Nervous Ozzies LA to San Francisco and Vegas

Colin, I'll bet the current Californians can point out the bargain agencies. I will say each year the contracts' fine print increasingly leans more in favor of the agencies than the consumer. My latest rental club annual agreement states I'm even responsible for damage related to "acts of God." Only point is to be sure you are satisfied with the coverage you get.

But about insurance per se - the categories we use here don't synch with the insurance categories used in Australia. I'm open to anyone else expanding on this ... but our basic minimum break out is expressed as three numbers, such as 20/40/10; or 50/100/25 which express how many thousands of dollars the insurance will pay for a covered accident in the respective categories Max Medical per person/Max Medical per accident/Max property damage (i.e., vehicle). Each state has its own miniumum. California probably has the highest minimum so if you are covered in California the limites should be sufficient for Nevada, too. My guess is some of the local people can tell you what the minimums are and give you advice on other coverages. Some states let you get, or mandate, "no-fault" which is a certain amount that is paid regardless of who is to blame. Otherwise the insurance company of the party that "caused" the accident is ultimately responsible. A good company will pay the expenses up front then collect from the other party's if necessary and appropriate. Getting a police report and witness statements can go a long way to simplifying the claim process, if that should become necessary.

Incidentally, when I hired a car in Britain a few years ago, they arranged for max coverage under Britain's rules (actually, I was told there was only one level in Britain). On top of that I used an umbrella policy here, that stated it would cover any costs over the British coverage up to the level of my umbrella coverage. I confirmed this with my insurance agent before I left.

Cars? Hmm.. a convertible would work most probably. The weather isn't that bad in California -- and unless you're in the Sierras I'll lay money you'll never see anything more than a bit of rain or mist. If you're concerned, and with over 3 weeks in the car you might go for a somewhat larger car -- enough to put a small cooler with snacks and soft drinks inside, or stash that special case of wine in the trunk (boot) with your luggage so you can open a bottle in the evenings after the drive is over.

We've had lots of discussions on here about what would be the best car, and it all comes down to personal perference. I tend to go for a slightly larger car -- more room so people can stretch out a bit more on a longish day's drive, and so your gear isn't crammed into every free inch of speace. Some folks swear by minivans (plenty of room!) or SUVs (what I use) or smaller cars with much better mileage. It's all up to your taste in what you'd like or feel comfortable in -- with your gear and your family for 3 weeks on the road. You shouldn't need a RV, which would be a specialty rental.

Rental cars & Insurance. I've used a bunch of the large national chains and they all seem to be pretty good -- lots of locations (Just about anywhere there's an airport), and some even offer the option of picking the car you like on the spot from a number of those available. Check the price and other terms and see what options you like.

All of the major car rental companies have web sites which should give you an indication of types of vehicles they offer and costs to rent them. You should be able to reserve a specific type of vehicle for a day and location to pick it up, but I've run into situations where the rental agency was very busy and they did not have the specific type of vehicle available I wanted. I'd do a quick check on prices and options -- and there have been a couple of other companies folks from Europe have recommended in the US, that specialize in rentals to non-US residents, which I'm not familar with at all.

But for insurance, you might want to give your local auto insurance company or agent a call. You are required to have a certain minimum level of insurance to drive in California, and this is one thing the rental agencies check before releasing a car for you do drive. You might find you home company can provide coverage in the US through either a partnership agreement with a US firm, of direct coverage. For example, my auto insurance company claims they provide some level of coverage no matter what car I'm in -- including rental cars and foreign driving (different levels of course, but they offer some options to give me expanded coverage for driving in Europe, for example). You might find that you can get much cheaper insurance through your local agent, than the expensive insurance offered through a rental agency. You will need to have something to show proof of insurance to rent the car, and also if you get stopped for a traffic violation in California. (Piece of paper giving who your insurance company is, the policy number, the dates your coverage is good for, and some contact info, like a telephone number).

