US west coast road trip itinerary.

[Pillskii]

GF and I are looking to do a west coast of the US road trip over August / September and looking for thoughts on my proposed itinerary. Neither of us have been to the west coast before, although in 2015 I did do a week in Vegas.

I’m late 20s and she’s early 30s, we still like fairly lively holidays although also like to go walking and see the outdoors. The things I think are ‘must do’s’ are: San Fran, Wine country, LA, Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. We’ll probably hit Vegas quite hard so my thoughts are to do Yosemite after Vegas so we can unwind and enjoy the outdoors.

Looking to squeeze all this in in under 3 weeks. Here’s my very rough plan:

Days 1-3 San Fran
- Day 1 - fly in to San Fran (get in late afternoon)
- Day 2 - explore San Fran, Golden Gate Bridge etc
- Day 3 - day trip to Napa Valley for vineyard tours (is this do-able as a day trip or should we add an extra night and stay in Napa?)

Days 4-5 Pacific Coast Highway
- day 4 pick up rental car in morning and head down PCH. Thinking lodge style accommodation near Big Sur that night
- day 5 drive down PCH. Thinking an air bnb in Morro bay or one of the small towns on the coast.

Days 6-9 LA
- day 6 drive into LA. Thinking an air bnb somewhere on the coast - Venice beach way maybe - any suggestions appreciated. Probably do a big night out first night so day 7 will be pretty chilled.
- day 8 we fancy staying in an air bnb somewhere up in the hills. Does this sound sensible and still good for a base to explore LA?
- day 8/9 explore LA, Hollywood tours, shopping, gun firing etc sure there’ll be lots to do.

Day 10-13 Vegas
- Day 10 - drive to Vegas. Big drive but there doesn’t look like much in the middle to see (?) so may as well get it over with. Check into a hotel. Probably do a show at night.
- Day 11 - pool party / big night out
- day 12 - explore Vegas and downtown. Stratosphere rides (still getting over these from 2015!!)
- day 13 - helicopter tour of Grand Canyon.

Day 14-17 Yosemite area. This is the bit I really know nothing about! Want to see as many big sights as we can and do some trecks. The area is huge - I presume moving around is required? Maybe two different accommodations over the 3 nights working north.

Day 18 drive back to San Fran, return car and airport hotel for the night.

Day 19 fly home.

There’s a lot of gaps here but the idea of this is to allow us to book up flights and accommodation and then fill things in from there. Slightly worried it’s a bit rushed, particularly San Fran and the PCH, but not sure how else we’d fit in all our ‘must do’s’ within 20 days?

[Saleen836]

Why don't you fly in the SFO and home via LAX?
I did other way round with no problems and saves wasting a day or 2 driving all way back to San Francisco thus putting less pressure on you to fit everything in.

[COLONEL_SMITH]

Maybe fly direct to Vegas, You wont need a car so save 3 days of car hire. Use that money to get internal flights to SFO and spend the rest of your trip driving down the PCH and whatever pace you want. Fly back from LAX.
If you book a flight and hotel with BA you get a big discount. I found a return flight to Vegas in April was £750 each but if I booked 4 nights in a hotel it was £500 each.

[designforlife]

Carpinteria is really nice if you want a small town one night stop...it's next to santa barbara, has a few good food spots and a natural seal sanctuary on one of the closed beaches, you can observe them from the overlook above.

There's so much to do in and around LA, 20 days will be packed. If you want any specific recommendations I can help, spent 4 weeks out there sofar, and the wife was born and raised in the valley.

Don't plan more than 2 things in any one day around LA, it takes a while to get anywhere by car and you won't truly appreciate this until you spend time there

-Oak tree gun club if you want to shoot at a nice outdoor range, it's over the hill just off the 5.
-LA zoo, nicely laid out and easily doable in 3 hours, it also puts you in a good spot to do the observatory before or after
-Santa barbara zoo, smaller scale than LA zoo but very quaint
-Long beach aquarium, excellent, best i've ever been to, and if you don't make it to monterey bay aquarium it's a decent substitute
-Hollywood/walk of fame, personally i don't rate it, west hollywood is more interesting
-Olvera street, really interesting historic bit of LA, founded 1781, so ancient by US standards
-Venice beach, my favourite part of LA bar none, however I wouldn't stay overnight down there...it's much more safe than it used to be but you still need to have your wits about you. You can park for free on the streets further inland, worth walking the canals too.
-Petersen automotive museum and LACMA/tar pits...you can do all three of these in a day if you start early and they are all next to each other...my mother in law works in the petersen so i've been a bunch of times, no other auto museum comes close.

Personally I don't think 3 days in LA is enough...I would potentially look at focusing in the trip a bit more or you'll spend more time driving than seeing stuff.

usually the wife and I do 18 or so days in LA (well the valley technically), then do a trip within a trip to san diego, san francisco, santa barbara etc.

LA, vegas and SF in one 20 day trip is a hell of a lot of stuff and driving. Worth noting that everything barring gas is pretty expensive these days, you'll spend $100-150 dollars a day on food without even trying.

