San Fran to LA 10 day Trip

Gal44

Hoping to head to San Fran and travel down to LA on a ten day trip. Want to stay about 3/4 nights in san fran, one night in Napa Valley and two nights in LA and somewhere inbetween, where would ye recommend... will be girls in late 20's. Hopefully rent a car over there, have heard highway one is the best way to travel to see the best sights, dont think we will have time for Vegas. Thanks

InTheTrees

Sounds good. You'll have to find out about renting a car because that would change everything if you dont have one. Most of the US is car dependent but the west is especially so.

So assuming you do...

3 nights in SF is good plus 1 in Napa (any particular reason why? You could do it as a day trip from sf).

Then down highway one to Santa Barbara and then 3(!) nights in LA.

But you will probably have to pay for car parking at a hotel in LA (and SF, but you can wait until you're leaving before renting a car) but you really need a car in LA. If thats an issue and you dont have a car in LA you need to get a hotel in Santa Monica. Its the only area thats pedestrian friendly.

Without a car... there's a bus...

There's also a train. but if you're doing that I'd start in Seattle and really make a trip of it. A cabin on an overnight train is fun. Gets pricey though but obviously you save on hotels, and food.

http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train

...just some random thoughts.

Ps. If its the idea of driving on the other side of the road, driving in the usa is really really easy. They're very forgiving and slow, roads are wide, rules are loose.

coffee_cake

Go through yosemite park

Shint0

Agreed. I would favour spending more time at Yosemite rather than LA. I found half a day and spending one night in LA was enough although some people love it, unless you were also planning to include Universal Studios, Disney etc. San Diego, on the otherhand has a lovely vibe.

shed head

fcuk yosamite park, get to vegas and get out of it. Check out fear and loathing in las vegas film first for good tips.

fcuk it, when you going i will come with you, show you the ropes and stuff, how much cash you got man?

InTheTrees

Shint0 wrote: »

I found half a day and spending one night in LA was enough although some people love it,

There's London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo...

Its one of the Worlds major cities so even if you loathe and hate cities, You cant even scratch the surface in half day.

And because its such a car centered city you can do all your sightseeing without ever leaving your vehicle.

You'd need to drive the pacific coast highway out towards Malibu and back.

If you're staying in LA its probably in Santa Monica. You can spend a half day walking down to Venice beach and back.

Then there's Hollywood. Even if you hate and detest films and tv, there's a kind of fascination to it all. There's the studios. Hollywood & Vine. Sunset boulevard.

There's some amazing views from Mulholland drive, which winds along the top of the mountains over looking the city. Amazing at night, the whole city is a huge scifi grid of light. There's also the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory up in the hills. And the Hollywood Bowl, if anything's on.

Also Beverley hills is worth a visit, just drive around the ostentatious houses for awhile. Rodeo Drive the main shopping street oozes money.

Thats enough for a couple of days, and thats just basic stuff.

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Gal44

Great thanks for the replies, hopefully it all works out and we can rent a car cos we really want to travel down the coast from SF to LA. Napa valley not sure yet to just to do a day trip or stay a night there.. with regards the coast trip wheres the best place for a overnight, Monterey, Carmel or Santa Barbara? In LA ya we do want to do the Hollywood tourist type things is there anywhere on route that we could visit to go horseback riding or visit a ranch or rodeo would love to see something like that

InTheTrees

Here's two.

The first one is in half moon bay. About half an hour south of SF. The second one is the southern end of Highway one. I dont know anything about either, just that they're on your way.

http://www.seahorseranch.org/

http://www.outbacktrailrides.com

InTheTrees

Gal44 wrote: »

with regards the coast trip wheres the best place for a overnight, Monterey, Carmel or Santa Barbara?

I wouldnt bother planning anything. You may love carmel and want to stay overnight there for instance.

Moneterey and SB have a huge choice of motels hotels etc.

CaliforniaDream

InTheTrees wrote: »

Ps. If its the idea of driving on the other side of the road, driving in the usa is really really easy. They're very forgiving and slow, roads are wide, rules are loose.

