San Diego - San Fran - Black Rock Nevada - Vegas - Phoenix??

Hello everyone,

My boyfriend and I are planning a 2 week US roadtripfor late August/Early September this year.

Neither of us have travelled in the US before (he's from Wales and I'm from Aus) and are trying to work out a feasible driving route and determine where we should fly in and out of.

Our current idea is to fly into San Diego and drive up the coast to San Fran (allowing 5 days to do this).
Then drive accross to Burning Man at Black Rock Nevada for a couple of days.
Then take our final 5-6 days doing the grand canyon and Vegas before finally arriving in Phoenix where we would fly out.

Is this a logical or even feasible route?
Is San Diego - San Fran too far for 5-6 days or should we fly into LA?
Can anyone estimate the time each journey leg will take and tell me the road routes?
Any suggestions or reccomendations of must-see sites would be much appreciated - I'm sitting here quite baffled by at the moment!

Many thanks for your time.
Anne

That event fascinates me. Maybe someday I'll drag this old body down there. I hope you're aware that there are no services and that you'll need to take all your food and water with you. Especially the water.

Welcome to the Roadtrip America forum!

Your route is about 1800 miles so it's very feasible in the amount of time you have. Check this map out for routes and to get a visual of what you're planning.

San Diego to San Francisco is about 600 miles. You could do it in two days, actually. But five days leaves you far more time to explore and enjoy the wonderful things along this beautiful coastal drive. You could spend a couple days in LA if you wanted as well and still have more than enough time to get to San Francisco. Take CA-1 which hugs the coast. Awesome drive.

San Francisco to Black Rock is about 450 miles. You could do this in one day but the quickest route also takes you through one of America's premier national parks, Yosemite, you might want to take two days for this segment so you can enjoy Yosemite on your way over there.

Tonopah, AZ, is the last town of any size, and it really isn't all that big of a town, before Black Rock. This would be your last chance to really stock up on that food and water.

Black Rock to Vegas and Vegas to Grand Canyon are both about 250 miles. Figure about 5 hours for each of these drives. You will want to spend one night in or near Grand Canyon. Lodging in Grand Canyon Village area usually fills up quickly so you will want to get reservations soon. However, you could easily stay in Williams, AZ, which has enough lodging that reservations shouldn't be needed.

Grand Canyon to Phoenix is just over 200 miles so it's a nice, easy drive.

Be aware that all rental car agencies charge a one-way drop-off fee if you're not returning the car to the same location. You will also want to be sure they know that you are doing this when you reserve your car. Prices for car rentals and drop-off fees vary a lot so you'll want to check out more than one car rental company to get the best deal.

I'm not sure that any car rental agency is going to want you to take their car into Burning Man due to the type of roads out to it. Car rentals usually aren't allowed to be taken off paved roads. Some agencies now use GPS on their vehicles so they would know if you did this. I'm not sure how to advise you on this, and it's possible my concerns are unfounded, but it's a potential problem you might want be aware of. Sorry I have no answers for you. Maybe someone will pop in here that does.

I would also check out the price of flights into LA and San Diego and compare them. I believe you might find better prices into LA. If you really want to visit San Diego, it's only 120 miles (about 2 hours) south of LA so you could easily zip down there to start your trip if what you save on flying into LA is enough to make that slight bit of extra driving worth it.

Please let us know if we can help you out further. And we would sure love you to return after your trip to give us a roadtrip report...especially the Burning Man part! Enjoy!

Guru Drive sits on a side road on the approach to the Black Rock Desert area and is very memorable. Here are some photos.

Mark

Check on ticket availability for Burning man ASAP.... they usually sell out, and this year they're not selling them at the gate.

They're not cheap either... they've gotten more and more expensive each year.

thank you all SO much - Your kowledge and advice will really help a lot with our planning!

Anne

Hello,

My boyfriend and I are planning a roadtrip around south west USA in August and are thinking that it might be fun to rent a mustang or something a bit more fun than your average small hire car.

Can anyone tell me the best place to rent this type of vehicle?
We want t pick up the car in San Diego and drop it off in Phoenix so i assume we need a national company.

