2 Day Routes from Vancouver to San Francisco

[ph_leung]

I am heading on an 18 day trip starting from Vancouver BC, down to California, the canyons and back up. We start on June 6th (4 am) and need to be in San Francisco to pick-up our two friends at the airport on June 8th.

Originally, our plan was to drive straight down the I-5. We were just given a suggestion to skip most of I-5 and go onto the 101 for the scenery. Is this possible? In the time that we have, can we drive part of the I-5, cut across and down 101? We don't have the option to extend the days for this portion of the trip.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I am heading on an 18 day trip starting from Vancouver BC, down to California, the canyons and back up. We start on June 6th (4 am) and need to be in San Francisco to pick-up our two friends at the airport on June 8th.

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! As you probably know, by the most direct route it is 1,541 kms from Vancouver to SFO. In order for you to meet your friends you will need to put "the hammer down" for 17+ hours. I recommend you stay on I-5 and find a way to mosey back on your return legs.

Mark

[W. Larrison]

It's a full 2 day drive from Vancouver to SF, taking the straight route down I-5. Vancouver to Redding is doable in a long day (I've done Bellingham to Redding several times, including as a solo driver).

If you have 2 nights/ 3 days and depending when your friends come in, there is a very slight possibility you can do the 101 leg, but you'll still be moving fast. That would be something like Vancouver to Grants Pass Oregon, about 10 hours drive time (a long day's drive). Then over to Crescent City and down 101 to somewhere like Santa Rosa the 2nd night. But again, a lonng day of maybe 9 hours drive time (not including stops), and you're about an hour north of the Golden Gate SF, and you've just zoomed through some really pretty country without stopping. You still have to get across the Golden Gate, through SF and down to the airport on the south side of the city -- probably in heavy rush hour traffic (didn't check your dates to see if they were week days...). That could take substantial time, up to a couple of hours just to get through the traffic.

You might want to just zoom down I-5, get to SF early, then have a nice dinner, and relax the night before your friends arrive to greet them in a good mood.

[ph_leung]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. It looks like it will be too much of a rush this time. I'll just do I-5. We're not coming back up the coast on our return trip so I'll have to save the 101 for next time.

This will be my first major road trip into the USA. After picking up our friends we'll head down the coast of California, across to Las Vegas, the canyons and up to Salt Lake City and back. We're doing this in a Honda Civic hatchback. Thanks to the FAQs and postings on this site, I think we're ready. I will try to write a report when I get back.

[Mark Sedenquist]

This will be my first major road trip into the USA. After picking up our friends we'll head down the coast of California, across to Las Vegas

What route will you be using from the coast to Las Vegas?

I think we're ready. I will try to write a report when I get back.

We look forward to reading what you find out there!

Mark

[ph_leung]

We're going from San Diego, through San Bernadino (?) then on I-15 to Las Vegas with a break into the outlet mall near Palm Springs

For those interested, here's a summary of the route we're taking. There's 3 out of 4 people that will drive. We're doing this in a 2003 Civic 2 door hatchback. There will be one "speed run" down and one from the last stretch home.

6568 km
June 6 4:00am Vancouver start.
June 6 tue: Roseburg
June 7 wed: San Jose
June 8 thu: San Francisco
June 9,10 fri,sat: San Jose
June 11 sun: Santa Barbara
June 12 mon: Hollywood
June 13,14,15 tue-thu: Anaheim
June 16 fri: San Diego --> Palm Springs
June 17,18,19 sat-mon: Las Vegas
June 20 tue: Grand Canyon -> Bryce Canyon
June 21 wed: Provo
June 22 thu: Boise
June 23 fri: Home!

[ph_leung]

Our run down I-5 in June will take us through San Francisco during a late afternoon-to-6pm and we will likely be going in LA during an early afternoon. Our destinations are San Jose and Anaheim respectively.

Should we avoid going on the I-5 during these times? Are there any times of the day or tips to avoid traffic jams along the I-5 in California? How bad are the jams? What is the best way to get out of one? (take the next exit and onto regular roads or other highways?) Any alternatives?

My experience with jams are limited. Just for a perspective, here in Vancouver, the jams I've been in are the 15-30km/h slowdowns that don't last more than 20 minutes. Our main highway is mostly 2 lanes+ 1 HOV.

