I'd rent a car and drop Vegas and the Canyon this trip, taking the bus will take you via the boring I5 inland, missing the beautiful coastal drive with 2-3 nights to stop.
Skip Tijuana, although they are trying to clean up their act, it is still a gritty border city, with lots of kids begging you for money.

Stay away from Tijuana. It is not representative of the resort-style Mexico that Americans go to vacation. Tijuana is full of kids begging for money & can be quite dangerous, especially at night.

I have never in all my years of being on Fodors seen such a rushed itinerary (and I am far from being a "slow traveler"). You have no to time in any of the places you're planning to go. 7-1/2 days and you expect to see San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, San Diego and Los Angeles, not to mention Tijuana? I would ditch at least two more places, in addition to skipping God-forsaken Tijuana.

Agree that now - not only is Tijuana possibly dangerous (you never know when some kind of narco fight can break out) - but there's really not that much to see there. If you want to go a little further south - to say Rosarito - or Puerto Nuevo - you see the pretty coastline and you could have a lobster lunch/dinner - but really - that takes longer and it's a lot of work when there is more to see/do here in San Diego.

You could visit Old Town - and maybe have a Mexican dinner at our favorite place - Casa Guadalajara, where they have a Mariachi band: http://www.casaguadalajara.com/

For future reference - consider staying somewhere like the Los Rocas resort if you want to get a little flavor of a Baja/Mexican get away. http://www.lasrocas.com/

And yes, you are covering a lot of ground - buy I like to do that sometimes - in what I call a "survey" type trip - to then determine where to return and spend more time.

Not sure of the prospects for a good hotel at the $120 or less rate - but you might try the Priceline type web sites and see what you can "score".

As far as an overnight bus trip from LA to SF - there are a number of fairly reasonable flights you might check out. Much easier.

BTW - suggest you each take a carry-on luggage with you.

Oops. Here in SD you can find some hotels in the $120 range. You might try finding something by Old Town - as it's close to the airport (they probably also have shuttles) - and you can then ride the trolley around SD. http://gothere.com/sandiego/oldtown/sleep.htm

I agree that you are trying to do far too much. I also think you'd be better off spending your first couple days in San Francisco, instead of one night and then flying off to Las Vegas. Flying 23 hours then jetting of Vegas for a night, then taking a day long bus trip to the Grand Canyon and catching a flight the next morning for San Diego? Honestly, that sounds awful.

I understand the thought that you should skip this or that and come back later...but since you're coming from India and spending almost a month over here, I doubt you'll be coming back anytime soon. So don't skip Vegas and the Grand Canyon, but choose either Los Angeles or San Diego, not both. And forget about Tijuana completely.

The late shows in Las Vegas start around 9:30pm so it's a stretch to try to see one the night you come back from the Grand Canyon. That leaves you just one afternoon/night to see or do anything in Vegas.

Stay in San Francisco for 3 nights. Fly to Vegas on the morning of day 4. Spend that day exploring Las Vegas. Day 5 go to Grand Canyon. Day 6 in the morning, fly to Los Angeles for 2 nights, then take the bus or a flight to San Francisco the evening of day 8.

If you would only take your luggage with you, this would solve some wasted time.

Take two decent carry-on suitcases and a backpack per person. Plan on a day to slow down and do laundry here and there.

Do WhereAreWe's schedule, but spend 3 nights in Los Angeles and then fly from there to Vancouver BC.

Thanks to all. This is why I like Fodorites.. 1st hand info and genuine advice. I released that I had planned my itinerary based on the Thomas cook/ Globus kind of guided tour and not leaving any time to absorb things. Skipping Tijuana is the 1st thing I have done. I know that even this one is pretty rushed up. But as suggested by "WhereAreWe" and Tomsd I would rather do this as an orientation tour and hope to come back to make the full use of my 10 years multiple entry tourist visa
We shall be travelling with only one shoulder bag each with camera and minimum things with us.

So now that leaves me with..

3 Days- San Francisco and around (which tour for the surrounding area)
2 days- Las Vegas and Grand Canyon (I have heard that Bryce Canyon is even better but is far)

2 Days- LA or San Diego- which one to choose

I am trying to compensate this hurricane tour by staying 7 nights at Banff and not do too much of running around.

Please send more suggestions... Thanks in advance

As the others have said, your plan is very very busy. You will be spending much of your time travelling between points. Stay in San Francico for at least a few nights when you arrive. Then rent a car or take a tour up to wine country, some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere. The Grand Canyon is amazing, and Vegas is good for a day or two. You might want to skip Tijuana and LA, and relax in San Diego.

I'm going to be the contrarian and suggest that you stick to the Grand Canyon and California coast. I know how tempting it is to try to squeeze so many places in, especially since you are coming from halfway around the world and may not be back any time soon. But I think you will compromise the enjoyment of your trip by hopping between so many states.

I don't like Las Vegas and think you could give it a miss. That's just me though. I also felt a little let down by the Grand Canyon - it is amazing and spectacular but the crowds, fees, etc. really took away from the experience.

San Francisco, San Diego and LA are all worth at least two days just by themselves.

I understand what you all are trying to advice. Most of the times it is that people want to be seen in the foreground of all those pictures that are published in the tour company's brochure. More like "been there, done that"
if i ask myself, I would love to see the country side or national parks rather than Vegas or Universal studios like theme parks. I have too little time to do all that.
Will try and stick to the coastal scenic route.
Would surely do the vineyard tour.

Any more suggestions on things to see around and between SF and LA?

Well, if you want to see the countryside and national parks, then for sure do a vineyard tour, go to Yosemite, drive the coast and skip San Diego and Tijuana.

It might be best to make a loop of sorts - start in San Francisco, take a couple days to drive down to LA, then head inland and stop at Sequoia/King's Canyon and Yosemite before heading back to San Francisco. Throw in a day at the vineyards and you have a full itinerary with that loop.

WhereAreWe, Thanks for the suggestion..
Considering all the suggestions, the revised itinerary

11 June- Land at SFO. Check in. Stroll at Fisherman's cove etc
12 th June- San Francisco Walking tour in the 1st half
Flight to Las Vegas by 3 pm./ Las Vegas by night
(To Big an attraction to miss)
13th June- Coach tour to Grand Canyon- South Rim. Back to Las Vegas by 8 pm- Overnight bus to LA

14th June- LA City tour

15th June- Hire a Car for a 3 day Drive on Highway 1 to San Francisco- Visiting Santa Barabara, Solvang, Herst Castle- Overnight Halt en route ( Suggestions Plz)

16th June- Big Sur- to Monterey- Overnight Halt.

17th June- Monterey to SFO - I may return the car at San Jose rather than SFO- SFO city tour and overnight

18th June- SFO relaxed day

19th June- Morning flight to Vancouver

1 night in LA after a whirlwind tour of LV etc is a bit tight.
But I am not keen on seeing big cities.

Please comment...

Your current itinerary sounds much less harried than your original! However, on June 12, if your LV flight time is at 3, don't forget to factor in transportation time to SFO and time to get thru security. If you haven't already booked that flight, you might consider making it a bit later in the day to give you ample time to do one of the walking tours in the morning.

Much better itinerary, and if you want to see some vineyards en route without going to pricey Napan, there are very good vineyards in both Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara, and also Paso Robles just inland from Cambria (near Hearst Castle).

Thanks for advice tenthumbs..Thanks to all the advice from fodorites..(which I have been following for a few years now).. Stuck between " wanna see all, do all" and absorbing the place.. Spoke to and read fellow fodorite Indiancouple"s trip report on the west cost. Downloaded it and read it again and its 2 am in the watch. This planning stage is so damn interesting. Sometime I wonder if I love this more than the trip itself.
Would love to get a glimpse of Yosemite and Napa Valley. Thanks to Jamie99"s suggestion. my wine tasting will be done at Paso Robies..Am skipping Yosemite as I will be going to Canadian rockies and staying at Banff for 7 days. I hope to get similar scenery there.
Is Cambria the right place for a 1st night halt from LA.
Can I do this in a day and stay directly near Big Sur, Carmel or Monterey?

7 days in Banff and 7 days for all of California plus Las Vegas plus the Grand Canyon? Sounds really lopsided to me, even though Banff is gorgeous.

I would suggest reconsidering a better distribution of your days.

Also, yes, the California coast is beautiful, but the one-way drop-off fees for cars can be huge. Also I would hesitate to recommend that someone who is used to driving on the left-hand side of the road tour the curvy roads along the coast in a rental car. It's how comfortable you will be driving on "the wrong side" alongside the ocean.

Using Priceline to get cheaper rates for hotels would be great. If you have not used Priceline before, do come back and ask for tips.

easytraveler, You are right in your thinking. I have a timeshare membership and try to use it once a year. I get a week rental and it cannot be split. Hence Banff for 7 nights. I will be driving down with friends from Vancouver, and will do day trips from Banff, It is also my 24th Wedding Anniversary and beginning of the 25th year that we wish to celebrate. I generally have a dual paced tour where I do one part as a little fast paced with more of sightseeing and then slow down at some tranquil place. I will fly to Toronto on Canada Day, onto Niagara, then to Washington for 4th July and then for 7 days to NY to slow down with friends and relatives.
It was difficult to allot time and I made a mistake of booking the tickets after studying a Thomas Cook itinerary.

I have driven on the right side of the road in Turkey, Greece. I hope I will catch up again. Highway 1 drive is probably everyone's dream.
I am not getting a rate for drop off at a different location. But if it is very steep, I may consider doing it from SF as a loop and skip Santa Barbara and Solvang.

I would suggest a few additional things.

Rent a car and drive yourself to the Grand Canyon, stay overnight if you can find a room.That would allow you to spend an evening/morning in Vegas too.

If you don't really care about big cities, find a way to skip LA and just spend more time in the country. I'd strongly encourage you to visit Yosemite.

Perhaps you could find a car rental from Vegas dropping off in SFO with no dropoff fee? Then you could drive to Grand Canyon, and from there devise a route that ends in SFO with as much nature as you can fit in.