Thanks in advance,
Anne

A few of the national chains, including Avis and Hertz, have created a line of specialty cars like Mustangs, Hummers, Hybrids, etc, where you can reserve exactly what you are looking for. The downside is that you tend to pay alot for those cars and many times you aren't allowed to rent them one way.

A slightly less expensive option would be just to rent a convertable, you wouldn't know exactly what kind of car you'll end up with, but it should be something pretty nice. However, again this is considered a specialty car and you might not find anyone who will allow you to rent one on a one way rental.

Unfortantly, one way rentals are generally limited to the basic classes of cars (sedans), so it could be very challenging to find what you are looking for.

Hello!

Thankyou so much for your help so far on this forum - it's been really brilliant.

We're looking to book flights this week and are finding that they flying times and costs for the route of flying into Sandiego and out of Phoenix are not great.

We're considering an alternative drive route nad wanted to see what you guys think.

We'd fly into and out of LA, and spend a total of 15 days in the US.

From LA (on 22nd August) we'd drive up the west coast to San Francisco - taking 3-4 days then spend a couple of days in San Fran.
From there we'd take 2 days to drive through the desert to Black Rock for a couple of days at the burning man festival.

From Burning man, we want to drive to Vegas and then from there do the Grand Canyon and surrounding attractions. (is 3-4 days enought for this?)
We'd then drive back to the coast to San diego and drive up the coast to LA where we would drop off the car and fly out. (allow 2 days for this leg?)

Can you please tell me if this route is feasible and what the approximate journey times for each leg are?
Any reccomendations on a better alternative route would also be appreciated!

Thanks,
Anne

So it doesn't surprise me that you've had to make this change in your plans. Yes, I think it's very feasible.

Isn't this part, below, the only real change in plans?

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From Burning man, we want to drive to Vegas and then from there do the Grand Canyon and surrounding attractions. (is 3-4 days enought for this?)
We'd then drive back to the coast to San diego and drive up the coast to LA where we would drop off the car and fly out. (allow 2 days for this leg?)

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From my previous post: "Black Rock to Vegas and Vegas to Grand Canyon are both about 250 miles. Figure about 5 hours for each of these drives. You will want to spend one night in or near Grand Canyon. Lodging in Grand Canyon Village area usually fills up quickly so you will want to get reservations soon. However, you could easily stay in Williams, AZ, which has enough lodging that reservations shouldn't be needed. "

How much time do you want to spend in Las Vegas? You could do this:
Day 1: Drive the 250 miles from Black Rock to Vegas and enjoy the evening in Las Vegas
Day 2: Explore Vegas for a few more hours in the morning, leaving about noon for Grand Canyon getting there in time to enjoy the shadows as the sun is setting
Day 3: Get up at the crack of dawn, or even before, to enjoy the sunrise and early morning sun at the Grand Canyon before starting toward San Diego

Of course, this is just an example. You could spend your time a bit differently and still be able to see both places in the time you have.

Depending on how much time you spend in Grand Canyon, you could conceivably drive the entire 500 miles to San Diego but there is a lot to stop and see along the way so you might want to stop for the night somewhere along the way and get into San Diego the next day.

It's only about 120 miles from San Diego to Los Angeles so you could easily explore San Diego for a two or two and then enjoy a leisurely drive up to LA in just a few hours. Of course, you will want to time your drive into LA to avoid work commuter traffic, if possible.

fantastic. thankyou (yes, it is only the end bit of the trip that would change).

I think we'd probably stop somewhere for a night between the grand canyon and san diego (having lived in the UK for a while, driving 11 hours in a day seems like a lot - even though it would have seemed normal growing up in the australian outback!).

Does anyone have any reccomendations on a good, interesting place to stop en route to san diego??

Thanks,
Anne

That can be a rather long day although it is very do-able. But if you have time to go less miles and play more along the way, that's always a good thing.