Edited by designforlife on Tuesday 15th January 13:15

[donny1]

Afternoon.

Basically did exactly this in November.

pacific coast highway we had a night in Carmel by the sea and a night in Santa Barbara, both of which are lovely.

Driving from LA to Vegas we took the Angeles Crest highway (highway 2) it is really spectacular. Then a little bit of route 66.

Grand canyon helicopter tour make sure and book the one that comes back as the sun goes down as you get to see the lights.

Vegas to yosmite we went through death valley then over the Tioga Road. Tioga road is a must.



We did a route very similar to this

http://www.theamericanroadtripcompany.co.uk/roadtr...

thanks

[chopper602]

Rather than go and stay *in* LA, why not stay out towards the coast and 'commute' into town, traffic can be a nightmare (although I didn't really find that the case on our recent trip). San Diego is worth a look too, we stayed in a lovely AirBNB for not very much and we drove across the desert from Vegas.

There are loads of interesting little towns along the coast, which are worthy of a walk around for few hours the trip up or down the coast can take longer than you think. Solvang (look it up!!) was a favourite

We flew into Vegas and out of SF, with lots of stuff in the middle. One way car hire is cheaper than you think, in fact, Dollar who we used didn't charge extra which was a result.

Edited by chopper602 on Tuesday 15th January 13:44

[designforlife]

Arguably it's not the real LA experience without sampling the 405 traffic

If you get a chance, the canyon roads between LA and the coast are well worth a drive (or several), Topanga, Malibu canyon...and stunt road off mulholland....best done at night when it's quiet and less chance of 5-0. Just don't do what my brother-in-law managed and roll your car.

[arfur]

I would honestly suggest getting an RV instead of a car.

I've done routes all over the area you are considering and an RV (not too big - 30ft max) will get everywhere, even into the heart of Yosemite

Last year I pulled mine up in front of Caesars and asked them to valet park it (26ft one last year)

I'd look at rvshare.com for availability and prices, or cruise america if you need the full wrap treatment

A route I did 3 years ago was thus;

Fly into Sanfran and stay a few days (you missed Alcatraz off your list ... do not miss this)
Pick up RV
Travel to Monterrey/Carmel
Stay over and then travel to Morro Bay (just a place to stop)
Travel to Vegas
Stay in RV park (Oasis is by far the best) for a couple of nights
Travel to Williams and stay a couple of days. Use the Grand Canyon Train to the South Rim
Travel to Furnace Creek (Death Valley) and stay over a couple nights
Travel to Yosemite and stay a few nights
Travel to Sanfran, dump the RV, stay a night and fly home

Hope that helps ...

[craig1912]

Bookmarked this for ideas as we are going June/July.
Rough itinerary is flying into LA, 3 days there then overnights in Monterey and Santa Barbara.
San Francisco for 3 days the Death Valley, Yosemite and Las Vegas (flying from there to Barbados for a week.
Were going to get a RV but been told they aren’t allowed through Death Valley in July.

[arfur]

craig1912 said:

Bookmarked this for ideas as we are going June/July.
Rough itinerary is flying into LA, 3 days there then overnights in Monterey and Santa Barbara.
San Francisco for 3 days the Death Valley, Yosemite and Las Vegas (flying from there to Barbados for a week.
Were going to get a RV but been told they aren’t allowed through Death Valley in July.

I was in DV in July 2016 in a 30 foot RV. No problem at all

Also stayed 2 nights in the RV park at Furnace Creek .... which is in DV

You often go 15 mins between seeing another car or RV as you leave DV heading towards Lone Pine (if heading to Yosemite). In fact you can recreate Breaking Bad images to your hearts content ... Well I did anyhow !

The routes you suggest are RV 100% ... Have a look at rvshare, if there are 2 of you look for a Thor Vegas, they are ideal A Class 26ft ...

[craig1912]

arfur said:

I was in DV in July 2016 in a 30 foot RV. No problem at all

Also stayed 2 nights in the RV park at Furnace Creek .... which is in DV

You often go 15 mins between seeing another car or RV as you leave DV heading towards Lone Pine (if heading to Yosemite). In fact you can recreate Breaking Bad images to your hearts content ... Well I did anyhow !

The routes you suggest are RV 100% ... Have a look at rvshare, if there are 2 of you look for a Thor Vegas, they are ideal A Class 26ft ...

Please note: Travel in Death Valley is not permitted in July and August. In June and September travel is permitted, however, customer is fully responsible for any and all mechanical problems and/or towing. Ground temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius.

from https://www.elmonterv.com/guide/guide-detail/rv-re...

[arfur]

craig1912 said:

arfur said:

I was in DV in July 2016 in a 30 foot RV. No problem at all

Also stayed 2 nights in the RV park at Furnace Creek .... which is in DV

You often go 15 mins between seeing another car or RV as you leave DV heading towards Lone Pine (if heading to Yosemite). In fact you can recreate Breaking Bad images to your hearts content ... Well I did anyhow !

The routes you suggest are RV 100% ... Have a look at rvshare, if there are 2 of you look for a Thor Vegas, they are ideal A Class 26ft ...