WhereAreWe, I would love to spend a night under a star studded sky in the Grand Canyon. That would also give me perfect magical hour lighting for my photos at Sunrise and sunset. But I guess it would be doing too much of driving in too little time. SFO to Las vegas is 15 hours of bus ride and las vegas to South rim Grand canyon is about 5 hours. I dont know if I should skip LA. It has an aura at least outside the US. Just to have a glimpse I would love to spend a day there, not visiting the Universal studios et all, but to stroll on its streets.
About Yosemite, there is a strange story. I was travelling in an overnight bus in Turkey, on our Cappadocia Tour. I had a dream that I was standing at the entrance gate of a national park. I read the board and it said Yosemite. I had not even heard that name earlier in my life. It could be what I call "Random Acces Memory" I googled and found that it is on the US west coast. though it looked slightly different. I would really like to turn that dream into reality. But dont know I have sufficient time.
Should I totally skip Las Vegas and Grand canyon ( a big big attraction) and stick to only West coast highway 1 and Yosemite? tough call...

<<<I dont know if I should skip LA. It has an aura at least outside the US. Just to have a glimpse I would love to spend a day there, not visiting the Universal studios et all, but to stroll on its streets.>>>

The thing is Los Angeles is so spread out that there's really no "strolling" there. You can certainly pick specific locations and go there and stroll, but you have to get from place to place, and that's much easier done by car than public transportation (doable, but it will usually eat up a lot of time). Los Angeles has often been described as "a bunch of suburbs in search of a city".

sf7307, thanks for the info. I have not yet reached the micro level planning. Is it possible to take a day pass like muni in SF and travel to places within LA?

Sorry, I don't know, I've never been to LA without a car.

<But I guess it would be doing too much of driving in too little time. SFO to Las vegas is 15 hours of bus ride and las vegas to South rim Grand canyon is about 5 hours.>

I thought you were flying from SFO to Las Vegas??

If you want to go to LA, do as sf7307 said: pick a specific area and only go there. (Hollywood, Beverly Hills or whatever). It's extremely spread out and it can take hours to go from one edge of the city to the other.

Personally, I'd rent a car in Vegas, go to Grand Canyon and then head to SFO from there, skipping LA entirely.

OMG... I realize what a crazy itinerary I started with..
I agree that LA should be cut skipped...
That gives me 7 1/2 days on the west coast and Las Vegas + Grand canyon.. Still so little
I am thinking of renting a car at Salinas or Monterey. Travelling on the Highway 1 upto Hearst Castle and Paso Robles wine tasting- coming back to Salinas on highway 101 or higway 1 again. Doing this in 3 days. San Francisco 2 days and fly to and fro- 2 days in Las vegas and Grand canyon. I wish I could spend a day in Sequoia Canyon or Yosemite..
Confused but probably making a tighter itinerary..
Please help.

Idea of renting a car in Monterrey is to minimize driving in main cities. I would reach there via Salinas by public transport from SFO.

I guess you can do that, just do not stay in Salinas, it is a nice enough town but inland and mainly agricultural although it does have a nice John Steinbeck museum. Stay in Monterey, Carmel or Pacific Grove (they are all right next to one another). Then drive down (not up) Hwy 1 to do wine tasting in Paso Robles, stay overnight in Cambria (you can see Hearst Castle if you want and have time, but reserve a tour in advance) and then drive back to Monterey to turn in the car and take transit to SFO.

Paragkash, I think folks are giving you a lot of good advice. I'm not a huge fan of either Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon but they are undeniably big attractions and I would not presume to say you would not hugely enjoy both of them. Also, Banff is a lovely place but IMHO a bit more touristy than real outdoorsy. Too many details but I will whittle down my advice to the following:
1) If you are truly interested in the outdoors and National Parks, etc. there is very little to compare with Yosemite (and adjacent Sequoia NPs in California. Rather than touristy Banff, again for the true out of doors go to Montana and Glacier NP, just beware of bears, but that is a different subject.
2) You were correctly advised, avoid Tijuana at all costs. San Diego / LA have much to offer (on a different trip).
3) Coastal California is beautiful and the advice others have given you is good.

The Grand Canyon and Yosemite will both be very busy in June.

Grand Canyon can be either a day trip or an overnight, depends on how much time you can spare. If you aren't doing a lot of hiking you can drive there and back in one day but it is a lot of driving and not at all ideal.

Never been to Yosemite but I wouldn't even consider going there as a day trip, I would definitely stay overnight.

One of the best parts of staying in the park overnight is that the day trippers go away so it quiets down. You can wake up early in the morning and go for a walk/hike before the park gets crowded again, and that will be a much better experience than dealing with all the traffic and people later in the day.

So I think you could do Yosemite and Grand Canyon, but it would make things more hectic for you, unless you really cut back the time you spend in SFO and the time you allot for driving the coast/wineries. On the other hand, if you could convince yourself to skip Las Vegas and Grand Canyon entirely, then you've just made things pretty simple - spend a couple days/night visiting Yosemite and SEKI, 3 days driving the coast and visiting wine country, and a couple days in SFO. That really simplifies your trip - one car rental instead of two and no extra flight to Vegas. You could very easily stay in SFO the first 2 days to allow yourself to adjust to the time difference and rest up from the long flight, then head out on your driving loop and come back to SFO the night before your flight to Banff.

If you do want to come back, it makes more sense to visit Vegas and the Grand Canyon from Southern California, so you could spend a week visiting San Diego/LA, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

From what I know, June is a good time to visit Yosemite. The roads should all be open and the waterfalls are flowing pretty well. Later in summer there are bigger crowds and the waterfalls diminish. Earlier (in April/May) there are fewer people but roads are not yet open. So you might have picked the best month to visit. For the Grand Canyon, you could visit any month and the views are pretty much going to be the same. There would be snow in the winter which could cause icy roads but the canyon is beautiful with some snow on it. Otherwise, April/May and September/October are great months to visit the Grand Canyon with fewer crowds, nice weather and the same great views you'd see in summer. Actually probably better views because there tends to be a bit of haze in summer months. So you might want to consider all of that if you are pretty certain that you'll come back in the future.

Love Yosemite but it's not really in your "route." Not sure if you can use all the US Car Companies coming from abroad - but check out www.carrentals.com and their various prices.

If you could do it - rent a car in Vegas (and do fly from SF - inexpensive flights v. a very long bus ride) - and spend the night at the Grand Canyon. Enjoy riding the buses to the west end to see the Sunset and get up early to greet the sunrise on the east end. 5 hour - pretty much freeway type drive to/from Vegas.

You can also check on drop off charges/weekly rental charges and see if renting a car for a week makes it worthwhile to keep it - or fly to LA from Vegas and rent a car there to turn in up in SF.

Leaving LA - you could have a nice lunch/wine tasting in/around Solvang and a couople hours later - wind up in Cambria for the night - and the next day - take the Hearst Castle tour in the morning and then drive up/through stunnning Big Sur.

Banff the town might be a little touristy, but Banff the area "not real outdoorsy"? That's ridiculous.

This thread is getting me confused.

Me, too.

I don't understand the revised plans of renting a car in Monterey or Salinas. (Salinas, really?)

You can rent a car right from San Francisco Airport and get on the freeway without having to be in any city traffic. Monterey is about a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive from SFO.

Otherwise, I'm wondering how you plan to get to Monterey/Salinas from SFO or SF. It'll probably take you at least half a day without a car.


Los Angeles is for driving. Forget about using public transportation unless you have tons of time - which you don't.


Hope this helps a bit, as I'm like Michelle getting confused with where exactly you would like to go and where exactly you plan to go.

Jamie99. Jlub, WhereAreWe, Tomsd, sf7307, MichelleY, easytraveler.... Thanks a lot for taking pains and devoting time to enlighten me with wonderful suggestions...The confusion is giving me sleepless nights, but surely, with your replies.. it is leading me to probably best itinerary for me..

I should hopefully come again, at least to make the most of my 10 years tourist visa. But we will be a few years older.(I am 47/ architect from Mumbai)
Las Vegas and Grand Canyon are big draw. Tough to drop them.

Revised itinerary for your kind comments:
11th June- Land at SFO.. Check in n relax, stroll a bit
12th June(Wed)- Take a flight to Las Vegas Stay the night
13th June(Thus)- Bus day Tour to South rim and back by night.
(have heard that South is farther but better than west rim. Wouldn't like to drive so much. Will come back the same day as West coast is my priority)
14th June(Fri)- Fly back to SFO- Local sightseeing ( should I rent a car here at the airport around 10 am and prpone the 3 day drive rather than the next day)

(3 day scenic drive to Big Sur and further- This I feel would be the highlight of the tour)
15th June(Sat)- Rent a car at SFO Airport/ or San Jose and drive down to Monterey- spend the night

16th June(Sun)- Drive down Highway 1- upto Hearst castle- Stay at Cambria (is it too much for a day)

17th June(Mon)- I wish I could use this day for Yosemite. Especially after reading its luscious description by WhereAreWe; on my way back to san Francisco. Don't know how to make the most out of this day besides just driving back to SFO.

18th June(Tue)- I would like to be in San Francisco on this day any how, as I wouldn't like to do much travelling/ driving before I take a morning flight the next day.

19th June(Wed)- Outbound flight to Vancouver at 8 am

I hope this works.. everyone's efforts and wisdom right from the beginning of this thread are well appreciated and all this is surely helping me to evolve as a traveler and understand the land, culture and people in a better way...
Please keep enlightening

Hi, Paragkash,

Thanks for your detailed clarification of your itinerary. Here's what I would suggest with an eye to maximizing your time as well as not having to lug your luggage all over the place. Others may have better recommendations.

11 June - Land at SFO, then fly directly to Las Vegas. Find a nonstop flight (Southwest has numerous flights, also good luggage allowance) which will take you just 1 and 1/2 hours. Enjoy a bit of Las Vegas. Overnight in LV.