You might enjoy going east on I-40 and then dipping down to Lake Havasu City to see London Bridge. That's about 230 miles so would make a good halfway point. You could leave by going south on 95 until Quartzite. Quartzite is an amazing place where people by the hundreds (maybe thousands?) boondock their RVs. You might find it interesting but, unfortunately, the RVs are there in the winter so you will be missing that sight. Then go west on I-10 to Box Canyon Road, then south on Hwy 86 which will take you by the Salton Sea and you can take one of several routes through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, then drive through Cuyamacho Rancho State Park, and catch I-8 into San Diego.

Now, I've never driven these roads myself so I can't give specific recommendations based on experience. But, on a map, it looks like a terrific drive. Hopefully someone will pop in here with experience to weigh in on this idea.

This whole drive is about 580 miles from Grand Canyon to San Diego.

Hello again everyone (please see my post below regarding the planned route of our 15 day south west USA roadtrip in late August).

We’re trying to decide what type of vehicle will best suit our trip… I’m hoping you might have some advice to help us make up our minds.

There’s just the two of us travelling (me and my boyfriend, Simeon) and we’re both qquite creative and adventure loving. We want to be relatively economical in our transport/accommodation choices but, really, we’re more into having the best fun experience on this trip rather than complete practicality.

We’re wondering whether we’d be better off hiring a motor home for the trip or hiring a regular car and using hotels.
The trip will take in cities as well as open landscapes.. and also part of the Burning Man Festival. If we had a motorhome, would we have to book into parking sites each night… or could we actually stop anywhere (that’s safe and legal to park)? Would having a motorhome just become a hassle in cities? (I’m assuming the roads are wider than London so it’s going to be a Lot easier than driving a truck around here!!).

Or would you recommend we just stop at random American roadside hotels along our journey instead?

Any tip offs on good places to hire motorhomes/cars in LA would be much appreciated too.

Thanks in advance,

Anne

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Originally Posted by eticat

We'd fly into and out of LA, and spend a total of 15 days in the US.

From LA (on 22nd August) we'd drive up the west coast to San Francisco - taking 3-4 days then spend a couple of days in San Fran.
From there we'd take 2 days to drive through the desert to Black Rock for a couple of days at the burning man festival.

From Burning man, we want to drive to Vegas and then from there do the Grand Canyon and surrounding attractions. (is 3-4 days enought for this?)
We'd then drive back to the coast to San diego and drive up the coast to LA where we would drop off the car and fly out. (allow 2 days for this leg?)
Anne

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by eticat

There’s just the two of us travelling (me and my boyfriend, Simeon) and we’re both qquite creative and adventure loving. We want to be relatively economical in our transport/accommodation choices but, really, we’re more into having the best fun experience on this trip rather than complete practicality.

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With the current cost of fuel in the USA, your transport costs (fuel, lodging, supplies, etc.) will be about 71% more with a motorhome over the cost of a rental car and motels. A motorhome gives you some flexibility of places to stop for the night, perhaps better menus -- if you are a good cook and a "clean" bathroom. But it would never be the economical choice for such a short holiday.

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The trip will take in cities as well as open landscapes.. and also part of the Burning Man Festival. If we had a motorhome, would we have to book into parking sites each night… or could we actually stop anywhere (that’s safe and legal to park)?

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Here is an article about boondocking.

Mark

right, thanks. That's good advice.
I'll start looking into car bookings now.
a

Hello everyone,

I've just spent most of today on various car rental sites, trying to work out which vehicle is best for my upcoming trip up the california coast and through Nevada.

We're looking for a small-medium suv that's not too heavy on fuel consumption. There's just 2 of us but we'll be carrying quite a lot of equipment as we'll be camping at times (prhaps even a bicycle) but will also be spending time in cities so don't want to be too cumbersome. We'll be spending a lot of time in the car so want it to be comfortable.

The current options are:
- Jeep Liberty
- Dodge Journey
- Chevrolet Equinox
- Dodge Durango
- Cevrolet Trailblazer

Does anyone have any advice on which of these (or other SUVs) are best? I'd really appreciate some advice.

Thank you,
Anne

First of all, Generally with rental cars when you make a reservation, you are given a choice that's followed by "or similar." Its fairly rare that you get one specific model, or if you do, you generally have to pay a premium for it. So if you reserve anyone one of these cars, you could end up with any of the other models.

