5 days for roundtrip from SF area to Portland

[sriram]

Hello all,
I am planning for a 5 day trip from SF area to portland before end of september.

Is the round trip practical to be done in 5 days? If so, what route would be best?

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thank you in advance.


--Sriram

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

It's certainly doable, the trip up and back is about 3 days of driving at a reasonably comfortable pace so you won't have much time to play with.

On the way up you could stay inland, perhaps turning off I 5 at Mt Shasta and through Klamath falls and past Crater Lake and on the way down perhaps off I 5 at Grants pass and head to Crescent City and down the coast for the Redwoods.

[sriram]

Thank you for your response...

So on the way up, can it be done in a day with the inland route on I 5.
On the way back, since it is the longer route, should this be broken down in to two days...

Thanks
Sriram

[glc]

SF to Portland can be done in one long day on I-5 with no sightseeing delays or detours.

[Rook]

San Francisco to Portland, mainly travaling on I-5 is roughly 640 miles. How many miles do you feel comfortable driving in one day? To complete the journey in one-day is posssible but it would be best to leave very early in the morning to avoid the rush hour in either city. I hate to navigate in a large city at night but that might not be an issue for you.

I traveled from Los Angeles to Seattle and back during the end of August. Be aware that there are sections of construction road work along I-5 in Californai and Oregon. In construction zones, the speed limit is 60 mph in Oregon and it varies in California. There are signs warning that fines are double in consturction areas.

On the way north, stop at the California Welcome Center in Anderson (On or near exit 667 on I-5) and one of the Oregon rest stops for travel guides. At each rest stop in Oregon I visited (4 total), there was a kiosk loaded with the Oregon Travel guide and brochures of local attractions. These guides can help you plan your return trip.