USA : West coast/California fly/drive suggestions?

[tangerine_sedge]

I've promised the family a holiday next year along the West coast of the USA, but I'm struggling to find exactly what I want in the various brochures that I've got from the travel agents.

I'm looking for a planned holiday (flights/car/route/pre-booked hotels) starting in San Francisco and ending in LA. Ideally this would be a 10-12 day trip, allowing time in San Francisco and LA to see the sights/visit amusement parks etc.

I have no intention of 'doing' Las Vegas, as I have been to Blackpool and refuse to accept that anywhere else in the world can be more glitzy than the golden mile. Also, I've driven through Cheddar gorge and similarly have no desire to visit the grand canyon.

Can anyone who's bought a similar 'package' recommend the company they used? Am I best off going to an independent travel agency and getting them to put me a trip together?

Finally, I know that it's probably better to organise and plan this myself, but laziness and the desire not to book several nights in the Bates Motel is sending me towards a pre-packaged tour in the first instance.


TLDR;

Fly/drive
California / Pacific coast
San Franciso -> LA
10-12 days
Budget ~£8k <-- st! that's a lot of money
4 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers)

[tangerine_sedge]

Buggerit! I was half-hoping that someone could recommend a decent pre-packaged job that would suit my lazy nature. My assumption that booking it yourself would be cheaper has been proved true.

Oh well! It looks like I'll have to spend a few days with Google to get the job jobbed...

[tangerine_sedge]

Roo said:

I've always just done everything myself. Flights/car/hotels. It's part of the fun.

I can't see why you wouldn't want to see Vegas and Grand Canyon

As stated, I've spent a night in Blackpool and visited Cheddar Gorge. I can't believe our colonial cousins could better that(*)!


(*) Note : I don't want to cram too much into one trip, and will use these as bargaining chips for going back at some time in the future

[tangerine_sedge]

jackal said:

Hi, i did this last year, 2 weeks with the kids, sf to sf including monterey, santa barb, santa monica, san diego, death valley, palm springs, yosemite ...

We wanted separate rooms or interconnecting rooms in each hotel and trailfinders and the like are useless for this. It was much easier to find places myself using google and tripadvisor.

I can pass on hotel recommendations if you like. We had an incredible time and so will you.

Jackal, I'd appreciate some recommendations - please post them here (for others to share) or send me an IM/members email or whatever it's called.

TIA.

[tangerine_sedge]

Thanks to all who responded!

I bit the bullet and used my local friendly travel agent to put together a package for us. We spent about 2 hours with her and put together the following, based on her advice :

San Fran - 3 nights
Monterey - 1 night
Pismo beach - 1 night
Santa Barbara - 1 night
Santa Monica - 3 nights
San Diego - 2 nights

Flights with BA, 'full size' hire car (hopefully something American and wobbly), Family/double rooms in middling hotels. We'll be away over the Easter holidays, hence the not quite a fortnight trip.

This came to a smidgeon under £5k all in for 2 adults and 2 teenagers (now counting as adults!). This was about £2k less than I budgeted for, so gives me some spending money whilst out there...

I'm sure that I could have booked all this myself and possibly saved some money, perhaps next time!