Please note: Travel in Death Valley is not permitted in July and August. In June and September travel is permitted, however, customer is fully responsible for any and all mechanical problems and/or towing. Ground temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius.

from https://www.elmonterv.com/guide/guide-detail/rv-re...

I was there 3rd week July 2016 and there were many RVs around and cars. Furnace creek is a Golf resort below sea level in the middle of Death valley. The RV park and hotel were full. If it's something new they have brought in since then ... fair enough, but I had no issues at all

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/directions....

It may be that elmonterv hire are trying to restrict you, there is nothing about it on the national parks gov website. BTW ElMonteRV is somewhat more expensive on the "extras" than Cruise America ... If you look again, price it carefully

Edited by arfur on Tuesday 15th January 15:38

[louiebaby]

Look out for Labor Day, it's the American equivalent of August Bank Holiday, but they take their bank holidays way more seriously than we do. It will be heaving everywhere.

If you're able to book a pass for Half Dome in Yosemite, do it, it's amazing, and a great thing to have ticked off the list. Do a bit of Googling, it's a good full day, starting at the crack of dawn. (Also go to Glacier Point in Yosemite.)

There are cheaper flights into Oakland with BA sometimes, and possibly Norwegian, it's the Gatwick of San Fran.

[Rollin]

100s of people on here have done this trip and all will have different and possibley conflicting advice.

Personally, I don't book anywhere beforehand on road trips now, as then you have complete freedom in what you do and where you go. Easy to sort something out with a smart phone.
The exceptions would be national parks which can book up many months ahead, especially Yosemite.

An RV is not a great choice for cities and I've generally always seen cabin accommodation on RV parks anyway. They are also expensive and slow compared to cars.

Edited by Rollin on Tuesday 15th January 15:51

[Pillskii]

Thank you very much all - lots of really good tips and advice here. Going to have a good sit down at the weekend and plan things in more detail.

[David Beer]

arfur said:

I was there 3rd week July 2016 and there were many RVs around and cars. Furnace creek is a Golf resort below sea level in the middle of Death valley. The RV park and hotel were full. If it's something new they have brought in since then ... fair enough, but I had no issues at all

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/directions....

It may be that elmonterv hire are trying to restrict you, there is nothing about it on the national parks gov website. BTW ElMonteRV is somewhat more expensive on the "extras" than Cruise America ... If you look again, price it carefully

Edited by arfur on Tuesday 15th January 15:38

It’s not NPS rules, Cruise America have in their blurb forbidding travel into DV, as El Monte.. I have used Road Bear the last two times, they are also the same, in fact i got back a week ago from a four week trip, but then DV was ruled out because it was freezing, again forbidden.
Rental cars also limit travel in DV in heat.
This summer fly into San Fran and doing a four week trip taking in favourites as Great Basin NP, Moab and back to San Fran. This time in a mustang convertible and taking my Tipee and staying hotels as required.

[filthypig]

Sixt have some great deals if booked in advance. We picked up at SF airport and drove down the PCH dropping off at LAX.

You definitely won’t need a car in SF. Parking is very expensive.

In SF book Alcatraz. 3 months in advance tickets go on sale.

Recommendations of hotels...
SF hotel - The Huntington on Nob Hill.
Pismo Beach - Kon tiki inn.
Santa Barbara - Castillo Inn
LA (Hollywood) - Selby Ave Guesthouse ( cannot recommend this place enough! Easy to get to around Hollywood or out to Santa Monica).
Huntington Beach - Shorebreak (Kimpton hotel).

The trip down the coast is fantastic.

[Rogue86]

We did something similar late last year:

- UK to Vegas
- Vegas to SF to pick up the car
- SF to Yosemite
- Down the other side of Yosemite, through Sequoia NP and across to Morro Bay
- Morro Bay to LA
- LA to UK

Main point really is that I wish we had stayed longer everywhere, potentially with the exception of LA which is a bit of a hole no matter where you go. 1-nighters aren't really enough to see everything, even in the smaller places. I'd say its also easier to do your shooting in Vegas. It's worth paying the extra for a Mustang convertible or similar to enjoy the PCH and Yosemite, really made the trip for us. PCH isn't terribly exciting if I'm honest, the road down the back of Yosemite and cutting across through the canyons was far more interesting, as was the drop down to Morro Bay.

Edited by Rogue86 on Wednesday 16th January 11:17

[designforlife]

Rogue86 said:

potentially with the exception of LA which is a bit of a hole no matter where you go

You must have gone to the wrong places! Would be interested to know where you weren't keen on.

That's like the UK equivelent of saying the entirety of the city of and greater London is st.

[Rogue86]

designforlife said:

You must have gone to the wrong places! Would be interested to know where you weren't keen on.

That's like the UK equivelent of saying the entirety of the city of and greater London is st.

We stayed in Chateau Marmont initially and then moved around. Really not my sort of place at all, even in the wealthier areas. A must-see for sure, but compared to SF and Yosemite it's like arriving in the arse-end of Liverpool.