San Francisco Loop Road Trip advice

Hi All,

First let me apologies as I know there are a number of posts out there that may answer some of my questions however I feel very overwhelmed with the amount of information so I thought I would post my own question.

I am in the VERY early stages of planning a 2 week road trip in May 2015 starting in San Francisco and finishing there - 10 days on the road in total with the extra days at each end of the trip in SF. Originally we thought about renting a car and staying in hotels/motels however I have been considering renting an RV.

1) For 10 nights on the road what would be the most cost efficient RV or Car/hotel?

2) I have never been behind the wheel of an RV, is it difficult to drive?

3) Any MUST SEE advice? (I have a rough idea outlined below however open to ideas)


We are not looking for luxury we just want to spend time together and see some nice places and relax along the way. I don't plan on having a jam packed itinerary as the drive will be tiring enough (I am the driver).


So far we have the following in mind - however nothing is concrete:

SF
Yosemite
Grand Canyon
La Vegas
Santa Barbara
SF

If you have any ideas or suggests that can help all information will be much appreciated.

Also if you think RV is the way to go can you suggest the best place to rent one


Thanks in advance

Welcome to RTA!

An RV will probably not save you any money, it's more of a lifestyle choice. It's also more difficult to drive on winding roads.

I'd recommend you drive counter-clockwise so the scenic pullouts on the coast highway will be on your side of the road. So:

SF
Santa Barbara
Grand Canyon
Las Vegas
Yosemite
SF

Tioga Pass may or may not be open in May. If it is, you can go through Death Valley between LV and Yosemite. If not, you will have to go to Bakersfield to get to Yosemite.

Hi...

Thanks so much for getting back to me...I was thinking about the counter-clockwise option after I posted this.

I have a lot of research to do!

Do you think there is anything else we should consider adding into our route? Any suggestions at all are welcome...I was thinking of adding in Montery?

ScottishGal :)

Unless there are 4 or more paying adults travelling the RV will cost significantly more. You could consider visiting Sequoia NP, especially if Tioga pass into Yosemite is still closed. Between GC and Vegas you could detour onto old route 66 through Seligman to Kingman and make a stop at the Hoover dam.

You will be going right through Monterrey if you take the coast highway from SF to Santa Barbara.

On your last day in SF, I suggest you drive down to Monterey, which is a great destination in itself, besides being an ideal stop along the way. Allow two days to drive the PCH.

If Tioga Pass is still closed you might look into doing a day trip through Death Valley from LV. It is an amazing landscape.

Lifey

You can still get from Death Valley to Yosemite by going through Lake Isabella to Bakersfield if Tioga is closed.