Trip from San Diego to Grand Canyon

[raihan26]

Hi guys, We are planning a trip from San Diego to Grand Canyon in this thanks giving day. Can anyone let me know which route is the scenic route for this drive and what are the things we can cover in between this route.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I'm a big unsure about your overall plan. Its basically an all day drive, sticking to the interstates, from San Diego to the Grand Canyon all by itself.

Are you hoping to stay right inside the National Park, or are you fine with only getting to Williams or Flagstaff? How much time are you planning to spend at the Canyon itself.

One scenic option would be to go through Joshua Tree National Park and up along Lake Havasu, but that would be tough to do and even reach Williams in one day if you want to stop along the way. If you just want to get there, then taking I-15 to I-40 is probably your best bet.

[raihan26]

Thanks for replying back. I am unsure where we should stay as this is our first time to Grand Canyon. So which one is better option staying right inside the National Park or outside the park and which can be cheap and I have no idea what is Williams and Flagstaff, Its kind of some place where we can stay or something different? We have three days to spend. So what we can do in these three days. We are thinking to see Grand Canyon, but other than that we have no idea. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Midwest Michael]

The first step to planning any trip - be it across country or around the block - is to look at a good map. If you don't know where Williams or Flagstaff are, then I suggest that you've already gotten ahead of yourself.

But to sum things up, both Williams and Flagstaff are about a hour drive from the Canyon but will offer more and far cheaper lodging options. In fact, with the holiday, those are probably about your only options for lodging at this late date.

If this is a 3 day trip, then you're basically looking at a days drive there, a day at the Canyon, and then a days drive home.

[Lifemagician]

.... I have no idea what is Williams and Flagstaff, Its kind of some place where we can stay or something different?

Even though you have left it a little late.... getting a good paper map (such as AAA) is about the best thing you can do. Maps of CA and AZ. Take some time to study the maps, see where the roads go, which routes go between SD and GC, and see where the places mentioned above, are. Without a good visual knowledge of the area, it strikes me that you will be just following the white line on the road, and missing all this trip has to offer.

Enjoy!

Lifey

[DonnaR57]

Another San Diegan here! Welcome to RTA!

As has been mentioned above, San Diego to the Grand Canyon via I-15 and I-40 is a one-day drive....around 450 miles. If you choose to go I-8 to I-10 to I-17 and then west on I-40, it's about 500 miles BUT you avoid San Bernardino/Riverside and the Cajon Pass. You can cut off more miles on that route by taking I-8 to Gila Bend, where you catch AZ 85 up to I-10 east. Catch the Loop 101 north to avoid most of Phoenix, and you've cut off 50 miles from the I-8/10/17 combination. I would AVOID I-8 to 95 north to I-40, as that highway (95) is awful....we lost two friends on that highway a few years back (a trucker hit them head on while passing on a curve illegally).

Williams has quite an assortment of reasonably priced lodging. Either search on this site's lodging finder, or try roomsaver.com for coupons before you leave. (I am thinking, however, that some places may not honor a coupon on a holiday weekend, so read the fine print of ANY coupon or deal to make sure it will be honored then.)

The hotel at the GC is a bit more expensive and, frankly, books quickly, especially for holiday weekends.

Enjoy your trip!


Donna

[ejdixon]

Thanks for replying back. I am unsure where we should stay as this is our first time to Grand Canyon. So which one is better option staying right inside the National Park or outside the park and which can be cheap and I have no idea what is Williams and Flagstaff, Its kind of some place where we can stay or something different? We have three days to spend. So what we can do in these three days. We are thinking to see Grand Canyon, but other than that we have no idea. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Will you be going there by car or will you be using a camper/trailer? You can take your chances still campgrounds within the National Park if you don't mind camping or if you're bringing a camper/trailer. This campground is on a first come, first serve basis so you might still be able to get one. It would still be a good idea to make bookings in Flagstaff just in case.

In addition to buying and studying the map, I'd suggest to also take time to visit the Grand Canyon National Park website to get an idea of what to expect, things to do, accommodations and the like.