libragal07

Hello!!

I'm planning a trip from New York flying into San Francisco than we will be renting a car and doing the road trip down to San Diego all in 7 days. I been trying to do research and plan an itinerary but I am hoping you guys can guide me on how to get to most out of our days.. Where to go, what to see and how long each day/days? We are 2 couples in our mid 30s, we want to see all the highlights!

So far I know we want to see Alcatraz , Big Sur, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara , Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hearst Castle etc etc etc

Any help will be greatly appreciated !!

StuDudley

>> flying into San Francisco...then we will be renting a car and doing the road trip down to San Diego all in 7 days.....we want to see all the highlights!

Either extend your trip to 2 weeks, or visit either Northern Calif or Southern Calif - not both.

Stu Dudley - 69 year Calif resident.

Underhill

You need to look at a map of California and calculate the driving distances for the trip you propose. You'll quickly see why Stu is correct.

libragal07

I have heard its possible to do the trip in a week, so that's not possible?

janisj

>>I have heard its possible to do the trip in a week, so that's not possible<<

Yes -- the 'trip' is possible -- but not if you actually want too see anything.

You are talking a two week trip . . or a road trip just to put on some miles.

>>So far I know we want to see Alcatraz , Big Sur, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara , Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hearst Castle etc etc etc <<

to see Alcatraz and anything must else in SF you need to stay at least two nights.

To see Big Sur/Carmel/the Aquarium would also require at least 2 nights

Disneyland needs one night, Disneyland + California Adventure would mean 2 nights. So there is your week right there w/o Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, San Diego,

So yep -- do the north half or the south half

socaltraveler

Totally agree. Yes, you CAN drive it in seven days, but you won't see much besides the highway. I would pick north or south.

volcanogirl

Our favorite part of San Diego is La Jolla - go see La Jolla Cove and the Children's Pool to see seals and sea lions, gorgeous views. Have lunch at Cody's, Brockton Villa, or George's at the Cove. Get gelato at Bobboi. The San Diego zoo is impressive if you like zoos; it will take you all day to see it - we were there seven hours and didn't see it all. Also head over the bridge to Coronado to see the Hotel Del and the beautiful beach. There's a great trolley tour of San Diego you can take.

libragal07

We booked the flights already so we have to make it work, we plan on spending one full day in San Fran sleeping there than hitting the road early. We can pass on Pismo Beach.. We def want Big Sur And Hearst Castle

rjw_lgb_ca

OK, you're apparently now stuck with a time frame that forces you to jettison most of your desired sightseeing.

Personally I'd suck up change fees on the flights to do either a northern CA visit or a southern CA visit-- not both. I must add the caveat that that's STILL too short a time frame to really do either region right. THE STATE IS SIMPLY TOO LARGE IF YOU WANT TO DO THE COAST DRIVE TOO. Greater LA could occupy at least a week of your time alone. Add San Diego, you're talking at least three or four more days (one day on the Zoo alone). San Francisco and a select side trip (say, up to Napa and/or Sonoma) could be a WONDERFUL (albeit jam-packed) week; that's precisely how my husband and I spent our honeymoon (the year AFTER our wedding, but who's counting?), and it was frankly too short for us (we REALLY love the City).

But remember: Just because you heard something is possible doesn't make it right. You CAN drive between SF and LA in six hours. It means leaving at 10 PM and using I-5 through California's less-than-scenic (but oh-so-vital as America's REAL bread basket) Central Valley, arriving before the LA traffic crush starts-- at 4 AM or so.

That doesn't sound too hot, now, does it?! I've done this drive many times to see family up north, generally during the day, so it takes longer. No lovely vistas, but you certainly see miles and miles of incredibly fertile farmland (and will smell cattle farms for several miles too, so know how to set your A/C to "recirculate"!). That's kind of interesting, yes, but....

I think you should think about 2 days in SF, make the coast drive a 3-day jaunt, spend the last 2 days in San Diego. It's still FAR too rushed, but you'll at least get a taste of the state. And you'll probably be back. Actually, I guarantee it.

jamie99

You need to either pay the fees to change your flights or like the above poster says, drive the boring I-5 where you can learn why agriculture is California's #1 industry. You will of course miss Hearst Castle, the Aquarium, etc.
By the way you absolutely cannot trust Google Maps for the Highway 1 drive. They assume you are driving 55mph (speed limits in parts are 25-35mph) and make no stops at all including for gas, food and restrooms.

TravelBuff8

Wow! Such vacation killers! I agree that the longer you spend in any location the better, but it can certainly be done! I've driven down the coast twice; once with friends and once with my husband. Just make a list of all the must sees and the rest don't worry about. It's your trip! Stop where you want and have a great time!

libragal07

Thank you Travelbuff !!! I never seen a group of people turning my excitement post into totally pooping in my Cocoa Puffs.

socaltraveler

You have 7 days. So far you are spending 1 day in San Francisco. You want to go to Disneyland, at least a full day there, drive Highway 1, stopping to see Monterey Bay aquarium and the Hearst Castle, which will be at least two days. I am at 4 days. Santa Barbara, another day. Have not touched on LA or San Diego either. Not sure how many nights you have either.

