Both of those towns have many places to stay but I have no specific recommendations.
You could try to reach the border of Nevada and stay at one of the casino/hotels. There is an outlet center there where you could purchase clothing.

"Barstow be okay?" Armpit

"What about Victorville?" another slightly less nasty armpit

The drive straight through isn't that bad - but unfortunately leaving LAX in the afternoon means you'll be in the commute mess all the way through the LA basin and beyond. It will be miserable.

Have you considered flying straight on to Vegas from LAX and avoiding the drive altogether?

The idea of just getting on another flight is not a bad one.

Or, if you do need warm clothes, you could just stay at an LAX hotel--there are tons of them!-- and go shopping at Nordstrom Rack which is only about 10 minutes from the airport up Sepulveda Blvd, if you really do not want to drive the same day. Not sure what you mean by "warm clothes"......

I like the flying option . . . But socialworker's idea is a great Plan B. Never one to pass by a Nordstrom Rack

It is very unfair to characterize Barstow and Victorville as "armpits".
It is misinformation.

Victorville maybe isn't -- but Barstow -- yep. Or at least an armpit of a place to stay on vacation

And to have to drive 3 1/2 to 4 hours in bumper to bumper traffic to get to Barstow?? On your honeymoon no less. I wouldn't. Just sayin'

If you fly -- you'll be settled into your Vegas hotel about the same time you'd arrive in beautiful downtown Barstow.

Oh - if instead you stay over near LAX, you can shop at the Rack and/or sit on the beach, have a nice dinner, and drive straight through to Vegas the next day.

Don't take Janis' comments personally. She doesn't like my home town area in the San Joaquin Valley, but I still love her anyway!!

Hugs JJ!!

Nothing wrong w/ the Valley -- but the first night of your Honeymoon??

We've stayed several times in Primm Nevada, usually at Buffalo Bill's.
When our son and his family lived in Barstow, we stayed at the only hotel we could find that had interior corridors.
Gasoline is cheaper in LV than in Primm or Jean.
There is a flight on Allegiant Airlines from Long Beach to Las Vegas if you did not want to drive across the Mojave Desert.

Primm doesn't help the OP. By the time they got to Primm they'd only be 35 minutes from Vegas.

And flying from Long Beach would involve transferring from LAX.

Neither option would solve the OPs problem . . .

ROFL - I only opened this thread to say that Barstow is an armpit !!!!


(and now I'm enjoying a good laugh at the mere thought that somebody else already said it)

I think I'd go straight through to Vegas if I were you, afternoon or not...

Besides, Vegas always keeps your mental clock upside down anyway, so it doesn't really matter what time it is when you arrive.

It isn't as if lots of places are gonna close soon...

You could stay in Palm Springs and take a different route to Las Vegas. Maybe see Joshua Tree....what time exactly do you arrive LAX and on what day of the week? Sat or Sun might not be too bad, but leaving LAX at say 4pm Mon-Fri , after a long flight....well, the traffic could drive you crazy and if you encounter one of the frequent traffic nightmares between L.A. and Victorville, then even worse.

In early December it'll be dark after 5pm so the drive....well, you won't see any desert, just oncoming auto headlights all the way. There should be vacancies along the way so if you decide to stop in Victorville or Barstow I don't think you'd need reservations. Maybe if you were planning to arrive late late at night, but 7pm or so, you should be okay. There's a big outlet mall just before Barstow and I think there is a Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express right there. Lenwood exit.

Are you arriving from Australia? If not, how long is your flight to LAX, and what time zone will you be on?

If you're arriving from Australia, I wouldn't even think about jumping in a car, driving on the 'wrong' side of the road for any amount of time and looking for a hotel in an unknown town. Having said that, I'd have no problem spending a night in Victorville. As long as you know there are no luxury or upscale accommodations there, you'll find well-known hotel chains represented.

If you're arriving from somewhere in the U.S. and can't drive away from LAX before 3:00 pm, seriously consider spending the night nearby or taking a connecting flight to Las Vegas. By 3:00 pm, the afternoon rush-hour traffic begins in earnest and quite a bit of it will be heading in the same direction you would be. One hint: Mapquest, Google Maps and probably every GPS system will direct you to head east on the 10 from the 605 to connect to the 15. Instead, stay on the 605 until you reach the 210 and take that east to the 15.

Wow, so many replies, thank you.

We are arriving from Australia, and the big thing I guess is we are picking up a car in LA, so the flight option is out.

It's sounding like perhaps what we should do is pick up the car, do any shopping we need to do, stay in an Airport hotel, leave early the next morning to drive to Vegas.

