that are as near as your family car

Got a yen to travel, but time, finances or other reasons have you vacationing at home this year? You can get the flavor of many of the world’s exotic locales without leaving California. No passport hassles, forget the shots, leave the traveler’s checks behind. Just jump in your car and go.

There are many international locations in Southern California--the more familiar Chinatown and Koreatown among them. But here are 10 other areas that suggest foreign destinations--all in, or within a short drive of, Downtown Los Angeles.

India: The tastes, smells and sounds of India are captured on Pioneer Boulevard between 187th Street and Artesia Boulevard, Artesia. More than 1,100 Indian families have made the area their home, and merchants sell everything from multicolored silk saris to videocassettes of Indian movies. Sitar music plays in the background at restaurants, such as Little Khyber, 18435 Pioneer Blvd., (213) 402-7111, and Reenas Tandoori, 18413 Pioneer Blvd., (213) 402-3434. Several Indian candy stores are in the area.

Germany: Just off Interstate 110 in Torrance is Alpine Village, 833 W. Torrance Blvd., (213) 327-4384, where brass bands sometimes entertain and diners sit in a huge Munich-style beer hall. More than 20 shops sell a variety of imported goods. German Day will be celebrated Aug. 24, and sausage- and pretzel-eating contests are scheduled for September. The traditional German Oktoberfest celebration takes place at the beer garden Sept. 6-Oct. 26, weekends only. Call for hours. For a more sedate taste of German culture, try the Black Forest Inn, 2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 395-2212, or other German restaurants.

Greece: Tony Koursaris, one of the three partners of the Great Greek Restaurant, 13362 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 905-5250, said he wanted a place where people could feel they “have left America and come to Greece.” Greece-born waiters entertain as they serve. Decor focuses on the achievements of the past two centuries of Greek history.

“Scattered Lights: The Remnant of Israel in Rural Greece” is a photographic exhibit through Aug. 30 at the Skirball Museum, Hebrew Union College, 3077 University Ave., (213) 749-3424.

Italy: Sighing for the bridge of sighs? Gondola Getaway, 5437 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (213) 433-9595, will whisk you through the canals of Naples, Long Beach. Sunshine or moonlight cruises; hors d’oeuvres, wine bucket and glasses provided--you bring Chianti or beverage of your choice. A 32-foot, two-gondolier boat is $17 per person, minimum seven people; a 25-foot, one-gondolier boat is $40 per couple, $10 each additional passenger, minimum six. Fleet cruises $17 per person, maximum 40.

Several restaurants serve up opera along with the pasta. Among them: Verdi, 1519 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 451-5162, and Maldonado, 1202 E. Green St., Pasadena, (818) 796-1126.

If a classical Roman villa is what you had in mind, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu may be your style. Reservations are required: (213) 458-2003. England: At the King’s Head, 116 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 451-1402, you’ll get what some Brits describe as the best fish and chips this side of the pond. They also do pretty good bangers (sausages) and mash, Cornish pasties, Scotch eggs (sausage wrapped around hard-boiled eggs) and mushy green peas. Wash it all down with a pint of Guinness or Watneys, and have a go at a game of darts.

Visiting British celebrities have been known to drop in at the Tudor House, 411 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 451-4107, for sausage rolls, cakes and scones.

Russia: Mischa’s, 7561 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 874-3467, features onion-dome drapery, Russian-accented waiters and patrons and a large selection of vodka. Try some of the borscht with cabbage and a pirogi, and burn off the calories with some Cossack-style dancing. Or you could drop by Gorky’s, 536 East 8th St., Los Angeles, (213) 627-4060. Described as a Russian “avant-garde cafe with working-class prices,” Gorky’s is a meeting spot for many Russian emigres. Drop in Sunday evenings around 6 p.m. and hear Russian-Jewish music performed.

France: A French picnic lunch is the perfect accompaniment for a leisurely drive along the ocean. Cafe Suisse, a French bakery and small restaurant at 500 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, (213) 596-6458, offers pastries, pates, breads, cakes, cold cuts and salads for takeout. For dinner, try the Bouzy Rouge Cafe, 3110 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, (714) 673-3440.

Back in Los Angeles, the exhibit “Art Nouveau Jewelry by Rene Lalique” can be seen through Sunday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 857-6111. Australia: Waltz on over to Koala Blue, 7366 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, to hear some Aussie accents and down a Down Under-style milkshake. The favorite is Blue Heaven: blue in color and vanilla/banana in flavor. Koala Blue (it stands for “Korner of Australia in Los Angeles”; “Blue” is an Australian word for friend) also stocks lots of koala teddy bears and Aussie gear.

Or swagger on over to Billabong, 82 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (818) 796-2008, for a glass of Australian wine or a bite of pavlova-- a traditional Australian dessert of meringue and fruit (not on the menu; you have to ask).

Nigeria: A new exhibit of contemporary and traditional Nigerian art, including more than 30 photographs of the Fulani people of northern Nigeria, is on display at the Museum of African-American Art, 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., third floor of May Co., (213) 294-7071. Hours: Wednes-

day-Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Free.

You can also see examples of African art, ranging from wood sculptures and textiles to handcrafted African jewelry and masks, at Patti’s African Museum, 607 Westknoll Drive, West Hollywood, (213) 659-3283. Hours: 12-6 p.m. daily. Free.

Try rice balls, cassava beans and unusual combinations of chicken and beef at Rosalind’s West African Restaurant, 1941 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 559-8816.

Japan: The New Otani Hotel and Garden, 120 S. Los Angeles St., Downtown Los Angeles, (213) 629-1200, is the focal point for many of the Japanese cultural activities in Los Angeles. On selected Sundays, 3-4 p.m., hotel chefs demonstrate cooking techniques, and there are classes in flower arranging, tea ceremonies, calligraphy and the art of wearing a kimono.

You can buy Japanese merchandise at Weller Court, Weller and 2nd streets, Los Angeles, (213) 626-2112, a shopping center anchored by Matsuzakaya, a branch of one of Japan’s oldest department stores. At the Japanese Village Plaza and Mall, 1st Street and Central Avenue, stone paths and running streams wind between stores and restaurants.

The Japanese Gardens of the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, (818) 405-2100, demonstrate the meticulous attention to detail in Japanese art. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 1-4:30 p.m. Reservations required for Sundays.