California Driving Holiday. Budget suggestion/tips/advice!

Me and my family did something similar to this a few years back.

We hired RV's when we landed, and did a tour following a route like:
San Fran > LA > Phoenix > Las Vegas > Yosmite > San Fran

3 week trip, and we stayed in RV parks along the way, most have really good facilities that you can make use off. private BBQ Area, shower/washroom facilities, swimming pools, shops etc...

The only let down for me was LA. Just wasn't a nice place to visit.

Highlights for me were San Fran (most amazing city I have ever been to!), Arizona was great in general. If you get chance, check out a small place called Sedona, just South of Flagstaff. they have a natural rock river which you can swim down.

Grand Canyon is a must if you are going that far east :)
 
Some good suggestions here. Need to have a good read up, don't want to plan too many things but don't want to miss anything important.

When would people suggest booking flights? I live in Glasgow, but happy to travel to London/Amsterdam if it's going to make things easier. I don't really mind who I fly with, as long as it isn't Delta.

I'd like to go in June/July. She'd prefer August/September as she needs to save up. It all comes down to cost really, whatever is cheapest wins for me! And, then it gives me plenty of time to hit the phones for reservations at The French Laundry.
 
Ahleckz said:
Some good suggestions here. Need to have a good read up, don't want to plan too many things but don't want to miss anything important.

When would people suggest booking flights? I live in Glasgow, but happy to travel to London/Amsterdam if it's going to make things easier. I don't really mind who I fly with, as long as it isn't Delta.

I'd like to go in June/July. She'd prefer August/September as she needs to save up. It all comes down to cost really, whatever is cheapest wins for me! And, then it gives me plenty of time to hit the phones for reservations at The French Laundry.
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I'd suggest August/September. Mid September is probably one of the best times, all the schools are back (American and elsewhere) so there's not as many other tourists to get in the way :p

Flights are probably cheaper from LHR, at least you'd likely have a layover there anyway.
 
I've found flights are cheaper to Las Vegas.

Is there any drawback in starting the traingle drive there instead of LA?
 
June in SoCal there is a good chance on the coast that mornings will be fogged in until it clears later in the day. Not a huge problem most of the time but it would suck to be driving down the 1 in cool, damp fog and not being able to see more than 100yds, kinda defeats the point :p

Everyone I know here and I would also agree that September is by far the best time of year to visit, the weather is usually spectacular and you miss all the crowds of July/August.
 
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I agree with Rich_L about visiting in September. I just recently came back from a two week work trip in San Diego and the weather was glorious. I flew from LHR to LAX (with Virgin) and drove up the PCH on the way back to LAX; it was fantastic.

On a side-note, driving from LAX to SD at 9pm after a 11.5 hour flight is not to be repeated again. I was waaaaaay too tired. :( Will have to fly BA direct to SD next time.
 
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So I asked my boss today if I could have the entirety of June off, and it was met with a laugh and a no. It's our 3rd busiest month of the year and no one is allowed any holiday. No problem you'd say, I should go in September? That's our busiest. Argh!

It's looking like it's going to be July or nothing.

Am I going to get absolutely raped with higher prices or is it quite modest increases?

I had a brief look at flights today at work and whilst I appreciate that it's pretty meaningless this far in advance they are more than I want to spend...
 
We did it in July in 2010 and it was a perfect holiday, weather was colder than expected though in Calif. Crowds and traffic were not an issue.

Vegas hotel prices are pretty much always cheap during the week so if you are going there, schedule it during the week. The weekends get busy too so that's a better plan.

LA and SF hotel prices are pretty much always expensive year round. Yosemite hotels are very pricey too, stay outside the park if you can.

Flights, well yeah they will be more than September in June/July. If you can get it under 700 in July you've done well. Try direct/indirect and use all the flight aggregator websites like Fly.com, skyscanner.com and then look at agents like netflights, expedia etc.
 
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