12 June - day trip by bus to Grand Canyon. These are all day bus tours starting at about 7am and ending after 9pm. You'll be too tired to do anything else. There may not be any flights at 11/12pm to SF, so spend the night in Las Vegas.

This way you're not rushing around going from SFO to find your SF hotel, checking in, then checking out and rushing off to SFO again the next morning. This is all wasted time.

13 June - fly back to SFO as early as you possibly can. Rent car at SFO, then drive south to Monterey...Cambria this day, the 14th and part of the 15th.

14 June Big Sur

15 June - afternoon, start driving for Yosemite. If you're around Cambria and get on Highway 46 and Highway 41, it'll take you about 4 hours to get to Yosemite. Most of this will be flat land but also just two-lane roads. Spend the night inside/outside Yosemite (probably outside)

16 June Visit Yosemite

17 June start back early for San Francisco. Just avoid peak traffic hours. I'm vacillating between recommending that you drive straight back to the airport and returning the car or keeping it for the rest of the day, as there are places in SF that you can more easily drive to and see, especially like across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Let's say you keep the car, drive around SF the remainder of the day, and, if you don't mind a bit of night driving, then return the car late at night at SFO. It's easier to return the car at night than in the daylight when the airport is very busy. Spend night in a nearby airport hotel. Almost all of the hotels have shuttle service, so once you return the car, you can get a shuttle service to the hotel.

18 June Take BART into San Francisco and enjoy the entire day there. Return to your airport hotel at night by BART.

19 June Take hotel shuttle for your flight to Vancouver.

Hope this helps a bit!

Please comment:
Option 2-
14th june(Fri)- Early morning flight Las Vegas to San Jose- Rent a car at the airport- take highway 101 to Monterey- Reach at lunch time. Spend some time there and at Carmel and proceed Southwards to Cambria for overnight stay or before that. (Should I spend more time here)What time does the sun set in June 2nd week in California? Don't want to drive in the dark.

15th June(Sat)- Hearst Castle in the 1st half .. proceed to Yosemite National Park (Google says its a 3.30 hrs drive) Overnight at Yosemite

16th June- Yosemite in the day.. Leave by 3.30 pm to reach San Jose Airport by 7.30- drop the car.. Proceed to SF by BART via Fremont

17th and 18th June- San Francisco

Is it packing too much in 3 days of drive?
Should I spend more time on highway 1?
Please help...

I know you hate to hear this, but I think you should save LV, GC for another trip. On that trip, you could go to Vegas and include the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and other great areas of the Southwest. This time, if you give them up, you could easily add Yosemite.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth

Don't plan on Yosemite June 15-16 UNLESS you can book a room in Yosemite Valley. It very likely is already full, but try right now. IF you can get in at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls or Curry Village then your two half days in Yosemite make a little sense. (or if the Lodge/Village is full, try Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal - which is just outside the Park entrance. Every other place to stay is at least and hour's drive from Yosemite Valley and won't work for your plan.)

And yes, easytraveler's idea to fly directly on to Las Vegas after landing at SFO is the best idea. No reason to waste a night sleeping near SFO.

"Leave by 3.30 pm to reach San Jose Airport by 7.30- drop the car.. Proceed to SF by BART via Fremont"

Why San Jose? BART doesn't go to San Jose and the Fremont BART station is 20 miles from the airport. You can drop the car at SFO and take the much easier/faster BART trip from there.

Hi, Paragkash: You're making this way too complicated for yourself.

Rent the car at SFO, don't try to rent it in Monterey, Salinas, or San Jose. You have to think about getting to those cities and then getting to the rental car place. It's a waste of a lot of time, which you don't have.

Even if you had all the time in the world, I still won't advice renting in those cities (especially not Salinas!). With all the luggage that you will have, how are you planning on getting to those cities and to the car rental places in those cities? It's going to take a superman...

The moment you get off the plane, you need to have access to a shuttle which is the quickest way to get you to a car rental location or a hotel. That's what you must focus on. A shuttle that will get you somewhere so you don't have to carry your luggage exhausting distances. The same for your return trip. You have to think of depositing your luggage somewhere - in the trunk of a car or in a hotel - as quickly as possible so that you can enjoy touring and not having to carry/worry about your luggage.

I was trying to give you as efficient a use of your limited time as possible as well as giving you just about every destination you wanted.

If you're trying to save money by renting the car elsewhere instead of SFO, then there are much better ways to save and many of the Fodorites, including janisj, Michelle and the others will give you plenty of good ideas and hints.

Janisj, you are right. The Yosemite Lodge is fully booked for those dates. Am trying for other places or dates.

easytraveler, Thanks for the advice. I will rent a car from SFO.
But the idea of renting it from San Jose is not money saving. In fact, it will cost me more time and money. If I directly fly to San Jose, I thought I would save some driving time. The Air Ticket is the same price, so is the car rental. I was just trying to cut down my driving in SFO (didnt know that it's a city by-pass where I am directly onto highway 101) and have a rental place where I can reach 40 min earlier on my way back, so I am not driving in the dark. Also, while flying back from Las Vegas, To solve this issue, I will leave Yosemite on 17th June early morning. (If I get the accommodation)

About carrying the luggage.. That is precisely the idea of staying 1 night in San Francisco. I intend to keep our 2 bags in the hotel and travel only with 2 small haversacks( kind of day bags) We are comfortable and can travel for about 8 days like that. That makes it travel super-light. One more thing is, we are travelling for about 23 hours from Mumbai, via Zurich. We will not have much energy left if we fly directly to Las Vegas and will have to carry all our luggage with us.

I will try and convince my wife about dropping LV and GC. She is keen on it.

One more, very basic question. It may sound silly.
If I am visiting various national parks in Canadaian Rockies, like Yoho, Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise etc., will it be a Deja-vu feeling if I visit Yosemite or Sequoia NP. Not rating any one of them higher or lower. I had a similar feeling when I went to Bruges in Belgium just after Venice. Nobody told me to drop Bruges. I wasn't on Fodors then.

Please help.

You can "drive" yourself daffy by trying to plan too perfectly. If you are luggage bound - it complicates everything.

Really - why not try to pack "light" - in one suitcase each? See many posts/travel logs/books for packing light - doing a little laundry/dry cleaning along the way, etc.

If you are packing light - then the tail is not wagging the dog - and you could fly to Vegas from SFO after you arrive - with your one light bag each - and crash there, or get a hotel by the SF airport and leave your suitcases there - and fly to Vegas in the AM. Remember - you can also buy clothes in the US if you have to.

See/do what you want in Vegas and I think the Grand Canyon is worth a trip - but if you are going to beautiful parks in Canada - you could consider saving that for another trip, especially if you get into Yosemite, or drop Yosemite, whatever.

FYI - we have gone to Yosemite a day before our scheduled reservations and stood in the standby type line at Curry Village and were able to get a place/tent - due to their cancellations, etc.

As for flying back to San Jose and renting a car there - great idea - as you are closer to Carmel/Monterrey (with less traffic) and yes, you can drive to Carmel/Monterrey (2 hours) for lunch - maybe tour the Aquarium/etc - and continue on down through Big Sur to Cambria (3 to 4 hours+ depending on how much you stop) before the sun sets.

Hope this helps.

Just re-read your original post. Assuming you arrive in SF by 4 PM - you can be in Vegas fairly early in the evening - and you can get some inexpensive rooms in Vegas for a couple of nights if you google away. I think it is an amazing place to see and I really don't gamble when I go there

Just be sure to double check the "resort fee"" so they don't charge you an extra $25 etc for the privledge of using their spa, etc You can always pay for thsat fi you do decide to use it, etc.

Hi Paragkash. Welcome to the U.S.

Yes, you do have a whirlwind trip planned but that's okay. You're going about it sensibly and I am going to bet that you'll be back. I wouldn't miss Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon. I think the day trip via bus from Vegas is fine. Yes, it would be wonderful to get up and watch the sunrise over the Canyon but sunrise is very early in the morning in June and you're going to be very jet-lagged and tired. I'm in the camp of flying directly to Vegas upon arrival into SFO. You might even arrive in time to catch a late show in Vegas but the warning for you is that you might fall asleep after your long travel.

I did a similar trip last year although we had 10 days. We flew to Las Vegas, spent 1.5 days, drove to the Grand Canyon and spent the night. Then we drove to Yosemite via Death Valley. Despite trying for 6 months we were unsuccessful in finding accommodation inside Yosemite, complicated by the fact that we needed two rooms. Staying one night just outside in El Portal was fine. Then we drove to San Francisco and returned the rental car and spent the remaining 3.5 days in San Francisco. It was busy but it was fine.

Since you're already going to be in the mountains in Banff why not save Yosemite for another time and see the gorgeous California coast? I like the idea of skipping Yosemite for this trip and driving the Pacific Coast Highway. Paso Robles has some wonderful wines and Hearst Castle is an interesting couple of hours stop (make advance reservations for a tour).

sharona, Thanks for giving positive vibes to me. I feel better after the confusion and do feel that I will come back. I will surely sleep if I go for the night show. I would rather stroll on the fisherman's cove in San Francisco. I am extremely comfortable travelling with a day bag.
You all are absolutely right about Yosemite accommodation. It's full and whatever is available is beyond 300 to 400 USD.
I liked the idea of(rather forced to like after seeing the tariff at yosemite) dropping Yosemite.
After seeing the photos, I feel one thing that I can skip is Hearst castle rather than Yosemite.
I feel If I can spend 3 1/2 days in Yosemite and West coast, 2 days in Las Vegas and Grand canyon + 2 days in San Francisco- It would be a bit hurried but rewarding tour. I will have a tight itinerary and even a slight delay will make me miss something. I understand that things don't always go as planned and I must keep some space for a goof up.
Will try and do it in a positive frame.
Yosemite accommodations are full or very expensive. Will try and book Best western Plus at Oakhurst. Will study a bit more and work out in detail.

I know about jetlag/being tired - not fun. But seriously your plan to spend a night as an SFO hotel mostly to stash the luggage just complicates things more.