We live here, which is why we are pooping in your Cocoa Puffs. 7 days is not enough to to do it all, or even drive it all IF you are driving the slower and scenic coast highway. Make some priorities, and yes, you can get north to south, but no, you cannot possible do that whole list. And let me point out the the admission prices to the zoo, Disneyland, aquarium, Alcatraz, etc are not cheap, so if you only have a few hours for each, it will be surely not at all cost effective, if that is an consideration.

StuDudley

>>we plan on spending one full day in San Fran sleeping there than hitting the road early. We can pass on Pismo Beach.. We def want Big Sur And Hearst Castle<<

What time of day does your flight arrive in SF?

Assuming that you take the earliest flight possible - EWR to SFO that lands at 9AM:

Day 1 - Land at SFO, exit airport & pick up a car. Leave SFO complex at 10:30am (still rush hour, on a work day). Arrive at hotel at 11:30. Park car (difficult & time consuming), check in, freshen up, and ready to hit San Francisco at 12:30. This is only a half day!!! Sleep in SF

Day 2 - get your "full day" in San Francisco. Sleep in SF

Day 3 - leave SF at 6AM to beat most of the commute traffic. Take 280/85/101 to Carmel. Arrive in Carmel, check into hotel & ready to go at 9:30AM. Visit aquarium, Carmel, Pacific Grove. Sleep in Carmel for 1 night.

Day 4 - Your day to "sleep in" until 6:30am. Depart Carmel at 7:30 and visit Pt Lobos just south of Carmel. Opens at 8AM. Drive down to Big Sur. Lunch at Nepenthe. Visit Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Continue driving south on Hwy 1 to San Simeon. Check into hotel. Take 7 or 8 pm evening tour that lasts 1 hr 40 mins.

- Day 5 - Depart San Simeon around 4am to beat LA and San Diego traffic. Budget for a 7 hrs (Sat, Sun) to 8 1/2 hrs (M-F) hrs drive. Arrive in SD at 11-12:30. Spend a half day in SD.

- Day 6 another day in SD. Zoo

- Day 7 Depart for home

No time for LA or Disneyland stuff, or Santa Barbara.

Stu Dudley

janisj

You DO realize TravelBuff8 registered on Fodors merely to post to your thread, right? I wouldn't plan based on that one post. Every (other) person posting on your thread so far actually LIVES IN CALIFORNIA.

So take our advice . . . or don't. But we <i>do</i> know what we are talking about.

StuDudley

>> I've driven down the coast twice; once with friends and once with my husband. <<

And I've lived in LA, Laguna Beach, and worked near San Diego for 28 years and have driven up north on Hwy 1 to Big Sur, Carmel, and San Francisco perhaps 30 times in those 28 years (we took about 3-4 camping trips to Big Sur every year for around 5 years).

I've lived in the SF area for 41 years. Married, no kids, retired since '99, and have driven to Carmel, Big Sur, and Hwy 1 perhaps 40 times. In early June this year, we'll spend my 69th Birthday with 1 night in Carmel & 2 in Big Sur. We spent 2 nights in Carmel in April too.

We drove down from SF to LA for my 50th High School reunion last Sept. We drove through LA on a Sunday afternoon - and it took us "forever". Remember - I lived there for 28 years.

Stu Dudley

MichelleY

I like I-5 and the smell of Harris Ranch feedlot. Reminds me of my childhood on the ranch.

sf7307

OK, I'm going to suggest a modification to Stu's itinerary -

Day 1 - Arrive and spend half a day in San Francisco. Sleep in San Francisco.

Day 2 - get up early and drive to Monterey. Visit aquarium, Pt. Lobos and stroll around Carmel. Stay in Monterey, Carmel or Pacific Grove (they're all adjacent to each other).

Day 3 - Drive to San Simeon via the coast, stop for lunch at Nepenthe. Take night tour of Hearst Castle. Stay in the San Simeon/Cabria area.

Day 4 - Drive to Santa Barbara and spend the night (I'd actually just drive through, but everyone else here loves Santa Barbara more than I do).

Day 5 - Get up early and drive to San Diego. Spend the day at the zoo and the evening in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Day 6 - Disneyland. Sleep in Anaheim.

Day 7 - Are you flying out on this day?

Actually, one of the first questions is, does your 7 "full days" including the days your flying, or is it 9 days including flying days?

MichelleY

I am with you sf7307- I would skip Santa Barbara.

janisj

Me too, but even without SB that is a heck of a lot of driving.

That plan is doable but you would miss alcatraz and most things in SF. But at least it would get you to SF monterey SD and disneyland.