Similarly, if you belong to the Australian Automobile Association, they are the sister of the American Automotive Association, which offers insurance, roadside assistance, and other services including travel arrangements, discounts and maps through local clubs in the US (such as the Automobile Club of Southern Californi) . You should check them out to see if they have some options to make like easier for you. A quick look at their web site shows they offer "International Driving Permits" which may getting a rental car (and showing you have a valid drivers permit), and they may be able to offer some type of international drivers insurance or point you at some company which offers this. Some of the clubs have reciprocal agreements for roadside assistance, use of their offices for maps and the like, but without checking I don't know what arrangemetns the AAA might have with the AAA in the US -- If you're a member, check out what they might have to offer.

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Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie

i am half thinking of the idea of a convertible but i think its the wrong time of the year (December).

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Colin, Larrison and I have differing opinions about weather & climate in the southwest (as you can see if you have read many of our posts) but I think you need to plan on rain and wind for some of your time here in December. I am one of those "odd folks" who has never liked a convertible -- but you would probably be fine in one in December -- (but Larrison's "mist" is likely to look very much like a heavy rain/snowstorm to the rest of us).

Mark

*laughing* Mark and I do have differing opinions on the weather for a trip around California in December. Just for some data, I went to www.weatherunderground.com and looked up the almanac weather data for a few locations for the month of December.. ..

San Francisco -- (monthly averages)
Average Highs, 58F/ 14c
Average Lows, 48F/ 8 C
Average Rain 0.35 in/ 0.8 cm (that's not a lot for the month)

Newport Beach/ Santa Ana --
Average High 68 F/ 20 C
Average Low 50 F/ 9 C
Average Rain 0.03 in/ 0.1 cm (virtually no rain that month on average)

San Diego --
Average High, 65 F/ 18 C
Average Low, 51 F/ 10 C
Average Rain 0.03 in/ 0.1 cm

Yosemite (reported from Merced)
Average High 56 F/ 13 C
Average Low 42 F/ 5 C
Average Rain, 0.04 in/ 0.1 cm

Las Vegas, NV
Average High 59 F/ 14 C
Average Low 41 F/ 4 C
Average Rain 0,00 in/ 0.0 cm

Now these are monthly averages, and you can always get a year which doesn't follow the averages, but its a reasonable indication of what to expect. Not a lot of rain -- but certainly a chance of seeing some in December. But definitely, bring a sweater and a windbreaker for the evenings/ nights if you're going to be outside.

In a different thread, Mark highlighed another, dealing with insurance ... worth looking at. TTM

A site regarding Yosemite has driving suggestions for their area for summer and winter, plus a graph of average highs and lows. December's 51 to 26 (F) aka's to 10 to -3 (C).

any tips would be great

Colin,

I'm assuming you want to touch LA on the way down to SD. There are other options, but Larrison's itinerary has lots of good ideas. I'd consider using I-15 to Calif-91 (near Corona) to Calif-55 where you'll head South to the Huntington / Newport beach areas. If you leave early from L.V., you should be able reach L.A. before evening "rush hour" and still have time for pictures, etc. I-15 heads through a Mt. pass shortly after getting into Califonia.

In San Diego (I lived there a long time ago), scenic places are Point Loma (I-8 West to Calif 209 South), Balboa Park (eg I-15). Walking areas, downtown San Diego near Horton Plaza/Gaslamp Quarter, you can leave the area, heading S. to Harbor Drive, then Left to Calif-75 to pick up the bridge to Coronado Island (bridge access on the North, Calif-75, and penninsula access on the South). This restful town has shops on the N. end & beaches to the S. The island boasts the 5-star Hotel Del Coronado or you may still find inexpensive motels if you look hard enough. Calif-75 will take you back to I-5 where you can head back to S.D., or head S. to view the Mexican border. I assume you don't intend to enter Mexico, but if you do, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THERE.

BTW, San Diego has two properties owned by the zoo. Both impressive. The animals have outdoor displays at both locations. The one in Balboa Park has many animals displayed outdoors, a huge flight cage, arial rides across all of it, etc. The other North I-15, East of Escondido is an outdoor "Wild animal park" with many in free-range conditions -- monorail takes you through it.

Driving around San Diego, you may see a Scenic Drive sign that will loop you through these and other places. Best to get a paper map first where the drive is highlighted and you can stay on track. Most signs will be adequate, but it only takes one prankster, and zoom off you go to a new adventure. In San Diego, often that's a good thing, though. Possibly it will be on your mapping device.