Yes... That's sounding like the perfect solution.

Thank you, it's hard from this far away to know what is achievable and what isn't.

Great to hear about about Nordstrom rack. Being from Sunny Queensland we need to get Jackets and any other cold weather necessities. We have nothing to keep us warm except each other

Any suggestions on how to best be prepared for the weather would be great. We are going from LA to LV then Grand Canyon and making our way, whichever way we can get through to San Francisco (we have a week to get from LV to San Francisco - leaving GC on the afternoon of the 9th) and we want to go to Death Valley.

We understand we will have to be flexible due to weather restrictions.

Please keep the suggestions coming, they are wonderful, and so helpful, Thank you

Oops forgot to ask, what is a good time to leave LA early in the morning on a Saturday heading to Las Vegas (if there is a good time )Thanks so much

The difference between driving Friday afternoon and Sat Morning will be HUGE. The drive will be so much easier you can't imagine . . .

Leave any time you'd like - though earlier will be easier.

I like leaving LA around 7 a.m. on a Saturday -- you reach LV around noon, including a pit stop for food, gas, and bathroom break.

I strongly suggest you make sure to get a GPS in your rental car. Nothing is easy in the LA area, there are so many freeways to navigate, you often have to take what looks like an exit just to stay on the freeway you think you are already on, I'm not kidding.

As for your trip portion between Death Valley and San Francisco, I travel from north to south state several times a year and I have given up looking for anything interesting to stop at between the LA Basin Area and the Bay Area. There are a few California missions in the valley but that's about it. My suggestion is either use 2 days to travel north along Hwy. 1 or just take I-5 which is fast but ugly and save your time for San Francisco. In December I would avoid 395 north completely.

"I have given up looking for anything interesting to stop at between the LA Basin Area and the Bay Area. . . . There are a few California missions in the valley but that's about it."

There are no missions in the Valley. All the missions are either along or just inland from the coast.

Janis, you got your aha moment for the day, congrats, do you think you added anything important that a visitor from another continent needed to know?

I was thinking of a detour to Mission San Juan Bautista near Hollister. While it may not be technically in the valley it is as dry and dusty as any valley town along Hwy 5, no one would describe it as coastal.

My point was, while there are a few detours along the corridor, the drive is basically devoid of much to see or do so I suggest you put pedal to the metal and just get to wherever your ultimate destination is which in this case is San Francisco (with boundless ways to spend precious vacation time).

My point was the same as yours, that there is absolutely no reason to stop enroute . . . not even at missions since there aren't any.

Yes, spend the first night in the LA area. Othewise your best bet is probably Victorville where you will find a Target, JC Penney, and Kohl's to buy the clothes you want.

There are several reliable motels where you can get a room in the $100 range--Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, and Motel 6 among them.

HTTY

GPS would probably be helpful generally, but I think the route from LAX to Las Vegas is pretty straight-forward. Only three freeway changes that are very clear by just looking at a map. As long as you're paying attention, you should have no trouble.

Thanks Guys, definately staying in LA overnight, then leave hopefully 7am ish for drive to Vegas. Will investigate GPS.

Our original idea was the 395 North, ending up at Lake Tahoe, then to SF. From SF we will spend 3 days driving down highway 1 before our departure from LAX.

So I guess my question is, is 395 completely out, and are there other options at that time of year for Yosemite? from the Western Side?

Our optimal route would've been Death Valley, Yosemite NP, Lake Tahoe, Sanfrancisco, taking about 6 Days.

Good to know that if the above is out, there's not much on the western side, we can condense the trip to SF, then head from SF to Tahoe.

Thanks again for all your help I hope it's not too confusing.

OK--I've probably missed it --when exactly are you traveling?

I know you talked about needing warm clothing, but I don't remember the month. This makes a big difference re which route(s) make sense.

Hey, sorry. We arrive in LA on 2nd of December. Will be leaving LA driving to Las Vegas on 3rd December.

We will leave the Grand Canyon lunch time on 9 December, and would like to arrive in San Francisco on 14 December, so have five days for the drive and hoping for Death Valley, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.

Thanks so much, can't wait to see what you think

That's one heck of a lot of driving. I can't understand why you don't forget the extraordinarily dull drive from LAX to LAS (220+ miles, 4.5 hours). Just catch one of the dozens of cheap flights and then rent your car in LAS. Especially after such a long flight and as Jean says, driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Seems as though a quick flight to LAS would be so much safer and LA traffic is no picnic. I wouldn't do it, but enjoy your road trip!

thanks CYESQ but we are looking forward to the road trip (we have quite a bit of experience on the 'wrong' side of the road ), and strangely I've always wanted to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Maybe experiencing LA traffic is part of the experience? We are leaving on Saturday morning after an overnight in LA after our flight.

