Please Help with San Francisco to San Diego Itinerary
Jul 19th, 2012, 04:26 AM
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Please Help with San Francisco to San Diego Itinerary
My husband and I are planning a California vacation for our 20th anniversary in late September-early October. Since it's our first visit to California, we'd appreciate feedback on the itinerary we've put together so far....mostly we are looking to see if this is doable.
Day 1 - Fly into SF early afternoon, pick up rental car, drive to Yosemite, spend night (booked The Lodge at the Falls hotel).
Day 2 - Grand Tour of Yosemite (we are not looking to do any hiking - just take in the beautiful scenery). Tour ends around 5:00 pm. Drive back to SF, grab a quick dinner, go to hotel. Any suggestions for reasonable accomodations? We were thinking of staying near the airport.
Day 3 & 4 - Golden Gate Bridge, tour of Alcatraz, FIsherman's Wharf/Pier 39, ride the cable cars. Does this look like we'll need 1 day or 2?
Day 4 - Drive from SF to Monterey, spend night in Monterey. Hotel recommendations for around $250?
Day 5 - Monterey/Carmel - Aquarium, 17 Mile Drive, Pooint Lobos State Reserve. Drive to Cambria, spend night in Cambria (booked Blue Dolphin Inn).
Day 6 - Hearst Castle/Cambria area. Drive to San Diego. Should we stop somewhere in between for the night or drive straight through?
Days 7 & 8 - San Diego - USS Midway, SD Zoo, Seaport Village, Coronado Island
Day 9 - Drive back to SF (to avoid HUGE rental car fees) - Drive straight through on the freeway (vs the coast)? Stop somewhere in between?
Day 10 - Fly back home
Your comments/suggestions are appreciated!
Day 1 - Fly into SF early afternoon, pick up rental car, drive to Yosemite, spend night (booked The Lodge at the Falls hotel).
Day 2 - Grand Tour of Yosemite (we are not looking to do any hiking - just take in the beautiful scenery). Tour ends around 5:00 pm. Drive back to SF, grab a quick dinner, go to hotel. Any suggestions for reasonable accomodations? We were thinking of staying near the airport.
Day 3 & 4 - Golden Gate Bridge, tour of Alcatraz, FIsherman's Wharf/Pier 39, ride the cable cars. Does this look like we'll need 1 day or 2?
Day 4 - Drive from SF to Monterey, spend night in Monterey. Hotel recommendations for around $250?
Day 5 - Monterey/Carmel - Aquarium, 17 Mile Drive, Pooint Lobos State Reserve. Drive to Cambria, spend night in Cambria (booked Blue Dolphin Inn).
Day 6 - Hearst Castle/Cambria area. Drive to San Diego. Should we stop somewhere in between for the night or drive straight through?
Days 7 & 8 - San Diego - USS Midway, SD Zoo, Seaport Village, Coronado Island
Day 9 - Drive back to SF (to avoid HUGE rental car fees) - Drive straight through on the freeway (vs the coast)? Stop somewhere in between?
Day 10 - Fly back home
Your comments/suggestions are appreciated!
Jul 19th, 2012, 06:31 AM
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Just a couple of quick comments:
It's a very doable trip, well spaced apart.
You don't need a car in San Francisco and since the hotel parking fees are quite high, the advice is usually to do San Francisco without a car and use public transportation. This would mean switching things around a bit: doing SF first and then rent a car for the rest of your trip.
However, since it's only for two days, you may not mind the high parking fees and just bring the car into San Francisco. A car does allow you greater flexibility.
If we stay with your itinerary as you have delineated, then Day 2 sounds exhausting. You may want to spend the night somewhere in-between Yosemite and SF.
Stopping somewhere east of Sacramento, like in Roseville or Rancho Cordova, would be better. Then next morning get either a very early morning start or a late morning start (to avoid the peak traffic hours) and drive into San Francisco.
Day 6, are you planning on touring Heart Castle? If so, then plan your drive to San Diego to avoid the peak traffic hours in Los Angeles. It's certainly possible to drive from Cambria to San Diego in one day.
Day 9: the fastest way to get back to San Francisco is to take the inland route, Interstate 5.
Hope this helps a bit and welcome to California!
It's a very doable trip, well spaced apart.
You don't need a car in San Francisco and since the hotel parking fees are quite high, the advice is usually to do San Francisco without a car and use public transportation. This would mean switching things around a bit: doing SF first and then rent a car for the rest of your trip.
However, since it's only for two days, you may not mind the high parking fees and just bring the car into San Francisco. A car does allow you greater flexibility.
If we stay with your itinerary as you have delineated, then Day 2 sounds exhausting. You may want to spend the night somewhere in-between Yosemite and SF.
Stopping somewhere east of Sacramento, like in Roseville or Rancho Cordova, would be better. Then next morning get either a very early morning start or a late morning start (to avoid the peak traffic hours) and drive into San Francisco.
Day 6, are you planning on touring Heart Castle? If so, then plan your drive to San Diego to avoid the peak traffic hours in Los Angeles. It's certainly possible to drive from Cambria to San Diego in one day.
Day 9: the fastest way to get back to San Francisco is to take the inland route, Interstate 5.
Hope this helps a bit and welcome to California!
Jul 19th, 2012, 06:50 AM
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SF to Yosemite - assuming you don't get caught in Bay Area trafic - is only 4 hours. Some in here think you have to stop and have a spa treatment if you try to do such a thing. 
And from Cambria to SD - a fairly easy 5+ hours - working around commute hours in Santa Barbara and LA of course.
You could have a leaisurly breakfast in Cambria - and if you left by say 9:30 am - be in San Diego early afternoon, missing the commute traffic here and also in SB and LA.
