Honeymoon in the US - LA to Vegas via Pacific Coast Highway (help needed!)

[CHokKA]

You have completely forgotten about Yosemite and Death Valley

Up at San Fran you can head across through Yosemite on Tioga Pass (120) and stop over somewhere like Bishop. Then you head through Death Valley the next day and end up in Vegas. The 2nd leg is a good 8hrs of driving, but well worth it and the the best part of the road trip (excluding the PCH). THink of it as an upside down triangle with LA at the South, San Fran at the West and Las Vegas at the East and your travelling routes roughly inbetween them. Check in Fox's thread to see the map he linked to of the Vegas-San Fran route, you can just do it in reverse.

I'll look at getting my write up for both trips done this afternoon as I'm having a photo editing day. Keep an eye out in the Motors section later this afternoon.

Thanks for pointing that out -Ad-. That's a route that would easily work, and something we will consider. We do want to visit Death Valley, so going around that way seems a good way to go about that

 

[[TW]Fox]

Thats the route I did. It was great.

I wish I could go again this year

 

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Thanks for pointing that out -Ad-. That's a route that would easily work, and something we will consider. We do want to visit Death Valley, so going around that way seems a good way to go about that

I would recommend this route over the one I posted above in detail. Although the 2nd trip was as good if not better, missing out on the PCH, Yosemite and D.V would be a travesty.

Thats the route I did. It was great.

I wish I could go again this year

Do it then, we did at the last minute.

You're young and free, just book the leave and go, it's only a bit of money. Worry about replenishing the coffers when you get back

I would say look at the route I posted above, but you've already done San Diego. We hadn't gone south from LA so got in the Laguna Beach and San Diego stops.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Do it then, we did at the last minute.

You're young and free, just book the leave and go, it's only a bit of money.

I'm not doing it not because I can't, but because I'm doing the East Coast instead this year

 

[Prophet]

I'm planning a similar route to Fox with 3 mates next year. We're taking a Winnebago though rather than hire car/hotels. Full on road trip holiday!

Fox - Did you find 2 weeks was enough to do that route? We're thinking 3 weeks to do a bit more exploring.

 

[CHokKA]

Ok, how about this. Land in LA, drive to San Diego, stopping at the famous beaches along the way (Long, Huntington, Laguna), and then spend a day in San Diego. Next, back up the coast headed for San Fran, stopping for a day or two along the way. Then staying in San Fran, and then doing the Yosemite and Death Valley route to Vegas, and then staying there for the last few days.

Or, alternatively, head straight out to San Fran from LAX, stopping along the way for a day or two, and then from there, head to Yosemite and Death Valley, to Vegas, and then from Vegas to San Diego, returning to LAX to fly back to the UK?

We can extend the trip to 14 days no problem. How do these routes sound to those that have been around the PCH?

 

[[TW]Fox]

I'm planning a similar route to Fox with 3 mates next year. We're taking a Winnebago though rather than hire car/hotels. Full on road trip holiday!

Fox - Did you find 2 weeks was enough to do that route? We're thinking 3 weeks to do a bit more exploring.

I went for 2 weeks and 3 days I think - it was enough time and would be more than enough time if you ditched San Diego.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Ok, how about this. Land in LA, drive to San Diego, stopping at the famous beaches along the way (Long, Huntington, Laguna), and then spend a day in San Diego. Next, back up the coast headed for San Fran, stopping for a day or two along the way. Then staying in San Fran, and then doing the Yosemite and Death Valley route to Vegas, and then staying there for the last few days.

Or, alternatively, head straight out to San Fran from Vegas, stopping along the way for a day or two, and then from there, head to Yosemite and Death Valley, to Vegas, and then from Vegas to San Diego, returning to LAX to fly back to the UK?

We can extend the trip to 14 days no problem. How do these routes sound to those that have been around the PCH?

14 days is much better.

Make sure you time it so you end up in San Francisco at the weekend and Vegas during the week - this will save you hundreds of pounds on hotel costs.

Vegas at the weekend and SF during the week is hugely expensive.

 

[Prophet]

I went for 2 weeks and 3 days I think - it was enough time and would be more than enough time if you ditched San Diego.

I'm looking forward to San Diego more than LA. Did you not rate it or is it just a long way to go for what it offers?

 

[[TW]Fox]

I did rate it, its a lovely place and 100x better than LA - but it is 'off' the triangle route of LA to LV to SF so if you didnt go there it gives you more time to do that route, if you see what I mean.

LA is crap - use LA to land and collect a hire car and tick the 'I went to Beverely Hills' box and then get out.

 

[CHokKA]

14 days is much better.

Make sure you time it so you end up in San Francisco at the weekend and Vegas during the week - this will save you hundreds of pounds on hotel costs.

Vegas at the weekend and SF during the week is hugely expensive.

Yeah that's what I was trying to do. We were going to book the hotel in Vegas for a Monday to a Thursday night, so might do that and then head to San Fran to finish things off.

