California - Pacific Coast

preddy

Have a RTW trip planned which includes 5 weeks in States that looks like this:
LA - 4 nights
Fly to Vegas - 7 Nights incl a trip to Grand Canyon
Fly to San Diego - 7 nights

Then the question do we rent a car or get a bus for a 4 day drive upto San Fran?

We have a week around San fran but we will want to hit Yosemite and maybe Lake Tahoe - they are pretty far out so would we be better just renting a car for that?

Finish up in LA for our flight to NZ.

Neamhshuntasach

You must be getting the flights pretty cheap or don't mind spending the money. San Diego is only 3-4 hours from LA and about 4 hours+ from Vegas. And Vegas is only 4 hours from LA. They are distances i'd never even consider a flight for.

The 7 nights in Vegas might be a bit much. It gets old quick. A long weekend is enough time and that's including a day at the grand canyon.

Renting a car can be expensive. But if there are a few of you renting might be cheaper than getting the bus.

preddy

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

You must be getting the flights pretty cheap or don't mind spending the money. San Diego is only 3-4 hours from LA and about 4 hours+ from Vegas. And Vegas is only 4 hours from LA. They are distances i'd never even consider a flight for.

The 7 nights in Vegas might be a bit much. It gets old quick. A long weekend is enough time and that's including a day at the grand canyon.

Renting a car can be expensive. But if there are a few of you renting might be cheaper than getting the bus.

Bus to Vegas from LA was $80 flight was only $90 so was an easy choice, we fly from Vegas to San Diego.

Ahhh sure we had the time and im sure there's plenty to do in Vegas might even do a day or 2 out of Vegas in Monument valley if we get bored....

Only 2 of us so you see the dilemma!

cooperguy

You are flying the shortest distances and driving the longest. San Diego to Dan Fran is easily 12 hours by car. Im living out here for the summer and just drove to vegas from Huntington beach. It takes about 4.5 hours. It will be a bit longer from LA. 7 days in Vegas might be a bit long from a pure energy point of view. I was exhausted after 4 days.

preddy

cooperguy wrote: »

You are flying the shortest distances and driving the longest. San Diego to Dan Fran is easily 12 hours by car. Im living out here for the summer and just drove to vegas from Huntington beach. It takes about 4.5 hours. It will be a bit longer from LA. 7 days in Vegas might be a bit long from a pure energy point of view. I was exhausted after 4 days.

But do the other distances offer the views of the PCH ?
We want winding coast hugging roads to spend 3hours a day driving over 4 days sounds great

preddy

This is a rough route on our Pacific coast highway trip anyone recomend any other stops? We will have been in LA so not stopping there.
We have 4 nights to stop on route so we are thinking, Ventura or Santa Barbara, Carmel + Monterey, Can you stay at Big Sur?


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=San+Diego,+CA&daddr=Ventura+to:santa+barbara+to:big+sur+to:Carmel+to:Monterey+to:san+francisco&hl=en&geocode=11152514340275495436,36.574640,-121.912210%3B17675713895621787578,37.024590,-122.211740&mra=dpe&mrcr=5&mrsp=7&sz=7&via=6,7&sll=36.686041,-122.980957&sspn=3.937575,7.03125&ie=UTF8&ll=36.155618,-121.563721&spn=3.964545,7.03125&z=7

SheroN

preddy wrote: »

This is a rough route on our Pacific coast highway trip anyone recomend any other stops? We will have been in LA so not stopping there.
We have 4 nights to stop on route so we are thinking, Ventura or Santa Barbara, Carmel + Monterey, Can you stay at Big Sur?


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=San+Diego,+CA&daddr=Ventura+to:santa+barbara+to:big+sur+to:Carmel+to:Monterey+to:san+francisco&hl=en&geocode=11152514340275495436,36.574640,-121.912210%3B17675713895621787578,37.024590,-122.211740&mra=dpe&mrcr=5&mrsp=7&sz=7&via=6,7&sll=36.686041,-122.980957&sspn=3.937575,7.03125&ie=UTF8&ll=36.155618,-121.563721&spn=3.964545,7.03125&z=7

You can camp at Big Sur.

rolypolymoly

theres loads of lovely beaches along route one that you could stop off at if you take route one between santa barbara and san fran and then you could stop at big sur! santa b is a very pretty place maybe you could spend a day there!? Also dont think a week for san fran, yosemite,lake tahoe is enough..you might have to leave one out..:(

preddy

Just one more question on this, we will be starting this PCH trip next week and we havent yet chosen the 4 nights stop overs on route to san fran.

We are looking at maybe 2 nights in Ventura spend one of the days in santa barbara and maybe 2 nights in Monterey spend 1 day in Carmel,

Anyone stopped anywhere else or got advise on somewhere halfway between ventura and monterey as its a 5 hour drive ?

Or any hostel/ motel advise?

Thanks