Jetting up I-5 from SD to SF - would take about 8 hours. You could either leave at Oh Dark Thirty and beat the SD/LA traffic - or again, have a leisurly breakfast and maybe push off about 9 AM from SD. Here is a map: http://tinyurl.com/7k69pr3
And from Cambria to SD - a fairly easy 5+ hours - working around commute hours in Santa Barbara and LA of course.
You could have a leaisurly breakfast in Cambria - and if you left by say 9:30 am - be in San Diego early afternoon, missing the commute traffic here and also in SB and LA.
Jetting up I-5 from SD to SF - would take about 8 hours. You could either leave at Oh Dark Thirty and beat the SD/LA traffic - or again, have a leisurly breakfast and maybe push off about 9 AM from SD. Here is a map: http://tinyurl.com/7k69pr3
Jul 19th, 2012, 07:08 AM
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Tom: the drive between Yosemite and SF may be a mere 4 hours (under pretty much ideal driving conditions), but you're forgetting that they are doing the Grand Tour of Yosemite that day.
The Grand Tour is an ALL DAY tour.
The best thing would be for the OP to spend that night in/around Yosemite, but since they seem to want to push ahead, then stopping after exiting Yosemite and the hills would work well. Besides which hotel parking in a hotel east of Sacramento will be infinitely easier and they don't have to negotiate strange big city streets in San Francisco.
The Grand Tour is an ALL DAY tour.
The best thing would be for the OP to spend that night in/around Yosemite, but since they seem to want to push ahead, then stopping after exiting Yosemite and the hills would work well. Besides which hotel parking in a hotel east of Sacramento will be infinitely easier and they don't have to negotiate strange big city streets in San Francisco.
Jul 19th, 2012, 08:42 AM
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I am anything but a slow traveler, so your plan looks okay to me (although lots of driving, and will be pretty exhausting -- the kind of vacation you need a vacation from ). My only comment is that for your two nights in San Francisco, I definitely wouldn't stay near the airport. Traveling into and out of the city by car from the airport area will take 25-35 minutes each way (by BART much longer when you consider getting to the station, waiting for the train, etc.). So if you can swing it, I'd highly recommend staying IN the city and adding those hours to your sightseeing time instead! You'll also see much more in the city with a car than without.
). My only comment is that for your two nights in San Francisco, I definitely wouldn't stay near the airport. Traveling into and out of the city by car from the airport area will take 25-35 minutes each way (by BART much longer when you consider getting to the station, waiting for the train, etc.). So if you can swing it, I'd highly recommend staying IN the city and adding those hours to your sightseeing time instead! You'll also see much more in the city with a car than without.
Jul 19th, 2012, 09:41 AM
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Do you have your air tickets already? There are ways to avoid one-way car fees.
The wine country just north of Santa Barbara is beautiful in early August, nice relaxing place to spend a day and night, I would definitely add it if you can. Ballard Inn or Los Olivos Inn. In fact I'd rather spend the 2 San Diego days up around the Santa Ynez valley or Santa Barbara. All the way through L.A and on to San Diego for just 2 nights?
Also don't quite understand the SFO to Yosemite and then backtracking back to SF.
The wine country just north of Santa Barbara is beautiful in early August, nice relaxing place to spend a day and night, I would definitely add it if you can. Ballard Inn or Los Olivos Inn. In fact I'd rather spend the 2 San Diego days up around the Santa Ynez valley or Santa Barbara. All the way through L.A and on to San Diego for just 2 nights?
Also don't quite understand the SFO to Yosemite and then backtracking back to SF.
Jul 19th, 2012, 09:46 AM
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Thanks to everyone for the comments/suggestions...I will definetely check them out.
tracy2cents....Yes, we already have our airfare. How do you avoid the fees (for next time)? We had a credit from Southwest and they don't fly into the airports closest to Yosemite.
tracy2cents....Yes, we already have our airfare. How do you avoid the fees (for next time)? We had a credit from Southwest and they don't fly into the airports closest to Yosemite.
Jul 19th, 2012, 10:31 AM
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I'm with tracys2cents on this. I would MUCH rather spend two nights in the Los Olivos area than San Diego. Don't get me wrong, San Diego is a nice city (I was born near there). However, the San Ynez valley is filled with quaint towns, lots of wineries and gorgeous scenery. While Solvang is a bit touristy, it is fun to walk through the town settled by Danish immigrants.
I also would stay in San Francisco versus a hotel at the airport. Half the fun is walking the streets of San Francisco in the evenings. I personally like the Union Square area, but down near the wharf area may be better suited for the places you want to visit. Make sure you reserve your Alcatraz tour tickets in advance. Hearst Castle tours can be reserved in advance also.
If you stick to your original plan of taking I-5 from San Diego to San Francisco (it is the fastest, most boring), Harris Ranch Restaurant makes a nice stop for lunch.
Enjoy your visit to California!
I also would stay in San Francisco versus a hotel at the airport. Half the fun is walking the streets of San Francisco in the evenings. I personally like the Union Square area, but down near the wharf area may be better suited for the places you want to visit. Make sure you reserve your Alcatraz tour tickets in advance. Hearst Castle tours can be reserved in advance also.
If you stick to your original plan of taking I-5 from San Diego to San Francisco (it is the fastest, most boring), Harris Ranch Restaurant makes a nice stop for lunch.
Enjoy your visit to California!
Apr 20th, 2016, 07:12 AM
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Guys!! Hi, Am planning a 6 day driving trip from San Francisco to san Diego. Planning to leave San Fran on the 10th of June and reach San Diego on the 15th(6 days in all) what are the overnight not too expensive stops I can make?