You won't be staying at the same hotel when you return to San Francisco. At least hopefully you won't. SFO is not a good base for visiting the city of San Francisco. So you'd have to return to this SFO hotel to get your bags and then return the rental car maneuver, the bags to the SFO BART station and into the city. Just crazy making IMO.

For one thing you don't have to pack a ton of stuff. Yes, you are going to Canada but you can still get by w/ small to medium sized suitcases. But also - I personally like to get the BIG travel out of the way. You are going to be tired sure -- but another 4 hours (to allow for immigration/luggage/and the flight) and you will be in Las Vegas and able to sleep in as late as you want/need.

Re Yosemite, unless you can get Curry Village or the one motel I mentioned - I'd skip it. You just don't have the time for hour+ drives in/out of Yosemite Valley. Yosemite is magnificent - but if you don't have time, you don't have time. You will see gorgeous mountains in Canada.

Tomsd, You pointed out correctly. I have booked MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They charge 25 USD as refrigerator charges. Don't understand it. It's absurd !!

You can also store luggage right at San Francisco Airport. Here's the information from the airport website:

"Baggage storage is exclusively available at the Airport Travel Agency, located on the Departures/Ticketing Level of the International Terminal, near the entrance to Gates G91-G102. The Airport Travel Agency is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. No reservations are required for baggage storage. All baggage is x-rayed prior to storage.

Rates are assessed per each 24 hour period that an article is in storage (articles in storage for less than 24 hours will be subject to the 24 hour rate), and vary according to the size of the object.

Please contact the Airport Travel Agency at 650.877.0422 or CF.Airport@gmail.com for additional information."

http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/orphan/faq/#10

You'll probably be paying about the same as storing your luggage at a hotel - without having to pay for a hotel room.


But the idea of renting it from San Jose is not money saving. In fact, it will cost me more time and money. If I directly fly to San Jose, I thought I would save some driving time.

SFO to San Jose is only about an hour's drive on wide freeways. You'll be spending a lot more time getting from San Jose Airport to SFO or SF without a car. Please get your rental car at SFO. Glad you've decided to do that!


One more thing is, we are travelling for about 23 hours from Mumbai, via Zurich.

Once in an emergency business situation, I had to fly from San Francisco to Bangalore. With the available flights at that time, it took a total 36 hours with flight and ground time. I got to Bangalore alive, so will you when you come to SF. You can bear to take another short flight to Las Vegas, just be sure to give yourself enough time to get your luggage in SFO, go through customs and immigration and then get to the domestic flight to Las Vegas.

Make sure you drink lots of water (and no alcohol!) and pace the aisle once awhile during flight (pretend you have to go to the restroom, if anyone objects. I've never had anyone object). Also while in the Zurich airport, WALK! Assuming that your luggage will be checked through to San Francisco, you will have only a couple of haversacks, so don't spend the time sitting around with a couple of coffees. Walk around. This may sound contrary, but by exercising and stimulating your blood flow, you'll find it much easier to fall asleep during the second leg of your trip.

Your plans are coming together nicely!

EASYTRAVELER, Thanks a lot for help and concern. Some wisdom and eye opener for me. From where I started, I think you all have put some sense into me. Though a bit fast paced, but I am trying to make it. Though many wont support me for Las Vegas. I thought I am starting early. but surprisingly, Yosemite and Cambria are almost sold out for June 13.
Thanks to Janisj, I could book Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal for 14th June.

That's great. Yosemite View Lodge is a short drive from Yosemite Valley - about 20 minutes to the Valley and little over 30 minutes to Yosemite Village

LOL - and keep that great - what me worry? - attitude while traveling. I rememmber in Tangiers, Morocco - we were stuck in a"que" - which there means everybody sort of hangs out in front of the ticket counter until it opened after the mid-day siesta - and then - whamo - the locals were all scrunched up against the front while we were standing by ourselves further back in the room.

We barely made the train - with the lowest priority seats - and then - halfway to Fez - which was only about 100 miles - we were put off the train at Sikki KaSim. Spent 6 hours there in the middle of the night, as train after train went through with no room.

We passed the time singing songs with the 17 other stranded students, as somebody had a guitar and somebody else had a small portable coffee maker - and we had a blast - so to speak.

We then clamored aboard in a 4th class car - front half with seats and the rear half was just a floor which they used for transporting animals, and we threw our backpacks down and slept on them.

Tomsd, those are fun memories now, huh?

Paragkash, I've lost track. Did you decide to fly to Las Vegas directly upon arrival in San Francisco? If you haven't I'm going to try really hard to convince you that that's the best thing to do. You'll have time to walk around Fisherman's Wharf when you return to San Francisco later in the trip. Strolling on the Las Vegas Strip will be a nice way to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. And you won't have to wake up the next morning, make your way to the airport, and get on another plane. Since you'll already be in Las Vegas you'll be able to sleep as late as you want, have some leisurely meals and enjoy your day without worrying about travel.

Since your luggage storage was one of your hold-ups now you don't have to worry about that thanks to the information supplied by easytraveler.

The Yosemite View Lodge is not a bad second choice to staying in the park. It's quite close to the Valley and an easy drive.

Hi Tomsd, That's a quite scary kinda experience, but you took it in your stride and had fun..the LOL moments you described can be nightmare for most of us... That's most important in travel and life... When life throws Lemons at you.. make a lemonade..
Sharona and easytraveler, you have given so much info and courage to take a connecting flight to LV. But there are a few factors that make me jittery about it.
1. My flight from India is pretty long. Just checked, it is 8 hours to Zurich, 7 hours of waiting (will try and use the lounge etc to relax) and 12 hours flight to SFO. That makes it good 28 hours of flight. + add 3-4 hours for airport transfer and check in process. In all about 31 hours. We have done 7 Europe trips and are used to a maximum of 10 hours of flying. 3 times that can be taxing for us at least for the 1st trip. That could have been one of the reasons why we never visited US and Canada. I may have a slight backache after sitting for so long and may not be really fresh. I remember seeing Vienna after a 2nd consecutive night journey. We couldn't enjoy it the 1st time. Had to go again after 8 years.

2. There can be a flight delay beyond our control, even if I keep a gap of 3 hours. The anxiety may kill the fun of travelling.

3. Considering that all goes as planned, I need a gap of 3 hours for getting the luggage, storing it and transfer to another terminal and check in. 7 to 8.30 flight. if i reach vegas by 8.30, reaching the hotel plus check-in will take a long time(I have heard that MGM Grand has long ques for check in)I can only start moving out by 10 pm. I will have missed a lot of fun and street shows and "O" show is the one I can hope to barely see.

4. I wish to book a GC south rim bus tour which leaves the hotel at 6.45 am. and comes back at 9 pm or so.

5. If I stay 3 nights at Vegas, I am loosing the purpose of doing so hectic tour and reaching vegas directly. I wont save any day as such. Though it would be slightly cheaper as I save on airport transfers and hotels in Vegas are much better and cheaper than SF.

I still feel it would be quite taxing to fly directly to Vegas

I have spent sleepless nights ever since I have posted the the thread and have got immense support from you all fellow fodorites. Had to go back and study routes and places before I could write again. Was like a cat on a hot tin roof till I finalized my itinerary with the help of you all. Stayed awake till 3 am for last 2 nights and booked all the hotels and car rental.
Itinerary now is:
1. 11th June-Tue- Land at SFO. check in and relax/ stroll
2. 12th June- Wed- 1 pm flight to Las Vegas. Enjoy the evening.
3. 13th June- Thur- Grand Canyon south Rim bus tour. If possible, stroll on the strip at night.

4. 14th June, Fri- Take an early morning flight from LV to SFO. Reach by 8.30. Rent a car from the airport. Drive to Yosemite. reach by 2pm. Yosemite valley by shuttle. See a few attractions... Overnight at Yosemite View Lodge
(am forced to do this driving loop in an anti clockwise manner as Yosemite on weekends is full)

5. 15th June, Sat- Sunrise at Yosemite. I have seen photos of Yosemite falls at sunrise. from a particular angle, it looks like orange Lava flowing. Come back for breakfast by 9.
Leave by 10am and drive to Paso Robles. Reach by 2.30. Wine tasting. Reach Cambria for the night.

6. 16th June, sun- See Hearst castle(optional- I saw the pictures. It looked good, but given a shortage of time; not something that I will regret missing.) Drive on highway 1, big Sur, to Monterey. See aquarium.(overnight)

7. 17th June, Mon- Leave early morning. Drive to SFO and drop the car. There is a small hitch here. If I drop the car by after 9am, they will charge me a day's rent extra even if it is 1 hour extra. So I will have to pay for 4 days instead of 3. Don't know if that can be avoided.
Check in at SF hotel. Full day SF

8. 18th June,Tue- San Francisco city on foot and Muni

9. 19th June, Wed- Leave for an 8 am flight to Vancouver.

Have about 4-5 hours of drive every day for 4 days.

All the hotels are "free cancellation"(Except Yosemite- They charge 7.50$ which is fair) and so is the car rental.Can change it if required.
please comment...

Paragkash: You're a superman!

Please get some rest.

There's a lot to digest here.

If you don't mind, I need to understand a few things: why are you going through Zurich? Is it because of better airline fares?

Are you arriving in San Francisco at 8:30am? Because if you are, you won't be getting your car until at least about 10am.

If you're not planning to go to Hearst Castle, why are you driving all the way to Cambria from Yosemite?

It's bedtime for me here. Take it easy and I'm certain the others will help you along. You're making a lot of progress!

And please do get some sleep!

IMO - very good job in putting together a survey/whirlwind type trip to SF, Las Vegas/GC (We love the show O - or the similiar Reve at the Wynn)- SF-Yosemite - Paso Robles.

IMO II - the reverse wheel/direction is fine to get you a day of wine tasting at Paso Robles - and then over to Cambria and the south side of the prettiest drive - from San Simeon up the Coast/Hiway 1.

