over 5 acres.
· Ocean liner RMS Queen Mary which was built in 1936 is docked permanently on the port of Long Beach.
· El Dorado Regional Park is popular for its archery range, camping grounds, fishing lakes and picnic spots. The park constitutes 815 acres of land.
· Rancho Los Alamitos is a historical place in the city. It includes a ranch house built circa 1800.
· Other major sites in the city include Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden and Rancho Los Cerritos.
Long Beach is known for:
Long Beach is known for its port, oil and manufacturing industry. The port is the 2nd busiest container port in the United States and is a major commercial port globally. City also has large proven oil reserves which is a major industry in Long Beach. The city has large naval shipyard industry and manufacturing industry.
Best restaurants and hotels in Long Beach:
Super 8 Long Beach, Hilton Long Beach, The Varden Hotel, Kearney Motel and Hyatt Regency are the major hotels in the city. Best restaurants in the city include George’s Greek Café for Greek food, Open Sesame for middle eastern cuisine, Crème De La Crepe, 555 East, the Breakfast Bar and Pier 76 Fish Grill for the best seafood.
Points of interest:
Long Beach has several points of interest for different types of people. For art connoisseur, the Long Beach Museum of Art is a great place to visit. Music lovers would find Bob Cole Conservatory of Music an interesting place and theatre lovers can find several theatre companies in the city. 
Local or travel tips:
Long Beach Airport is the local airport in the city while the nearest international airport is the Los Angeles International Airport. The intra-city transport is supported by the light rail service known as Blue Line while the tourism is majorly served in the city by the taxicabs.