San Diego To Vegas Via Grand Canyon

[amrosen]

Hello,
Myself and 3 friends bought airplane tickets to San Diego and out of Las Vegas. We have a week to take a roadtrip along the way and would definately like to see the Grand Canyon. We are all under 25, so the rental car rates are rather pricey. I was looking into renting an RV, so we would not have to get hotel rooms either. We are all college seniors so we are trying to save money. Does anyone know any other places we can stop along the way, and what the most price effective way to travel would be. Thanks

[W. Larrison]

Hello amrosen, and welcome to the RoadTrip America forums!

Hmm.. there are lots of options for getting from San Diego to Las Vegas via the Grand Canyon. Some are laid back, some are more gonzo road trips.

For a couple of option, you might consider (First option)

San Diego
to Tucson, via Yuma
To Phoenix
to Flagstaff via Sedona
to Grand Canyon
to Las Vegas.

You can do each of those legs in a half day or so of driving (longest is SD to Tucson -- but you could stop somewhere like Organ Pipe National Monument or near Yuma).

Second option would to
San Diego
to Borrego Springs or Indio (down over the escarpment east of Warner Springs)
Indio into Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree to Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve to Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

This doesn't take you as far east, and takes you on some of the more back roads through the desert. The long day here would be Mojave National Preserve to Grand Canyon, although most of that route can be done on I-40.

There are a number of alterantives, or you could cut out some of the intermediate stops. In rough terms, you can make it from San Diego to Grand Canyon in a long day's drive (or at least to Williams, about an hour south of Grand Canyon Village). From Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is about a half day's drive. What are you interested in seeing, or stopping at? That's going to determine your specific route.