I/we like Hearst Castle but you can play it be ear when you get there, and skip it if you so decide. As for getting back to SFO by 9? to turn in the rental car - that's doable if you left early from Carmel/Monterrey - and allowed a little extra time when you hit the San Jose to SFO part (commuter traffic) - and if you wind up paying an extra day's car rental - well worse things have happened.

As an alternative - if you left Cambria early - and skipped Hearst Castle this trip - you could enjoy your trip up to/through Big Sur, stop at the Aquarium in Monterrey - and even continue up the Coast (also a pretty drive) a couple hours to at Half Moon Bay, which is only about an hour (or less if not much traffic)- over the hill - from SFO. You would have a long, albeit scenic day - and have most of the driving completed for this portion of your rental car journey.

If you really wanted to splurge - check out the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay - at least for a drinkn if you can't a room for less than a King's Ransom - or maybe breakfast/coffee - as it's almost like taking a trip to Scotland/St. Andrews.

Would cut and paste the webpage but don't know how to do that on my wife's laptop. My computer is temporarily on "the fritz".

And yes Sharona. Traveling makes for some great memories - including the ones we really laugh at later.

That also reminds me of later in that trip - staying at a campground - about 7? miles south of St. Tropez, France. My two law school roomies had stayed behind an extra day in Madrid while I headed to the fabled playground of Bridget Bardot and the horde of yacht owners.

Seems with my "horr-i-bell" French - I somehow misread the bus schedule and after a fun night in town - was walking back to the campground (just south of the nudist beach - another great story there earlier in the day - but I digress) - when two older British Gentleman picked me up in a classic Morris Minor. They had enjoyed themselves with a number of libations (as had I) - and we all chatted about their time in WWII.

All was well and good until they dropped me off at the campground - and I didn't have a tent but was just sleeping on the grass - and I woke up to zixxxx, zixxxx, MOSQUITO ATTACK!!!

Well, I had a mummy type - goose down sleeping bag - so I would put my head inside the bag, wake up with a sweat, dare to pop out into the open air for a while, zixxxxx, zixxxx, and then have to dive back under hood up again.

Never enjoyed it finally getting light out - any more than that morning.

Then went on to meet up with the lads in Nice - and that evening - pour down some of the potent French beverage (fooey - forget the name - like the Norweigan Anisthe (sp)) - a licorce tasting brew. Back then ('75) - it was a more powerful drink - which gave mild hallucinations - (like Mescal used to) - or so they said.

Next day - paid for it with the runs/hung over, but hey - gotta love going for it, eh? Nothing like finding a laundromat while one is feeling the blahs.

Next morning - after touring the castle at Monaco - we went to a rocky beach by Monte Carlo - and laid on towels (placed over the stones) - for a couple hours that afternoon - admiring some topless lasses, before we took the night train to Florence.

Those were da days.......................

Ah yes, Pastis. After having ingested copious amounts of the very inexpensive Ouzo in Greece - why not try Pastis in Nice?

And back then - they used/added the potent herb - wormwood? - which could in fact cause some hallucinations - especially if consumed in sufficient quantity.

Well - the dollar was strong v. the Franc - so Voila - lets have another round. Maybe that's why I thought the cute french girl - blond - sitting next to us in the bar - was related to Bridfet Bardot? She was cute and played along with my chat.

Tomsd, you should publish your Adventures...

easytraveler, When I compare my original (crazy) itinerary, this sounds much more easy going
While coming from India, all the flights are via Europe, either Munich, Zurich or London. there are no direct flights to west coast and even east coast. This has been like this for the past few years ever since Delta and Conti stopped flying NY-Mumbai flights.
I haven't booked the flight back from Las Vegas, it would be either 6.25 to 7.50 or 7.40 to 9.05. I do not have any checked in baggage. I didn't know that it takes 90 minutes to get to the car rental and drive out. Will plan accordingly. May have to take the 6.25 flight.
My priority is highway 1, Big Sur etc., would love wine tasting. Hearst castle would also be nice but if due to time constraints; I have to choose between wine tasting or time on Highway 1 visa-vis Hearst castle, then I would choose the 1st one. May be because I have been to several lovely castles in Germany, Spain and Portugal.
I can also compromise my time in SFO on 17th June and spend some time at Monterey to reach sfo by 3 pm. on my 4th day of drive. I can afford to spend time at Hearst castle then.
Will try and chill out, take some brakes and absorb things.
Thanks so much for your concern...

FYI: Allegiant airline has flights from Las Vegas to Fresno which is much closer to Yosemite.
There is also Amtrak train service from southern California to Emeryville with an Amtrak bus over to San Francisco. This is much better than riding a bus all the way.
You will have to sign on to the allegiant.com website to buy tickets for allegiant since they are not on the airline search sites.
Once I rented a car at FAT to go to Yosemite and when I took the car back I took a taxi to the Amtrak station in Fresno and then went north to Martinez. The San Joaquin trains have a much better on time record than some other Amtrak trains.

Hi Paragkash. Don't panic! And don't stress! This is supposed to be fun. We'll help you.

I understand your desire to spend the first night in San Francisco after such a long flight. If that makes you feel better then by all means stick with those plans. My thinking was that you'll already have a brutal trip and another 3-4 hours wouldn't make that much difference. Then you could have the whole next day to relax and recover from the journey without having to travel again that day. But your original plans work as well so please, if thinking about getting to Las Vegas that day stresses you then don't do it.

Hearst Castle is nice but it's not a must in my opinion. The coastal scenery is a must in my book. And didn't you mention those wine tastings in Paso Robles....

Tomsd, are you talking about absinthe?

<Then you could have the whole next day to relax and recover from the journey without having to travel again that day.>

I think what's being missed with that thought is that Paragkash only has 2 nights in Las Vegas. If he flew there immediately, he'd still have to get up the next day and go to the Grand Canyon. And then the next morning fly back to San Francisco. If he just blew a whole day in Vegas by sleeping in and relaxing, then he'd have to cut a day from somewhere else in this trip. As is, he's using his initial arrival day to relax a bit in SF before flying to Vegas - so allotting an extra day to Las Vegas for sleep/relax means he'd have to cut that day from SF later in the trip. It's really just a matter of which city would you rather spend that day in, Vegas or San Francisco...

I hope that made sense...basically flying to Vegas immediately and sleeping in just means he would have to add a day to Vegas and cut that day elsewhere, and the itinerary is already fairly tight.

Hi, paragkash!

While coming from India, all the flights are via Europe, either Munich, Zurich or London.

The reason I asked that question was because you have a SEVEN-HOUR layover in Zurich. Wow!

I hate to put you through another sleepless night, but on checking skyscanner.net, there are flights via Asia. There appears to be one that Korean Air offers with only a 3-hour layover in Incheon, one of the most gorgeous and user-friendly airports in the world. In fact, if were a 7-hour layover at Incheon, I wouldn't mind at all.

Anyhow, this particular Korean Air flight (KE656, KE23) via Asia will cut your total flight time down to 21 hours. You arrive in San Francisco around noon and gain a day by crossing the International Date Line (You fly out on June 11, you arrive on June 11). The price also appears to be one of the lower fares with only one stopover. (Be careful! There are flights via Asia that are over 30 hours!)

Arriving around noon in SF, this gives you plenty of time to get your luggage, go through customs and immigration, store your luggage, and grab a bite to eat (I'm sure that SFO has vegan/vegetarian food) at the airport before flying out to Las Vegas and still be able to stroll around and catch a night show.

If you do go onto the skyscanner site, you'll find that it not only gives you total flight time, but if you click on "details", it'll also show you where your stopover will be and how much time you will be spending in the stopover airport. So far for me, skyscanner is also good because it doesn't have all the hidden fees on some of the other websites, which fees could double the actual "fare" that is first shown.

Try to narrow down your search by clicking off on the left column those airlines that you want eliminated from your search. The best Asian airlines are better than the best US airlines, so try searching for airlines like Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, ANA. I wouldn't eliminate Air India or China Air, but try the better airlines first and see if there's a fit for you.

I think we're all a bit aghast that you will be "wasting" your first day here by not continuing on to Las Vegas, but the others have been just too polite to say so.

More later.

OK - I am confused, (and trying to skip all the irrelevant 'stuff' some insist on posting) - I thought you were planning 1 night at SFO and 2 nights in Las Vegas - right? In other words - the first three nights of your trip.

When I suggested flying directly on to Las Vegas I NEVER intended that to mean cutting this back to just two nights. That would be very VERY hectic/tiring. I meant you could substitute the one night at SFO for another night in Las Vegas.

I'd get to Vegas, walk around a bit looking at the bright lights, have a nice/light dinner, and go to bed. The next morning you'll wake up in Las Vegas, rested and ready to go. And . . . proceed w/ your plans for Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Fly back to SFO on the 4th morning just like you planned.

This would be easier IMO than staying a night at SFO.

Hi Easytraveler, I mis read your earlier question. Now hwen I go back and analyse why Swiss air I remember
1. Out of Luftansa, British airways and Swiss, Swiss has the best service in all ways.
2. I normally use a Y- plan in all my trips. This gives me an open jaw and a stopover option. Swis air flight to Vancouver is via SFO and I took the stopover option. My Itinerary is (Don't Laugh pl )
Mum- SFO- 8 days- West coast
SFO- Vancouver- 4 days
Vancouver- drive to Banff and Jasper etc- 8 days n back
Vancouver- Toronto- 2 days- enjoy 1st July Canada day
Niagara- 2 days
Washington 2 days
NY- 7 days
Back to Mum
Will resume again

Sharona, Thanks for reinforcing my thoughts of giving priority to Paso Robles and Big Sur than to Hearst Castle. I hope I see it all.
@ WhereAreWe, Thanks for your thoughts. though a bit fast paced, if an expert supports your decision, it feels much doable.
@ tomfuller, flying into Fresno is a great idea. Let me explore the possibility. I don't know if a good car rental is available there. I am sure there is one. Will do some search and come back. thanks for the suggestions.
@ easytraveler, Thanks for the info on Vegetarian food. That will come handy. I wonder how did you guess that I am a vegetarian.