[W. Larrison]

LA traffic jams --

There are two type of traffic jams in LA area, just like every other city. The first are the twice-a-day jams you get as people commute to and from work, and the traffic flows like a tidal to, and from, some concentration of jobs. In LA the typical flow is to and from downtown, or LA international airport, or downtown Santa Ana. You can avoid these by not traveling at peak traffic times (7:00 to 9:00 am, or 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm), or traveling counter to the traffic flow. (I used to commute from near downtown to the suburbs every morning -- and while the freeways coming into the city were packed, my side was wide open at 60 mph). In a rush-hour traffic jam, traffic will probably be moving at 10-30 mph or faster, although in a stop & go mode.

The other type of traffic jam is from an accident or something else that messes up the free flow of traffic. These are random events, but can seriously mess up traffic. Something like an overturned hot asphalt truck can shut down one side of a freeway for hours... The only way to avoid these is to go around them -- either by taking alternative freeway routes, or even by getting off on side streets to bypass them. For a visitor to LA, I'd recommend listening to one of the 2 AM all news radio stations in LA which cover traffic every 10 minutes, if you are concerned.

There are many freeways in LA which have either a dedicated "HOV" (High Occupancy Vehicle", or "carpool" lane, which are for vehicles with 2 or more persons in it. On most freeways this is the inside lane, which is designated by a double-double set of lines. (A double set should be treated as a physical barrier -- there will be sections to get in or out of the carpool lane every mile or so, but if you cross the double-double line you can get a sizable ticke -- in the $200-400 range. If you think you're getting within a couple of miles of your offramp, get out of the carpool lane and transition over the 4 or more lanes in the freeway so you're not trying to dangerously and frantically swerve across heavy traffic to get to an exit.. ) However, on many of the older freeways, this is not complete, so you may have sections with carpool lanes, and others without it.

Coming into LA, a reasonable path which avoids downtown (with older, narrow freeways and heavier traffic) would be get off I-5 and take the 210 freeway across the northern edge of the city, through Glendale and Pasadena, and then south down the 605 freeway to the 91, which takes you east, almost to the edge of disneyland. You'll have to get back on the I-5 for the last 5 miles to Disneyland. The I-5 through downtown and into Orange County is one of the oldest freeways in LA and one of the very busiest. If you're coming through in the later afternoon, I'd avoid it. The 210 is usually in pretty good shape, although it does not have a carpool lane and may be slower from Pasadena to the 605 junction (about 10 miles I'd guess). The 605 has a carpool lane along most of its length.

As for what to do in a Jam? The best advice is don't do anything rash, and use your usual common sense. Check the map and see if there is an alternative route. Check what you can see ahead -- if you can see red flashing lights that's probably where the problem is, and you'll get through it quicker by going with the slow flow of traffic than trying to get to the side of the road and maneuver around. Check the radio to see if they are identifying a specific traffic problem on your freeway (although the radio can be cryptic at times.. "Messy on the Golden State through Temple" has no meaning except to a native....)

[W. Larrison]

You'd mentioned you were planning on taking I-15 from San Diego up to Palm Springs, and from there up to Vegas? (with a stop at the outlet stores near Palm Springs, at Cabazon, I believe).

Just as a note, there are two other large sets of outlet malls you may pass on this trip. A little googling and it turns out they are all organized by the same company, so I would expect very similar offering at them.

One is at Camarillo, south of Santa Barbara on US 101, with 120 stores http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=20

The other is at Carlsbad, CA, located off I-5, about 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego with 90 stores. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=66

The Cabazon set of outlet stores have a web page at http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6

The premiumoutlets web site also says there are 2 set near Las Vegas, although I've not even driven past those.

[Mark Sedenquist]

The premiumoutlets web site also says there are 2 set near Las Vegas, although I've not even driven past those.

These two are both on I-15 (the first is at Primm, Nevada (border of California and Nevada). The second one is downtown -- less than 2 years old at the junction of the I-15 and I-515/US-95. There is a third outlet mall in Las Vegas about three miles south of Mandalay Bay on the strip. Exit would be Blue Diamond Road.

Mark