LA to San Francisco

[helen and hales]

Heya Guys,

I was wondering if any of you lovely people could help,
As part of a longer trip we are planning on driving between LA and San Francisco, and have about 3 days to do it (but it is a little flexible).

1) Are there any must stop places?

2) How far is it possible to comfortably drive in a day and still have time to mess about and see things?

3) Could anyone recommend anywhere (cheap) to stay along the way?(really dont mind camping etc, just want to stay somewhere where there is plenty to do, and hopefully lots of people to meet along the way).

4) We were thinking of 2 overnight stops spaced out along the coast road (highway one?) maybees an extra night at one of the stops if theres plenty to do and see)

I should probably say that we are going in mid May - and have maybe left it a little late to plan - Students hey!

Thank you so much for any help you can give, your insight would be extremely useful
Love Helen and Hales
(England)

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

The trip you're going to be making is easily one of the top 3 most discussed routes on this board, so be sure to have a look through previous posts. Try using the search function on the green tool bar at the top of this thread, and look for terms such as Big Sur, Pacific Coast Highway, or CA-1, for more ideas than I can possibly list in a single response. All I can do here is hit the highlights.

1) Are there any must stop places?

Actually, there are lots, including San Simeon and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park as well as innumerable road side lay-bys near seal rookeries.

2) How far is it possible to comfortably drive in a day and still have time to mess about and see things?

That's entirely up to you and your travel style. If all you did was drive up the coast and enjoy the view, you could probably make the entire drive in a day. It's only 450 miles. But to truly enjoy it, you will have to stop, hike, smell, breath, look, all those good things. With three days, you only have to cover about 150 miles a day, which can be done in 3-4 hours leaving lots of time to mess about.

3) Could anyone recommend anywhere (cheap) to stay along the way?(really don't mind camping etc, just want to stay somewhere where there is plenty to do, and hopefully lots of people to meet along the way).

There are a few motels that are on the less expensive side in the larger towns such as Morro Bay and Cambria. Even Monterey has some relatively inexpensive motels. As for camping, I would recommend the excellent California Sate Park system. Just by the nature of campgrounds, you are more likely to meet people there than in a motel setting.

4) We were thinking of 2 overnight stops spaced out along the coast road (highway one?) maybees an extra night at one of the stops if theres plenty to do and see)

I have always found that the amount of time I have is the perfect amount of time for the trip I'm on. I think you'll find the same on this jaunt as there will be plenty to see and do, and your flexibility will only make it that much more enjoyable. This is going to be a lovely drive, and your planning (not late at all) will only serve to further whet your appetite.

AZBuck