Just really want to know what from our Death Valley, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe wish list we can accomplish with our five days.

By mid-December, you will not be able to drive from the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Hwy. 395) into Yosemite National Park because Tioga Road connecting the two will be closed for the season. So, you must choose between seeing Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra or Yosemite and the Western Sierra. Either way you go you could encounter winter weather that would slow you down, and five days would not be a leisurely pace.

As to your Vegas drive, we drive to Colorado every year, so we do the journey between LA and Vegas twice a year. I'm not sure I can emphasize enough how you wouldn't be missing a thing if you flew, and if you flew you could save a day (perhaps nearly two) to add to the Yosemite/Death Valley drive which would make it infinitely more enjoyable IMO.

Do you have lodging reservations in Yosemite Valley?

Since you will not be able to cross the Sierra south of the Tahoe region - and driving in the mountains may be an issue since almost no rental cars allow tire chains- I'd forget about Tahoe-- unfortunately. Chains may not be necessary - but if there is a storm you'll be stuck. And there is no way to know the weather more than a few days in advance.

So -- I'd hit Death Valley,then take the long/boring drive around through Bakersfield and approach Yoesmite from the west side. Now, chains also might be required to get into YNP, but not quite as likely as at Tahoe.

Then head out of Yosemite to San Francisco. This is too bad--but you really can't plan a mountain trip in a rental car. But if you can get a 4 wd rental WITH snow tires you could be OK.

thank you, it's not great news, but it's what I thought.

To confirm though:

Tahoe, not a possibility without chains?
Yosemite, from the eastern side Maybe (dependant on weather)?

Maybe we can catch a bus from SF to Tahoe?

Thank you

Lissa

"Tahoe, not a possibility without chains?
Yosemite, from the eastern side Maybe (dependant on weather)?"

Not quite.

Tahoe is a possibility --even a probability. But if there is a storm you would need chains. Last winter had record setting snow - who knows this year?? Could be dry, could be heavy snow . . .

Same w/ Yosemite from the west entrances

You definitely 100% will NOT be able to enter Yosemite from the east. Tioga Pass is the only road and it closes every year from late Fall through late Spring.

Now what you could do-- is wait until you are there. Definitely pre-book your accommodations in Yosemite. Then IF the weather cooperates: Do LV, Death Valley, around through Bakersfield to Yosemite. And then go north up the west side of the Sierra foothills on hwy 49 to Placerville and then east on hwy 50 to Southshore lake Tahoe.

You don't need to pre-book much at Tahoe except for holiday weekends. There are hundreds of hotel/motel rooms and you can usually get in at the last minute.

So IF there are no winter storms in the forecast for the next 4 or 5 days when you are leaving LasVegas-- you can fit in both Yosemite AND Tahoe. Otherwise, after YNP, head to San Francisco or the coast.

Here is what I would do...
From Las Vegas hit DVNP and make your way to 395 North.
Take 395 north to Reno. I would stop and stay the night in either Lee Vinning or Topaz Lake. Must see things along the way are Mammoth Hot Springs, Devils Postpile, Mono Lake and if the snow is light, White mountains where you will see the oldest living things on earth, the bristle cone pine tree.
In Reno hit Hwy 80 west. Tahoe will be at the top of the hill.
Drive around the lake. maybe stay a night in South Lake or in any of the major ski resorts that will prob not have snow yet and therefore will have plenty of cheap rooms available.
When your ready take either hwy 50 or hwy 80 west to SF. Not much I can recommended as must see on the way between Tahoe and SF. There is a great train museum in Sacramento. If you can make your way to Sutter's Fort that might be worth stopping at. If you want to hit up Yosemite now would be the time. Hwy 49 south would be a nice drive.
There may be snow so carry chains. Check with your rental car company but I have never heard them say you can't put chains on. What else you supposed to do if you need to get someplace and it is snowing?

Also right outside Yosemite proper in the town of El Portal is a hotel with rooms at about 100 bucks a night in the off season. River Lodge I believe. You likely won't be able to get anything inside the valley but this place is decent.

Thank you, I'm glad there is a chance for Yosemite and Tahoe, we'll try and pre book something at perhaps River Lodge and wait and see what the weather is like when we arrive.

So helpful, once again thank you

Sorry. It is Yosemite View Lodge. http://www.stayyosemiteviewlodge.com/
You won't need a res in early Dec but it won't hurt to have one either.