What I will say is that 2 stand out from the rest. The Dodge Journey and the Chevy Equinox are both "cross-overs" which means they are basically Station Wagons/Minivans dressed up to look like an SUV. They are built like cars would both probably suit you well, providing plenty of storage, a softer ride, and better gas mileage.

The other 3 are built like Trucks. That means they will be better able to handle driving off-road or pulling a trailer, but since both of those things will not be allowed by any standard rental contract, those features really wouldn't be any use to you. Otherwise, they will more than handle the cargo needed for your trip, and would certainly work for that purpose. They just may be more car than you really need.

fantastic advice once again! That all makes a lot of sense and will really help with our trip planning. Thank you.

Anne

Hello once again, A long time seems to have passed since I posted my first question on this brilliant forum about our South West road trip that will incorporate a few days at Burning Man.
We’re now just 2 weeks away from our departure date so are trying to put the finishing touches on our trip plan.

I’ve taken into account all of the other feedback I’ve had on the forum but would really appreciate some help on the following trip plan and questions.

The itinerary so far stands as:
- Arrive in LA
- Drive from LA – San Francisco (We’ll take 2 days to do this, stopping at San Simeon and other beach towns)
- Explore San Fran (1-2 days)

…here’s where plans get a bit hazy.. we need to get from San Fran to the Burning Man site. The nearest town to the Burning Man site is Gelach (apparently Reno is close too)
- Can you tell me the best way to get there and how long it might take? Is there anything good to see on the way?

From Burning Man (which we’ll stay at for 2 days) we want to explore the sights of the desert for a few days…. So perhaps either Bryce Canyon – monument valley etc …or vegas and the grand canyon.
- I’ve heard that while the Grand Canyon is the star attraction, Bryce is nicer. What would you recommend for this part of the trip?

We then want to make our way back to the coast at San Diego – which I am guessing means heading down through Phoenix and across the Sonoran desert.
- Any tips on good places to see/stop off on this leg of the journey?

The last bit of the trip is easy: a couple of days in San Diego then a leisurely drive up to LA for a day before flying out.

Thanks in advance – this forum is proving the most amazing resource in planning our great big US adventure!

Anne

Burning Man is held outside Gerlich, NV which is an hour or so north of Reno. The easiest way there from San Francisco is to just take I-80 east past Reno to near Fernley, NV and then just follow NV-447 north. The drive itself should take around 6 hours. If you have the time and the inclination, a drive around Lake Tahoe and through Carson City and Virginia City would be in order. Where to go and what to do after Burning Man is limited a bit by the time you have. As I read your posts, you're going to pretty much use up 9 days of your 2 weeks in seeing the California Coast and attending the festival, In the remaining 4-5 days you can do a driving tour of some of the southwest, but you will have to keep moving. It will be a full day driving down to Las Vegas, another day to get to and enjoy the Grand Canyon, a day to do one or two of the side trips available in the Grand Canyon area, and a day to make the drive to San Diego.

AZBuck

Thanks!

We've actually changed our itinerary a bit from earlier posts so we now spend approx 5 of our 16 days on the coast between LA & SF and on getting to Black Rock. Then 2-3 days at Burning Man. So we actually have 7 days to explore the desert and get back to LA (via SD). This still means that we're going to have to keep moving but will hopefully give us enough time to see some of the amazing landscape.

We're debating whether or not to go to Vegas, or if this is a city we will leave to another trip. Is there a way to drive accross from the Burning Man to Bryce canyon or the Grand Canyon? ...or would we have to pass through Vegas anyway?

Really appreciate any tips on this part of the trip - I'm feeling well out of my depth.

a

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Originally Posted by eticat

Is there a way to drive accross from the Burning Man to Bryce canyon or the Grand Canyon? ...or would we have to pass through Vegas anyway?

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Heading to San Diego from Burning Man via Bryce could take you through Las Vegas -- but if you are still headed to Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, then you will bypass Las Vegas.

