Aussies to West Coast

[Southwest Dave]

After vegas we're going to san francisco and stay there for 3 nights, then back to LA. we're still debating (another family is with us) whether to drive or fly from las vegas to frisco

If you can "pinch" a couple of nights from elsewhere I would strongly recommend using them between Vegas and SF and take a spectacular drive across Death valley to the 395 and head North to Lee vining and across the Tioga pass [120] into Yosemite.

[CC OZ]

thanks for the tips cc oz, it's great that you enjoyed your west coast holiday, we're going there in september as well on a nearly identical itinerary as yours, though we're doing la/hollywood/universal studios for the first 4 days, drive to anaheim and do disney for 3 days, then drive to las vegas and stay there for 4 nights. After vegas we're going to san francisco and stay there for 3 nights, then back to LA. we're still debating (another family is with us) whether to drive or fly from las vegas to frisco and frisco to LA. Just wanna ask bout few things though:
* did you hire a van? (cuz there are 8 of us altogether), what car rental company? any tips bout car hire/extra costs that needs to be clarified(gps,insurance,petrol etc)
* any good stopovers on the way to vegas (lunch,shops, etc)
* driving tips, anything to avoid

I used to drive on "the wrong side" years ago back in Phils. i'll just have to re-adjust my brain again when i get there.

cheers,

Hi Dennis.

I I had my time again I would do as you plan. Do all the LA stuff first, then head north and only home back to LA to fly out. The problem I had was that I was itching to do Vegas so I wanted to get out of LA early.

I booked everything myself. Used Expedia/Hotwire etc. However, the one thing that had me worried was car rental. I had heard horror stories of people being slugged with additional insurance etc. So one day I headed into a flight centre and asked about car rental and nothing else. The girl checked a few websites and got a dynamite price through Hertz with all insurances included. Hertz were great. Shuttle bus right near the terminal, within about 30 minutes were were in our car and away!

As for GPS, I bought a GPS off ebay before we left. It all ready had US maps, and the cost of it was half the total rental cost of a GPS. Plus now I have a GPS I use here. Do some research because some of the bigger vans have in built GPS systems. Most of the car rental mobs offer unlimited miles which is good. As for fuel, you will find it is dirt cheap. A few tips however. Unlike here, you have to pre pay for fuel. In a large van Im guessing it would be about $40-50US to fill up. (As opposed to $100 - $120 here!!) So you go into the servo, tell them your number, give them a fifty, go back fill up then go in and get your change. Also some of the pumps you have to push a button as to what type of fuel you want. On others you have to lift a lever.

Barstow is a good stop off on the way to Vegas. Plenty of fast food. We found "In and out" Burgers were good at Barstow.

Other driving tips, follow the "long left hard right rule" when turning and you should be ok. The GPS assists because when it says "turn left" I always say to myself "Long left" (meaning go long into the intersection to turn left)

I found car parks in shopping centres the hardest!!

There should be no debate about the drive to San Fran from Vegas. This time of year Tioga pass will be open, so you can go through Death Valley then to Yosemite. Yosemite is only three hours to San Fran too. Im betting the Vegas, DV, Yosemite SFO loop of your trip will be the highlight!!!

Then you have the coast road down to LA which is great also. Hopefully you wont have fog like we did, but we still had a great time.

Dont forget to try and squeeze San Diego in for a day trip to Sea World too.

Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers

CCOZ.

[glc]

You can also pay at the pump in most stations with a credit card, you don't have to go inside.

[CC OZ]

You can also pay at the pump in most stations with a credit card, you don't have to go inside.

True.

It is quite a culture shock for Aussies as we are used to filling up then going inside to pay for whatever we received. However with more and more "drive offs without paying" we probably will go to your system within a few years.

[Enforcer]

Hi all

Great site you have here I'm via a forum in oz where cc oz is also a member and posted a link to this thread for more of us Aussies who are heading across the pond for a holiday.
I have done 2 road trips in the states before both times around the southern states including New Orleans,Memphis and Key West to name a few places.

This time in September were going from LA to San Diego then a day trip in Tijuana also got my Padres tickets in the mail today. Then we head back to Anaheim for a day at Disneland then off to Williams and Grand Canyon onto Vegas for few nights the Yosemite staying in Curry Village hopefully. SanFran for a few days, 1 night in Monterey via the big trees and down the coast to LA.

It seems like a well worn tourist trail for Americans and Aussies alike.

On cars rentals arn't a problem as I will use Dollar or Alamo via an Aussie booking company that gets us good deals with insurances but what type is my dilemma.

Looking at a Dodge Charger or a Jeep Grand Cherokee suv. I have never done any touring in a suv but prefer driving a RWD sedan as they handle better and are safer imho. Are there any roads on my itinary that may benifit from driving a SUV ?

Cheers
Paul

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

No, there are no roads on which you can legally drive where the SUV will offer any advantages. While the rental agency will be more than happy to rent you the more expensive SUV, and the gas stations will roll out the red carpet for such a thirsty beast, the fact is that the rental contract will specifically prohibit you from taking any car off "regularly maintained roads". Use your money wisely, get a comfortable sedan with all the creature comforts.

AZBuck

[glc]

I would advise you to carefully consider the trip to Tijuana. Safety is a big issue these days, the drug cartels are at war with the police. In any event, you will have to park the car at the border and walk across.

[Enforcer]

Thanks for that I can happily skip Tijuana been there done that but wife wants to take 13 yr old nephew over there for a look see on an organised morning bus tour. Do you consider the organised bus tours as unsafe as well ?

cheers

[Enforcer]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

No, there are no roads on which you can legally drive where the SUV will offer any advantages. While the rental agency will be more than happy to rent you the more expensive SUV, and the gas stations will roll out the red carpet for such a thirsty beast, the fact is that the rental contract will specifically prohibit you from taking any car off "regularly maintained roads". Use your money wisely, get a comfortable sedan with all the creature comforts.

AZBuck

Thats what I figured as well maintaining personal comfort whilst driving is a big factor in combating fatigue whilst driving long distances. As for fuel my daily driver here in OZ has a 6.9l ls3 chev in it so I get used to digging deep for gas.

The biggest days driving we are planning is Anaheim to Williams AZ via Joshua Tree , is it realistic to escape the traffic on a monday morning if we escape from Anaheim at about 06:00 ?

cheers

[AZBuck]

Believe it or not, 6:00 AM is about when traffic really starts to pick up in L.A., and for certain, it will be hot and heavy long before you clear the 'Inland Empire'. I'd try to get to bed early the night before, aim to leave by 5, and then stop for breakfast once you clear Banning. The the rest of the day's drive should be a "snap" leaving you a few hours to see Joshua Tree and still make Williams by nightfall.

AZBuck