 

[Prophet]

Yeah, I see what you mean. I'm the same about wanting to tick the 'Beverely Hills' box. Will talk to my team mates and see how they feel. I think with going for 3 weeks it's shouldn't cause any real issues.

 

[[TW]Fox]

My LA exposure worked well - landed at 16:00, collected car, went to hotel, and died.

Next day got up at 5am because the bodyclock was wrong, had breakfast, drove into Beverely Hills, had a walk around before the shops opened when it was lovely and quiet, then drove up to Mulholland Drive via Hollywood, took the tick the box photos and headed to San Diego.

Got to San Diego mid afternoon

 

[Prophet]

My LA exposure worked well - landed at 16:00, collected car, went to hotel, and died.

Next day got up at 5am because the bodyclock was wrong, had breakfast, drove into Beverely Hills, had a walk around before the shops opened when it was lovely and quiet, then drove up to Mulholland Drive via Hollywood, took the tick the box photos and headed to San Diego.

Got to San Diego mid afternoon

Sounds like something I'd to

One last question. As we're going in a RV rather than a car, do you seen any trouble getting around (besides Lombard Street)?

 

[CHokKA]

My LA exposure worked well - landed at 16:00, collected car, went to hotel, and died.

Next day got up at 5am because the bodyclock was wrong, had breakfast, drove into Beverely Hills, had a walk around before the shops opened when it was lovely and quiet, then drove up to Mulholland Drive via Hollywood, took the tick the box photos and headed to San Diego.

Got to San Diego mid afternoon

Hey Fox, where did you stay when you landed in LA then? We'd land at 13:30 so I might say we'd be best off staying over there for a night and then checking out Beverly Hills the next morning and then out toward San Fran rather than trying to get to Beverly Hills late on the day. Did you stay in LA or just outside somewhere? I was thinking of stopping at Santa Monica which is pretty close to Beverly Hills.

 

[-Ad-]

Ok, how about this. Land in LA, drive to San Diego, stopping at the famous beaches along the way (Long, Huntington, Laguna), and then spend a day in San Diego. Next, back up the coast headed for San Fran, stopping for a day or two along the way. Then staying in San Fran, and then doing the Yosemite and Death Valley route to Vegas, and then staying there for the last few days.

Or, alternatively, head straight out to San Fran from LAX, stopping along the way for a day or two, and then from there, head to Yosemite and Death Valley, to Vegas, and then from Vegas to San Diego, returning to LAX to fly back to the UK?

We can extend the trip to 14 days no problem. How do these routes sound to those that have been around the PCH?

2nd option over 14 days would be what I'd do, perfect combo.

Who you looking at flying with? Air NZ get my vote, great service and seemingly the largest seat pitch in Economy on flight NZ1 (747-400).

Hey Fox, where did you stay when you landed in LA then? We'd land at 13:30 so I might say we'd be best off staying over there for a night and then checking out Beverly Hills the next morning and then out toward San Fran rather than trying to get to Beverly Hills late on the day. Did you stay in LA or just outside somewhere? I was thinking of stopping at Santa Monica which is pretty close to Beverly Hills.

Edit, just seen that above post.

I would say get the shuttle to your rental car E.g. Hertz then GTFO of LA. Head up the road to Santa Monica as it's only about 15mins drive away and infinitely nicer than LA.

Plan to be out of the airport by 3pm if you land at 1:30pm as US Immigration is the pain in the rear. Then you could be in the car at Hertz and ready to set off by 4pm, so in Santa Monica and your Hotel by 5pm, just in time for a wonder before dinner and drinks.

On the following day you can have a little wonder around Santa Monica in the morning then head off to Santa Barbara in the afternoon and enjoy the late afternoon and evening there. Lovely place and a great little 2hr drive up the 154 North of Santa Barbara if you fancy it. Otherwise just enjoy the seaside and State Street.

Santa Monica and Santa Barbara are both good places to chill at before you head up the PCH.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Holiday Inn Express a block up from the Hertz rental car pickup.

I like Holiday Inn Express as you get a free breakfast.

 

[[TW]Fox]

One last question. As we're going in a RV rather than a car, do you seen any trouble getting around (besides Lombard Street)?

Probably not, its a bit tight on some of the mountain roads but.. most American stuff is huge anyway,

 

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Probably not, its a bit tight on some of the mountain roads but.. most American stuff is huge anyway,

Agreed, look at a larger rental car like a saloon or SUV. RVs over there are like tanks and I would not like to drive one of them!

 

[CHokKA]

What do people think to Palm Springs? I'm thinking of a route that goes to San Diego and then to Palm Springs, then we can go to Joshua Tree and then off to Vegas, but it is very much out of the way of things and it would mean I'd need to change the route entirely and miss off San Francisco. The reason for this is that there doesn't appear to be any places available to stay near Yosemite / Death Valley, and these are quite far apart from each other and will take a good amount of travel time to get from one to the other, especially from San Francisco. Where did you guys stay around Yosemite / Death Valley when you went? I'd really like to visit them, but it is so hard to plan the route perfectly.