going places in & around california, but fast and cheap

Hi All

I am from the UK and going to Los Angeles end of September. I have never been to the US and would like to make the most of my time. (i.e. about 8 days). The places I would like to see the most (apart from LA) are San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon but I am open to suggestions about more convenient (or more beautiful??) routes and locations.

I am struggling with planning this vacation and would be really grateful for any suggestions on how I can fit in all these places in ten days with minimum cost if possible and wasting minimum time travelling. The only constraints are that I have to start and end my trip in LA. So if anyone has any idea about the quickest and easiest route (i.e. in which order should I travel to these places) and which mode of travelling (flying or driving), please let me know.

Many Thanks

Rupa

Rupa- Welcome to the forum. Starting in L.A., if you want to go north first to San Francisco, the coast route would be the nicest way to go. It's not the fastest way to go, but in my mind, the prettiest. You could visit Hearst Castle, just north of San Luis Obispo. That particular highway is called highway #1. It's spectacular, but slow. The other alternative would be to take highway 101, which goes more inland, but faster. Either route would take you to Monterey. A pretty city, and a great aquarium. This was the city in John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row." All the cannerys are gone now. Further north is San Francisco. A city where you could spend a week, and never see the whole thing. Fishermen's wharf, Ghiradelli Square, the Golden Gate bridge, a tour of Alcatraz Island, the former prison, and of course the only moving national monument in the United States- the cable cars. Many more that I can't even think of right now. From there, you could take highway 80 east out of San Fran and go to Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe. I think Tahoe is worth while visiting. From there, you could take one of my favorite highways to get between Reno and Las Vegas: Highway 95. It travels down the western side of Nevada and goes through some interesting towns along the way- Tonopah and Goldfield. They were old mining towns that have survived and still have that "old west" feel to them. And, since they're in Nevada, they have gambling. Highway 95 takes you directly into Las Vegas. From there, if you're driving back to L.A., take highway 15 west.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your trip.