Your east-bound highways from the Black Rock Desert will be either US-50 or more likely I-80 to I-15 to US-50 to US-89 to Byrce NP and from there you can continue on south and east on US-89 to the Grand Canyon and on to Flagstaff. Depending upon how much time you have left you can either head immediately west on I-40 to I-15 and back to San Diego or proceed on south to Phoenix and then take I-8 back to San Diego.

Or you can go to Las Vegas -- it's really just a matter of where you want to go.

Mark

There are almost always alternative routes that let you see or avoid any particular city if you are of such a mind. So yes, you could drive across Nevada and Utah on US-6/UT-21 to I-15 and approach Bryce Canyon and Zion from the north and then use UT-9/US-89 to swing around north and east of the Grand Canyon. All of that would let you avoid Las Vegas. But the stretch across Nevada is rather stark. Don't get me wrong, such areas of 'desolate beauty' really appeal to me, but they're not for everybody and there is a much more scenic, albeit slightly longer, alternative. That would be to head south from Reno on US-395, a gorgeous road in its own right, which also allows access to Yosemite via Tioga Pass, and then use CA-190 through Death Valley to US-95 into Las Vegas. If the Strip is not your cup of tea, then there are plenty of other motels up around Nellis Air Force Base that are less 'glitzy'. From Las Vegas, it would be a simple matter to take I-15 north to Zion and Bryce and then follow UT-9/US-89 as above to get to the Grand Canyon and the other attractions of northern Arizona.

AZBuck

Hi again,

I'm hoping someone can help me out with some information and tips on the leg of our trip from Burning Man to Vegas.
I've currently scheduled just 1 day for this leg, leaving Reno on the morning and arriving in Vegas fof the evening.

Is Highway 95 the best route to take?
Approx how long should this take?

Thanks,
Anne

Hi welcome back.

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Is Highway 95 the best route to take?

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This is your most direct route.

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Approx how long should this take?

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With stops for gas, a stretch of the legs and some lunch e.t.c I would think you will be looking at close to a 10 hour day.

ok, thanks... hmmm 10 hours seems like a veeery long day of driving for someone coming from the UK where everything is within a couple of hours....

Basicallly we're planning to go from Burning Man to Vegas, then Vegas to the the Grand Canyon...

..perhaps we should cut out Vegas.. Is there a more direct route from Gerlach/Reno to the Grand Canyon?

a

For the south rim of the canyon the most direct route is through Vegas.

Was you just stopping the 1 night at Vegas, or have you got a couple of nights? There is so much going on that arriving after a long day on the road and trying to see part of it will be exhausting, although if you havn't been before it is quite spectacular.

yes, just the one night in Vegas at this stage although I'm going to go back to studying our itinerary and see if I can shuffle things around a little now that I know how long the Reno-Vegas leg is...

There are so many amazing things that we want to do and see in the US. We may just have to accept that we'll have to save some for another trip.

Thanks again for your help. Really appreciate it.

a

We had the same problem when planning ours, we would of needed 3 months instead of 3 weeks before we had started cuttiing back the list, lol!

Depending on how you feel about driving, [some find it a chore but I really enjoy doing it] it is not like the U.K. the roads in general are long and straight and once out of the cities are much less congested compared to the U.K, making it a whole lot more enjoyable than we are used to, especially with the scenery passing by, much of which we are not used to seeing.
All these things and time for short stops to stretch the legs, take some photo's e.t.c make the journey in between much less tiring than home and a big part of the holiday.

Keep asking all the time you need to. :o)

Thanks. I can't wait to be in those Huge open landscapes!

a

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Originally Posted by eticat

I'm hoping someone can help me out with some information and tips on the leg of our trip from Burning Man to Vegas.
I've currently scheduled just 1 day for this leg, leaving Reno on the morning and arriving in Vegas of the evening.

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From Burning Man it's going to take you 2-3 hours to reach Reno.

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Is Highway 95 the best route to take?

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US-95 is the most direct -- Tonopah is very interesting and has one of the best mining museums in the West. Goldfield was home to the Wyatt Earp brothers and still pretty interesting -- if falling down a bit. Like Southwest Dave mentioned -- you need to plan a full day's journey between Reno and Las Vegas (8-10 hours).

Mark