You always say this in threads and it's really, really not true. I don't know where you're getting this idea that they're slow, laid-back drivers over here from?

OP, driving over here sucks. No one obeys the speed limit, uses indicators or cares whether you're in a lane they're changing into or not.
Most drivers are erratic and stupid.

However, I would definitely recommend driving the PCH. I absolutely love driving there and always take that route over the freeways.

Don't book somewhere for your in between stop.
As you're driving you might come across somewhere you love. Monteray is gorgeous, as is Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara etc.
Drive for as long as you feel like and pick somewhere along the way. You'll be fine for accommodation.

lil_lisa

InTheTrees wrote: »

Ps. If its the idea of driving on the other side of the road, driving in the usa is really really easy. They're very forgiving and slow, roads are wide, rules are loose.

CaliforniaDream wrote: »

OP, driving over here sucks. No one obeys the speed limit, uses indicators or cares whether you're in a lane they're changing into or not.
Most drivers are erratic and stupid.
stop.

It really depends on where and what kind of roads you're driving on.

I found freeways to be quite overwhelming when I first moved here. As mentioned above, no one really obeys the speed limit, just like home. The limit usually translates to the "slow limit".

The OH gets agitated when driving to and from work, mostly because rush hour traffic is not a luxury drive so everyone is usually a bit erratic and ignorant. I don't have a commute but when I do drive, I enjoy every minute of it and don't come across too many idiots.

Mostly, the slow drivers are slow to respond more than speed slow. i.e. at traffic lights, stop signs, yield signs etc. Which means you should find it a little easy to get used to driving when you first arrive.

Again, a small little town like Pismo Beach would be different to the grid system in San Fran. It really depends on where you are and the kind of road your're on.

CaliforniaDream

lil_lisa wrote: »

It really depends on where and what kind of roads you're driving on.

I agree, but since the OP mentioned San Francisco and LA specifically you know it's not going to be smooth driving.
Especially if they get caught in rush hour.

Roads are magnificent especially compared to Ireland but that doesn't make it easier to navigate the lunatics on them at times.
Where I live (West coast) it's a known rule to count to three before going on a green light as so many people love to run through amber and 'it just turned red' lights.

InTheTrees

CaliforniaDream wrote: »

You always say this in threads and it's really, really not true. I don't know where you're getting this idea that they're slow, laid-back drivers over here from?

I'm guessing you learned to drive in the US?

CaliforniaDream

InTheTrees wrote: »

I'm guessing you learned to drive in the US?

No.

But I've had to become more aggressive driving so as to not get killed.

I'm one of those people disobeying speed limits but I always use my indicator and mirrors.

MadsL

Gal44 wrote: »

Napa valley not sure yet to just to do a day trip or stay a night there..

Francis Ford Coppola's vineyard is worth a visit, has a movie museum and great restaurant.

If you are a foodie at all, The Culinary Institute of America has an interesting wine museum and fantastic culinary shop.

Then hit Yountville - once called the greatest concentration of Michelin stars per head of population in the world (it is actually eighth and has six stars within six blocks): Four Michelin starred restaurants to choose from here. Thomas Keller has the *** French Laundry, quite possibly the best restaurant in the US, if, and that is a big if, you can get a reservation the truly epic tasting menu will run you $270 a head plus tip without wine. http://www.tkrg.org/upload/fl_menu.pdf

However - you can get a taste of Keller's food without dropping that kind of money at the one starred Buchon, Keller's bistro. Very reasonable http://bouchonbistro.com/storage/menus/byv-2013-03-dinner-menu.pdf

Richard Reddington's Redd and Étoile at Domaine Chandon are not as star chef as Keller but offer tasting menus with wine at very affordable prices.
$125 with wine at Redd is a bargain. http://www.reddnapavalley.com/documents/menus/dinner.pdf

However any restaurant that manages to stay open in Napa for more than a year is worth eating at; Cali cuisine is often made fun of by other Americans, but the whole philosophy of eating local, using the best and freshest ingredients means you will eat better than you have ever eaten in Napa.

Worth staying at least night to experience that.