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I would say FC the best option to fit in with your plans. Stopping anywhere before then would mean a longer journey to Bryce and possibly having to double back to Stovepipe Wells or Panamint Springs if you want to see more of the park the day you leave Bishop. If availability were a problem you could look at Pahrump for options.
If FC is booked up, if you are going to Bryce from DV you could look in Beatty in addition to Pahrump. You can take US-95 toward LV, then cut across the north side on NV-573 to get to I-15. From Pahrump, you would take NV-160 to I-15, and go right through downtown LV.
If you are going to Zion after Bryce, I'd recommend you do this:
Get off I-15 at UT exit 40 and take a quick trip up to the Kolob Canyons viewpoint. This is actually part of Zion, but it's considerably northwest of the main part of the park. Get back on I-15 to Cedar City and take UT-14 over the mountain, then take UT-148 up through Cedar Breaks to UT-173. Take that to Panguitch, then US-89 and UT-12 to Bryce. If you aren't going to be staying at Ruby's right outside the gate to Bryce, there are some hotel options in Panguitch. No chains, they are all independents. I've stayed at the New Western, it's nothing great but it's acceptable.
To get to Zion, take US-89 then UT-9 in through the east entrance and through the tunnel.
Hello guys,
I am getting excited our trip is coming closer :).
We have booked all our hotels & flight, i just need to hire my car & some tickets we probably should buy earlier (Universal Studios, Alcatraz, ...).
2 Questions:
Does any1 have experience with US in that period? Should be buy the extra thing to avoid losing time in the queus? Or is this a rather calm period? We are considering going on Monday 16/09.
I was reading about the hotels i already book, and for the one in LA i noticed two reviews who were warning us for Identity Theft. They said the staff asks you for a copy of ur Driver's Licence AND Credit Card.
Are hotels supposed to ask that? Can i refuse it if they would? There were only 2 negative reviews, the others were semi-positive, so i am not sure if i should back-out (i should check if i even can :D) or not!
Thanks alot guys!
Regards,
Dimi
This is the only officially recognised ticket office by the NP for Alcatraz trips that does not have agent fees or the need to buy other tours you might not want. Alcatraz is busy year round and it's worth pre-booking imo to save standing in queues with a possibility of the next boat filling up and having to wait for another.
It's usual for a hotel to want ID and your credit card details for security purposes and to charge the card with any extras you may have, food, drinks bill, telephone usage etc. You have to use your judgement but I wouldn't be comfortable using a private hotel that has a reputation for identify theft, or even a chain for that matter. It's hard to comment as this could be a rumour, or has it been proven ? What type of hotel is it ? Most bookings you can cancel and get a full refund, but I would recommend you check the reviews prior to booking anywhere else !!
You're going to some of my favorite places. Enjoy!
If ID theft has been a problem then I would change LA reservation because it is a pain to have your credit card cancelled while traveling. It is customary to ask for credit card number with overnight lodging and often license plate for vehicle to be parked on premises. We've been asked to show driver's license or other proof of identity but not had copies made. I also think you'll enjoy staying nearer to the ocean between SF and LA. Santa Maria is not on the coastline.
Hello guys,
Thanks -again- for the quick replies.
@CAnative: We changed Santa Maria for Cayucos, so now we are staying LA-Cayucos-Monterey-SF :).
About the LA Hotel. Its pretty strange, it never had these reviews before, and we have booked it quite some time ago. To be specific, it is the Hollywood City Inn, and it had some decent reviews as we are on a budget for the big city hotels.
Anyway, i still haven't figured out if i am gonna change my hotel or not, i guess i'll check arround if i found any that feel better and dont make me worry at the very beginning of my trip :).
We are so amazingly looking forward to all this :D. Can't wait!
Another 2 questions:
1) We'd love to take a whale watching trip in Monterey. Should we pre-book this, or is there absolutely no need to do this?
2) We will be going to Universal Studios on monday 16/09 (we planned it on the 15th, but Sunday looks like a horrible idea).
A friend told me there is option to buy a ticket where you can skip lines, but that this often is a waste of money as the lines get to be very small in certain periods. Does anyone have experience with this? I hate to wait in queus, and we would hate to miss a part of the park if we miss a load of time waiting in the lines. Then again, if we pay alot extra to skip lines that are not there, it's another bite in our budget we could spend somewhere else :).
All suggestions & experiences are welcome!
Your help is (and has been) much appreciated!
Regards,
Dimi
Yes, it's a version of Disney's Fast Pass, but instead of free-to-those-who-partake, Universal charges for the privilege.Quote:
Originally Posted by DasDimi
Last year, we did NOT buy this pass at Universal in Florida. I tell ya, we wished we had. We might have gotten into some of the attractions with 70 and 90 minute wait times, instead of skipping them. However, we were there at the end of June, and so were all the crowds. :-(
Most of the schools in Southern California will be in session on the 16th of September, so perhaps you won't need to buy the pass.
Hello Guys,
Counting down the weeks!
I am about to rent my car, and i have been checking multiple sites on the internet. I found Dollar.com to be the cheapest one, with Hertz.com beeing a good second. It's pretty similar to the search engine on your lovely website.
I am wondering if it is a good idea to go economy on the car choice. Is a small Ford Focus sufficient for 2 people cruising the roads? Or would you suggest to go with a bit more power & comfort to fully enjoy the road? Will i be going offroad if i take the main routes?
Another option i was testing is to drop of my car on my first day of SanFran, and then rent a new one from SF to LV. What i dont understand is that i will pay about $460,00 for a rental from LA to LV (18 days), and i would pay more ($511,00) for a rental of 1 week between SF & LV. Same car, same route, less days, more money. I find that rather remarkable.
Any tips on the different insurance offers? I dont like to pay for insurance, but i do want a relaxing trip without worries, and i must say i do not know how the system works in the States.
A big thanks in advance!
Regards,
Dimi
You should choose the car that meets both your needs and your budget. The Focus doesn't have a very big backseat or truck (boot), but if you are traveling light, it may be perfectly comfortable for you. In most cases, the rental companies don't want you to go "off-roading" in your vehicle anyway, and usually they have their ways of knowing whether or not you broke that rule. The Focus is a good all-purpose car for road-trips and the occasional dirt road.
Do those prices include the one-way drop-off fee? That's where they "get" you, price wise.
Before you leave home, contact your insurance company and see what, if anything, they would cover from an overseas rental.
Donna
Why are you not renting a car through a European Consolidator? From what we see on these forums, there is a great deal of money to be saved by going that route.
Lifey