Please carefully consider flying into Fresno. Allegiant airlines has limited schedules only flies certain days of the week and they charge extra for EVERYTHING. Booking fee, carry on luggae, checked luggage, soft drinks - and you have to be careful using the website since instead of checking for various services/options, one has to opt out of them. If you miss un-checking box, you've prepaid for that service. Just be warned . . . .

Yes Janisj, You are right. They charge for a check in and carry on luggage. They do have a flight with a very attractive fare.. 38 USD+ Carry on luggage 13 USD= 51 USD per person. Less than half. But the flight reaches Fresno at 2.40 pm. I would rather fly United that reaches at 10.05 am for 129 USD I will save a day and a lot of energy. Also checked one car rentals. they do not charge extra for drop off at a different location if both are within california.

Thanks Fodorites..
All Hotels booked... Car rentals booked.. Air tickets yet to be booked...
My itinerary as on today...

11th June- Mum-Zurich- SFO reaching at 4 pm after a 28 hours flight.- check in at downtown hotel in SF

12th June- 8 am-9.30 am flight to Las Vegas- Car from the airport to Grand Canyon South- Yavapai Lodge (Only one available in the park) Reach by 3pm-- Stroll on the rim..Sunset point.. Walk under the stars on the rim...

13th June- Sunrise point- breakfast and leave by 8-9 Drive to Las Vegas MGM Grand- Evening on the strip

14th june Fri- Flight to Fresno- either 8 am -10.30 am or 1.30 pm- 2.40 pm (much cheaper)- yet to book- Car at Fresno airport for 3 days
Drive to Yosemite River Lodge (only one available inside- But river facing room)- Park by shuttle

15th June-Sat- Sunrise in the park. Leave by 10-10.30 am to Paso Robles- wine testing- overnight at San Simeon or Cambria (not decided- Please suggest which one is better)

16th June- Drive from San Simeon - via Big sur- to Monterey

17th June- Leave after breakfast to San Francisco- drop car at the airport- check in by 1.30 pm ( am thinking of driving to twin peaks)

18th June- Tue- San Francisco- Local sight seeing (The only day I am not driving)

19th June- Wed- 8 am flight to Vancouver ( nights)

Am only concentrating on the 1st 8 days on the west coast- too little- but cant help.
I will be driving for minimum 5 hours daily in California n Arizona.

Pl comment. Am packing too much. thought I would slow down in Canadian Rockies.

>>Yosemite River Lodge<<

I am not familiar w/ a Yosemite River Lodge. Do you mean Yosemite VIEW Lodge? If so, that's great.

You're going to pick up the car in Fresno and drop it off at SFO? Do you have that booked as yet?

I've stayed in both San Simeon (at Best Western Cavalier with a fireplace, really liked the room) and Cambria (Sand Pebbles on Moonstone Drive). They are only 5-10 minutes apart, but Cambria has a lot more places to eat.

If your heart is set on seeing the Grand Canyon, it's absolutely feasible, but it will be a hump. I would rent a car in SF and drive through Yosemite on the way to Las Vegas and then the Grand Canyon. On the way from LV to the Canyon is Hoover Dam, which is worth seeing. On the way back to California, it will be possible to see the Utah national parks like Bryce, Zion, Arches, Capital Reef, etc. if that isn't enough, when you get to Zion you will be about 10 hours south of Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The scenery at GT/Yellowstone is more like Canada (trees, mountains, lakes) than the desert parks like Bryce or the Grand Canyon areas. Yellowstone is unique and in a class by itself but still more like Canada.

If that's too much work, you can get a very nice feel for the American west without leaving CA. Visit Muir's Woods just north of San Francisco for the redwoods, visit Yosemite, maybe Death Valley or Kings Canyon, and then Napa. This would be much more relaxing and allow more time to enjoy the sights.

It's easy enough to get from FAT by taxi to the Amtrak station and ride one of several San Joaquin trains to get to Martinez or Emeryville to get to San Francisco. Try to avoid a drop off fee.

>>It's easy enough to get from FAT by taxi to the Amtrak station and ride one of several San Joaquin trains to get to Emeryville to get to San Francisco.<< . . . then a bus to San Francisco, then a cab to your hotel (or BART if you are staying at SFO)

It will be MUCH more convenient to keep your car for the drive to SFO as you planned. Plus the train/transport will likely cost more than the rental drop off.

(From Fresno to SF there very likely wouldn't be any drop off fees, but even if there are, some economies are false economies)

I just went into Hertz and input your data, one from Fresno Airport to SFO and the other pickup and return to FAT, there's an over $500 difference in the rental rates, less than $100 for a three day weekend rental FAT to FAT versus over $600 for a three day weekend rental FAT to SFO.

There may not be a pickup-dropoff fee per se, but there is a huge difference in the daily rental rate if you pick up and drop off at different locations.

Unless you don't mind the higher rates, I'd suggest that you shop around for the best rate possible.

Otherwise, return the car at Fresno Airport and take tomfuller's suggestion.

easytraveler: Foreign visitors don't have to use the US websites,they usually get quotes all-in including all insurance and seldom any drop off.

Just like Americans rent cars for less overseas than locals can . . . Foreign visitors can rent cheaper here than we can . . .

Janisj, You are right, It is Yosemite View Lodge, El Portal. I confused it with "River view King Bed". Thanks to your warning. This was among the last one available except a tent at Curry Village.
@easytraveler, Janisj,... I have booked a Chevy Aveo or similar for 3 days at 106 USD, with pick up at Fresno FAT and drop off at SFO at zero extra charge.
I have always imagined myself walking on the GC rim under a star studded night sky, seeing Yosemite falls at sunrise.
I just prey that these small dreams come true...
@ slcbbrown... I feel the drive to Las Vegas would be uneventful 15 hours drive. If I can make it again to west coast, I would base myself at Page and visit Bryce canyon, Wave Canyon etc. and also some more national parks.

To be frank, till now, I was fascinated by Europe's architectural and natural beauty and didn't know much about the wealth of natural beauty that the US has. Unfortunately, the marketing done by the Tour companies in India (and probably even the rest of the world) only features the glass n steel cities and Disney and other theme parks. Only natural wonders that the normal tourists see are Niagara Falls and the touristy West Rim sky walk on the outskirts of GC national park.
I guess there are many like me who must be struggling against time or want to see more than what one ideally can.
Thanks to generous advise by you all fodorites, I was enlightened a bit and changed my crazy touristy plan. Hope to rectify a lot in the next trip.

Please keep us updated and post a trip report. Have a great trip!

From Yosemite View Lodge it is possible to take the bus into Yosemite - bus stops outside the door. If you are just going to the Valley Floor, the bus will save you looking for parking spots which can be frustrating and time consuming.

I have stayed there once and thought it was a very convenient place to stay and way better than the tents at Curry Village.
In Yosemite I suggest taking the tram tour of the valley floor- an easy and inexpensive way to see the area. I think you have to get your tickets fairly early in the day as it sells out.

Enjoy your trip-

I'm curious Paragkash~what made you decide to come to the US? I think if all I saw from the marketing companies that it consisted of glass and steel cities and Disney, it wouldn't capture my interest. What grabbed your interest?

Thanks MichelleY, sunbum1944, Am studying each topic, taking notes on Yosemite, Highway 1, GCNP. Shall come up with genuine queries if I have doubts.
I still have dilema, Hearst castle or wine tasting at Paso Robles.. I am more inclined towards wine tasting.. Can I have some tips on this..I hope it is as good as Sonoma or Napa..

Paragkash: glad you got a good rate for the car rental!

Janisj: I realize that visitors can book without a drop-off charge, but that's not ALWAYS the case. Just trying to save the OP some money.

tenthumbs, you are absolutely right... If you see the brochures, you will not really feel like visiting the US. You can see a sample of the grandest and most expensive of the US tours here..

http://thomascook.in/tcportal/international-holiday/group-holidays/America-holiday-packages/AmericanGrandeur15N/16D?hldID=PKG120291

That is one of the reasons why I made 7 trips to Europe and not 1 to the US. High ticket costs, Long flights and so called Visa hassles are some more reasons(which turned out to be false- It was a pleasant experience and got a 10 years B1 visa even without asking for it.) Canada, on the contrary is marketed as a scenic destination.

Very few people outside US even know about Yosemite, Sequoia or Wave canyons.
I knew that US has a lot to offer in natural beauty than what is shown in the brochures. I read a trip report on the West coast by fellow fodorite and a friend "Indiancouple" Did some study. But it proved to be much less and inadequate when I planned and posted this question on the Forum.

To tell you the truth, I started my tour planning around my 24th anniversary in the Canadian rockies and 7 days on the West coast and 7 days on the east coast were add ons, since I was flying so far and could make it a in 1 month trip. I was grossly wrong. I hope I can make some more trips to US to enrich myself.

That tour you linked to is exactly why I tell people to avoid guided tours. It looks awful. I'm glad you decided to visit and plan your own trip, even though it's still a lot to see in a short time you'll be much happier with your own trip.

It's also nice to see a topic where the OP actually listens to advice and does a lot of research on their own, that is very much appreciated. You'll have a great trip.

WhereAreWe, thanks for the encouragement...
That is how most travelers from India travel.. Looking back, it felt almost like watching a Discovery channel through a coach window.
I made my 1st europe trip by a tour company as a study tour through architecture college. Planned a Europe trip on my own in 1999 based on a similar ridiculous itinerary based on Trafalgar tours and a combination of timeshare holiday. Ever since I started reading Fodors trip report and Forum threads, my outlook towards travel and the world, in general, has changed drastically. Since 2001, I started picking 2 countries with about 13 to 15 days for each. As you have put it rightly, it is much more satisfying and fulfilling.
Thanks for your advice and best wishes...

Thanks for sharing, Paragkash. I think with your open mind and willingness to listen to the advice given to you, you'll have a great trip.

and I agree~that tour does look awful!