Southern Calif has a Spanish Heritage, ask about touring some buildings going back to the 1600's if that interests you.

TTM

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Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie

any tips would be great

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Hmm.. lots of things you can do with this.. as Taco pointed out, I'm assuming you'll go to San Diego via LA area?

But what are you interested in the LA area?

You can drive from Las Vegas to San Diego in a day, so stops and overnight stays will be at places you're interested in visiting, and not due to running out of daylight or stamina on the road.

Places you might consider and a rough path would be

Path: Las Vegas to LA area, via I-15 (very good quality superhighway), then west to the 605 Freeway south, and then south along the coast via PCH, back to I-5 south, and down to San Diego.

Possible stops:
- Death Valley (about 2 hours off the main path, but a very interesting visit -- can easily spend a full day there, or stay in Furnace Creek)
- Mojave National Preserve
- Zzyzx (heck, even if its just to get your picture next to the road sign...)
- Planes of Fame Musuem in Chino (if you're into airplanes, this is one not to miss... lots of unique airplanes)
- Mount Baldy (you mentioned one son I believe who is a sports fanatic). This stop would be to take a side trip up to the chair lift at Mt Baldy, then up to the lodge area (no snow until winter). Mt Baldy is one of the higher peaks in the area (over 10,000' high) and even from the area near the lodge you can see into 3 states. Its a long day hike to the top and back (and you'll need to be prepared with water, etc), but it might be an interesting side trip -- and something different from what you'd expect.
- Surfing areas of Seal Beach (end of the 605 freeway), Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach. The "wedge" aat Newport is world class body surfing, but it can get big enough and the break is abrupt enough it can be quite dangerous.
- Disneyland (in Anaheim, about 1/2 hour north of Huntington Beach)
- Knotts Berry Farm (in Buena Park), also just north of Huntington Beach
- Snorkling in Corona Del Mar and Laguna areas
- Artists community of Laguna Beach
- This takes you right through the OC, which I believe you said your daughter was interested in. Newport/ Laguna is pretty much the center of that.
- Disney
- San Onofre Beach (another good beach, but somewhat harder to get to)
- Taco mentioned the San Diego Wild Animal Park in Escondido, as well as the San Diego Zoo in San Diego.
- Temecula wineries (not a huge number, but some not bad...)
- Sea World in San Diego
- Cornando, beach town and hotel near San Diego
- Gaslamp section of San Diego (funky old town part of the city)
- The museums in Balboa Park in San Diego (near the Zoo)
- La Jolla/ Del Mar (very nice upscale beach town)

There's a bunch of other things, but this is pretty much a single path south. As you can see, you can take a week to do this, if you hit all the stops. And we've left out all the LA/ Hollywood type stops, and places like Palomar, any of the Spanish Missions (such as the one near Ocean Side, or San Juan Capistrano), shopping areas, fine dining, etc,

As usual, I'm always amazed at the well organized highlights Larrison can pack in a single note.

Thought I'd add a few differences between here and "home" ...

No road-trains in any part of the country, refering to what I hear happens on the way to The Alice.

Brush your self up on Spanish pronounciation for spanish type words. La Jolla and El Cajon (towns near San Diego), tortillia (a staple of Mexican food) will draw inward chuckles from locals if you use "english." We also use the French pronounciation for buffet.

Roadwise, where there are stoplights or stop signs: Right-Turn-on-Red (after stop, and giving way) via the extreme right-hand lanes. Also from a one-way street to another, via the extreme left-hand lanes, Left-Turn-on-Red, same conditions.

No measures in metric here: affects weather, distance, weight, liquid (eg fuel), etc. Our quarts and pints are 20% smaller than the old British version, in fact a quart is remarkably close to a litre. Your car's speedometer is likely to show kph in smaller numbers along with the mph.

Foodwise: there'll be no vegemite or equivalent to be found unless you find a British specialty, or a well-stocked international food store.

A few word differences

kurb becomes curb
tyre, tire
footpath, sidewalk
trousers, pants (although the former term is understood)
pants, panties
servettes, napkins
entree or entre, apetizer
main course, entree or entre
jelly, jello
and of course: petrol, gas.

Have Fun ! - TTM