Some more help required. Did some study and have come back to get your genuine advice..
I had planned to visit Grand canyon, stay overnight and come back to LV and fly to Fresno on 14th June morn for Yosemite.

Am working on an alternative itinerary after study...

12th June- Fly to Las Vegas from SFO and stay near the strip.

13th June- Leave early by Car Via Bishop, to tuolumne meadows.. Stay overnight ??? where I don't know.. Near Mono Lake? some place that can be reached after 5-6 hours of driving.. Reach by 2 pm.. spend some time around

14th June- Some glorious sunrise ?? where?? After breakfast .. drive to Yosemite View Lodge.. reach by 3 pm.. Sightseeing en route

Am getting a car at LV to Fresno..without any drop off charges.
Is this a good option instead of GC.
Are the roads good to drive..
Frankly, it sounds scary

Pl advice

I think I will stick to the Last itinerary than trying to see too much. Will need to slow down rather than rushing everywhere.

Ain't really nuttin in Fresno except being the gateway to Yosemite.

I think the Grand Canyon certainly merits some travel effort and not sure of your latest schedule/variation? If you are starting in SF - I would check out flying from SF to Vegas and then from Vegas (even a day bus trip to the GC if that's all you can allocate)- fly Fresno - and then pick up the car and carry on.

And no doubt in my mind - stay on the beach at Moonstone/Cambria if you can. San Simeon is just a few motels on the road.

Or stay at one of the wineries/B & B's on 46 - west of Paso Robles.

Yes Tomsd, I will be renting a car and driving down to GC. Shall stay at Yavpai Lodge. Drive back to LV for a day. Then fly to Fresno and drive to Yosemite, Paso Robles, San Simeoon, Monterey and back to SF. Just have a feeling that I should cut down on one of the destinations and slow down...

If you're going to drop the Grand Canyon, then you should just drop Las Vegas as well. That would simplify everything.

>>I have booked a Chevy Aveo or similar for 3 days at 106 USD, with pick up at Fresno FAT and drop off at SFO at zero extra charge<<

That's terrific and is why Americans car hire advice isn't always useful for our visitors from overseas.

Whether you do the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas is up to you. But if you DO decide to drop the Grand Canyon, then drop Las Vegas too.

There is no guarantee you can drive through Tuolomne Meadows/get to Yosemite from the east side. We don't have a heavy snow pack right now but a couple of late spring storms could delay the road's opening into June.

From the official National Park website: >>Clearing of the Tioga Road begins on or about April 15 each year and usually takes between one and two months. Predicting when these roads will open is not possible, even in late spring, because April and May weather significantly affects plowing progress.<<<

Here is a link to the record of previous Tioga Pass road openings.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm

As you see, many years it doesn't open til mid-late June. But in other years it opens in May. As I mentioned right now the snow pack isn't massive and I'd guess the road may open early-ish. But that could all change.

If the car is being rented in Fresno - then no worry about driving through the Tioga pass, right?

That's from the east side/395.

Also - Las Vegas has a lot to offer- aside from the gambling. Incredible architecture, shows, restaurants and like.

Tomsd, you are right. There are so many things to see at Las vegas. I am not into gambling but we would like to see the architecture, extravaganza and some naughty shows too.
I was just contemplating driving down to Yosemite and see some less traveled places instead of the touristy GC. But I know that it is worth the effort, that's why it is touristy.

One of my friends who has been to all the places, suggested that you drop Yosemite, though it is good, but if I have been to Switzerland and Germany and planning to visit Canadian rockies for 8 days; it would be a Deja-vu effect. Since he really felt that going to Yosemite for 1 day is a waste and asked me to spend some more time on highway 1 and I need to slow down.

So the plan stays as it is. I will fly from LV to Fresno and drive to Yosemite thro 140 and out the next day via Wavona to Paso Robles.

Janisj, I thought we all access the same websites for car rentals. I have booked it thro' "carrentals" which is basically a UK based agent. My car is coming thro' Dollar Company, but they don't offer the same rate on their own website.
I am glad that you feel it's a good deal. To be extra sure, I e mailed them to confirm if there is zero drop off charges. They confirmed that within California it will be zero.
They have given me full CDW with zero excess. But I think I should go for a super CDW that also covers Tyres, glasses etc. to be on the safer side.

When you arrive at the airport in Vegas - check out the local tourist mags for "deals" and also on the Strip - Tix 4 less and other outlets have discounts for shows, dining, etc

You can also google ahead to see what shows are playing (Las Vegas Magazine, etc). If you can catch one of the Cirque de Soleil shows - it would be great - or La Reve at the Wynn - which is like Cirque's O at the Bellagio.

And be sure to see the fountains at the Bellagio and the Arboretum inside, along with the huge chocolate fountain at the Patissere.

>>Janisj, I thought we all access the same websites for car rentals. I have booked it thro' "carrentals" which is basically a UK based agent. My car is coming thro' Dollar Company, but they don't offer the same rate on their own website.<<

There are sites like carrentals that are brokers and get you the best package deal available at the location(s) you need. They include CDW (which isn't really an issue for most American since we tend to use our personal auto insurance for car rentals) and usually drop off fees. Most of those brokers - once you enter USA as your home country kick you over to other booking sites. So our Asian and European and (I think Latin American visitors can take advantage of deals Americans can't.

We get the same sort of service/reduced rates from Autoeurope and a few others when we travel overseas.

Lot of brainstorming and restlessness for me, as I feel I have packed in too much in too little time. Have to choose between the best of the places and adequate time at each location.
Have revised the itinerary and am dropping Grand Canyon for Yosemite Park. I feel there is a lot to see at GC and around. Will try and come again to see GC, Bryce and wave Canyon, rather than just seeing just one of them.
Revised itinerary...
11th June- land at SFO and Check in..
12th &13th June- Fly to Las Vegas (8.55am to 10.25am @ 58$ including hand luggage)Check in and explore Las Vegas.
14th June- Leave at 5.30am and drive to Yosemite via Tioga Pass to reach by 4 pm (Most Fodorites will not approve of this plan- But shall wait at some good places for sightseeing on the way. We both are drivers and are used to long drives)
15th June- 1st half Yosemite park- Drive to Pso robles- san Simeon
16th June- Highway 1, Big Sur- overnight at Monterey
17th-18th June- San Francisco
19th June morning- Fly to Vancouver...
I have also booked a car from Las Vegas to SFO without any drop off charges.
Have booked Yosemite View at El Portal which cannot be changed. can only be cancelled.
Please comment.

Without the Grand Canyon, your current plan would make much MUCH more sense if you skipped Las Vegas entirely. But at this late date you may not want to make that drastic a change what with the car rental and El Portal bookings in place. But honestly - you will have essentially NO time in Yosemite. Barely 1/2 a day. You will see so much of glorious California (the mountains/Yosemite/the coast) through the car windows w/ little time to stop and see/do anything.

If Las Vegas is a 'Must', so be it. But IMO you are making a mistake devoting more time to LV than to either Yosemite or the coast. Your trip -- good luck.

I agree with Janis. Cut out Las Vegas. If you come back some day for the Grand Canyon, then include LV.

janisj, MichelleY, I agree with you. But LV is my wife's choice and demand. National parks is mine. So we try and balance it out. 2 days in LV with 8 days in Canadian Rockies and 1 1/2 days in Yosemite Park)
That does sound funny. But that's how it is.
I intend to spend 14th and 1/2 day on 15th June (Saturday- would be crowded)
You won't believe this, but so many seasoned traveler friends (who have even been to north cape) who have visited the US for 4-5 times, haven't even heard about Yosemite Park. For me, I have been hearing about it and seeing photos and have been dreaming of going there some day. So at least want to be there for whatever little time I can.

I remember, I did my 1st Europe trip like a whirlwind way back in 1999. Not knowing if I would be fortunate enough to go there again. But luckily, I have been there 6 times after that and have seen 1 or 2 countries peacefully at a time (Thanks to Fodors Forum) I hope the same happens with America. May this be my 1st orientation trip. Want to come again some time to see fall colours.
I hope that the road from LV to Yosemite is safe and not too curvy and difficult to negotiate.

Paragkash--If it were I, I'd see the Grand Canyon. You'll be so close at Las Vegas that it would be a shame not to see it.

IN LV, You can book a flight over the Grand Canyon and that would be better than nothing.

>> IN LV, You can book a flight over the Grand Canyon and that would be better than nothing.>> dwdvagamundo, I will surely try and do that.

>>and 1 1/2 days in Yosemite Park<<

I get what you mean about Las Vegas . . . however you will have nowhere NEAR 1.5 days in Yosemite. Just so you understand you will not have even a tiny bit of free time there. Las Vegas to Yosemite Valley without a single stop anywhere is a NINE hour drive. Even leaving at 0530 you will not possibly be to the Valley until 4 in the afternoon assuming just a very quick lunch stop and no rest anywhere and no other stops. And you will be driving through the back country where you will want to stop often to see the glorious scenery. Even though sunset is later that time of year, Yosemite Valley is like a canyon, the sun goes behind the mountains long before 'sunset'. Eating dinner - that is about all you'll be able to do.

Then the next day you want to drive from El Portal to San Simeon which is another 5+ hour drive - without a single stop. So leaving at noon you won't be to San Simeon until after 5PM - basically you will have time for one dinner and one breakfast in Yosemite.

If Las Vegas is THAT important, then skip Yosemite since you will not see any of it.

And there is a LOT of difference between seeing a few sites close together in a European city and driving hundreds of miles to spend a couple of hours somewhere like Yosemite.

At this point, there have been so many variations of this trip that I feel confused as to what the OP's real priorities are.

I'm glad that other posters like janisj and Michelle are keeping track of your trip and can still provide valuable input to you.

Since you're heading to the Candian Rockies, save Yosemite for a return trip. Too bad you can't skip Las Vegas but understand your situation of having to compromise.

HappyTravlr is right -- there really is no reason to include Yosemite in the current plan. Honest. Enjoy the Canadian scenery instead.

Consider this HUGE alteration. Fly to Vegas - see Vegas. Fly to Monterey, rent car and see San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, drive to SF, see SF, fly to Canada.

I know I am late to the game, but my biggest problem with this itinerary is spending the first night in San Francisco. If your flight arrives at 4PM, you still need to clear customs and immigration. Then, you can get to downtown San Francisco. You will be lucky to arrive by 7PM. Then up early the next day to be back at SFO by about 7:30ish for a 8:55A flight. I would bite the bullet and continue to fly to Las Vegas. I know it will make for a long journey from Mumbai (I've done 30 hour flight journies before and I am much older than you). But, you will fly into Las Vegas in the evening and see the lights of the city as you arrive.

Be advised, that driving from Las Vegas to Yosemite you will be traveling in hot weather in the desert. What route will you be taking from Las Vegas to Yosemite? Personally, I would not drive it, but I have heard that overseas visitors want to drive via Death Valley. It is called that for a reason.

My second trip to Yosemite was for the day round trip from Sacramento (went to college in Sacramento). We had fun, but did not get to see the grandeur of Yosemite. I actually love seeing it from the air.

The California coast is beautiful. When you visit the Paso Robles wine area, be sure to go west of Hwy 101. The vineyards are beautiful in that area.

Welcome to California and the USA.

BarbAnn: >> my biggest problem with this itinerary is spending the first night in San Francisco.<<

We tried that Been addressed and dismissed weeks ago.

>>What route will you be taking from Las Vegas to Yosemite?<<

The ONLY route that makes sense is up 395 (the other route via Bakersfield takes even longer and is Butt Ugly). Having said that they don't have time with only one night and having to drive LV > YNP > the coast.

Beating a dead horse.

If the horse isn't dead - the driver/passenger surely will be after driving from Las Vegas to Yosemite to San Simeon in two days

700 miles in two days...I'm tired just thinking about it. It would be torture for me to just drive through Yosemite and not really get to see much of it.

Janisj: I realize the only route that makes sense is I-15 to Barstow and then north to 395, but was wondering if via Death Valley prompted his desire to drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite. Hope they like seeing California from the car.

Sorry, I did not mean to resurrect a dead horse. I'll just keep quiet and shake my head.

<Since you're heading to the Candian Rockies, save Yosemite for a return trip.>

<Consider this HUGE alteration. Fly to Vegas - see Vegas. Fly to Monterey, rent car and see San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, drive to SF, see SF, fly to Canada.>

I suggested this at the very beginning and I still think it's best. You're already going to be seeing glorious scenery in the Canadian Rockies and while I agree that Yosemite is special, well, so is the Grand Canyon (if you decide to see it on this trip) and the beautiful California coast.

You may not recall but I told you upthread that we made the drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite last year via Death Valley. It's a long, sometimes boring drive and you're going to be tired. The thought of getting in the car the next day to drive another 5+ hours gives me the shivers. I wouldn't do it for the small (very small) amount of time you'll have in Yosemite.

I would modify janisj's itinerary a bit and simply drive from Las Vegas over to the Pacific Coast Highway and start the coastal drive from around Santa Barbara. That's still a long day of driving but at least you'll get to see some of the area around Santa Barbara, which is gorgeous.

Good luck Paragkash and don't stress. You can come back, honest, and I'm betting you will. There is so much beautiful and unique scenery in the US, especially in the southwest.

So here's my proposed itinerary:

Land in San Francisco
Fly to Las Vegas, pick up rental car
Drive to Santa Barbara, overnight there
Start drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at a winery or two (Paso Robles)
Spend time in area around Monterey and Big Sur
Back to San Francisco, return rental car and flight to Vancouver

I assure you this is still a lovely trip. And if you think you need to see that wow scenery then take one of those day tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. You can't get much more WOW than the Grand Canyon.

Dear Fodorites, I realise the blunders in the itinerary.
Really appreciate everyone's advise and pains taken for it...
Have revised the itinerary...
11th June SFO
12th June- Fly to LV- rent a car and drive to Grand canyon 1 n
13-14th- Drive back to LV and stay for 2 N
15th June- Morning flight to LA (cheaper flights) rent a car- drive on highway 1 - overnight at somewhere half-way to Monterey
16th June- Continue on Highway 1- Overnight at Monterey
17th and 18th June- San Francisco
19th- Fly out from SFO

Hope this works better...please comment

It is certainly more doable - wow this trip certainly has 'evolved' over the last couple of months

OK, so much for keeping quiet!!

I love sharona's proposed itinerary. Along with the Paso Robles area wineries, Los Olivos (near Solvang) has some beautiful wineries. One small winery in town (Saarloos Winery) even has an option to pair wine with cupcakes...yummy!

Paragkash, I know you want to maximize your sights in California and the Las Vegas area. Sometimes less is more. You will return. Have fun. We expect a trip report!

Thanks BarbAnn... I will..

Paragkash- please keep us posted and do a trip report when you return. Have a great trip!

Thanks a lot to all of you who have taken efforts and replied with true concern... I almost needed a slap to know what I was thinking was weird.... It is priceless, as no guide book in the world does what Fodors Forum does..

BarbAnn has a great point with the "less is more." The less rushed and harried your itinerary, the more likely you are to relax and enjoy your vacation, and the less likely you are to be simply exhausted.

I'm coming in late to congratulate you on your hard work and the great plan you've come up with.

I just want to say that among my favorite sights in my entire life are the Grand Canyon by moonlight, and Big Sur. I've been to Big Sur three times, and hope to go again in the lifetime. I don't know if it is still good, but lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur is lovely, with famously vegetarian options.

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

I would trade the aquarium in Monterey for the mission in Carmel. Aquariums are all over the world, but the Carmel Mission is unique and beautiful and a very important part of US and California history.

I'm not going to Las Vegas (that I know of) but I would be tempted to try one of the great restaurants there.

You are going to have a great trip.

Thanks a lo tuscanlifeedit & tenthumbs.
Haven't heard of Carmel Mission. Will do some search on that.

Very well said BarbAnn
<< "less is more." The less rushed and hurried your itinerary, the more likely you are to relax and enjoy your vacation>>
And I know I am packing too much in too little time.. not too happy with it. Would have loved to just restrict myself to California. But don't want to miss Las Vegas as it is my DW's choice. Still not too happy with the itinerary.
Am seriously thinking of...
Day-1- SFO
Day-2- Las Vegas
Day 3- Drive via Red Rock Canyon and Death Valley to Lee Vining. Mono Lake at the Sunset. Nice hotels with view of Mono Lake. (or overnight at Mammoth lake or Bishop- would like to cover more distance and be closer to Yosemite on this day- as the itinerary on this day is only a scenic drive without getting down much- may be just some photo stops and Lunch)
Day 4- Yosemite
Day-5- Yosemite sunrise - drive to Paso Robles/ San Simeon
Day 6- Highway 1 to Monterey
Day 7 & 8- San Francisco
Day 9- Fly to Vancouver

Thinking of keeping Grand Canyon for the next trip along with Bryce, Zion and wave Canyon.
Have been studying the Forum for the scenic route through Death Valley and a possible overnight destination...

Have never been so indecisive about things, especially when it is only the 1st 8 days of my 33 Days tour. The rest is almost sorted out.
I hate it myself and have confused and troubled many on this thread... Need more help...

Ah, so I see you're determined to go to Yosemite on this trip! Okay. Well, you really won't have much time for sightseeing on the way from Las Vegas to Yosemite. You will find some nice lodging options in Mammoth Lakes and I think that's the only place in the immediate vicinity you'll have the opportunity for nice lodging. We opted to stay right in Lee Vining. It was fine for one night when we were there just to sleep and get a jump on getting to Yosemite as early as possible.

We took the shortest distance through Death Valley and that was plenty for us. It was really hot (mid-June last year) and I had 2 teenagers with me. Enough said! We left Rt. 95 in Beatty directly through the middle of Death Valley. As my mother said, "I'm glad we did it but I don't want to do it again."

I don't believe Yosemite had its usual snowfall this winter so the waterfalls won't be as dramatic but they'll still be beautiful. And you're getting there early enough in the season to see them at their best.

Sharona, I did a lot of tossing around between Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I found Yosemite more inviting. The driving through desert is more or less both ways. In fact, instead of 6 hours to and fro, I will be driving towards Yosemite.
Plus, I found Bryce and wave Canyon equally interesting as Grand Canyon, which I shall miss if I just see one. It is probably more famous because of its proximity to Las Vegas and the wild west movies.
I would like to see the sun set and sun rise over mono lake and will almost get 1 1/2 days in Yosemite Park.

Paragkash- you are driving yourself crazy. Stick with a plan and don't look back. And don't look at this thread any more. Everyone has a different plan for you and it is just adding to your anxiety. Make a plan, put it in place, then relax. Then enjoy your trip!

Keep in mind you can't see/do it all, so there are things you are going to miss. Relish the things you DO have planned.........and come back and do the rest later!

MichelleY, that's true. I hope all the dilemma and the advice from you all helps me to reach the best plan for us. Am freezing my plan TODAY.

<Everyone has a different plan for you and it is just adding to your anxiety.>

After Paragkash gave his latest itinerary I didn't try to dissuade him from it. It's clear he wants to visit Yosemite on this trip and in fact, I gave him some helpful information. Or at least I hope I did. I agree that he should now stop with the tinkering and get down to the serious business of making plans and reservations.

Paragkash, I'll look forward to your trip report. I know you're going to have a wonderful trip and when you come back to see some of our beautiful canyons you'll have a wonderful trip then, too.

Sharona, thanks for all the encouragement...
To tell you all the truth, I have become too dependent on you all... Couldn't just freeze my itinerary unless I got positive vibes from you all.. Feeling good now.
Have booked the flight to Vegas, Car for a week starting Vegas.. Hotel at Vegas. Rest are already done. Also need to cancel Yavpai Lodge at Grand canyon.. Booking at Lee Vining/ mammoth lake balance..