San Francisco, Yosemite, Coastal Road Trip Help
 

Hello,

My husband and I are planning a last minute road trip to California this August and I'm looking for intinerary and hotel suggestions. We're flying into San Francisco, then doing Napa, Yosemite, then Monterey, and driving up the coast to San Francisco. We're looking for ideas on itinerary, and suggestions for hotels that are budget friendly (ideally $150 or less?).

Here is our itinerary so far:
Day 1 to Day 2: Fly into SFO, spend two nights.
Day 3: Drive to Sonoma or Napa (suggestions on which is cheaper to stay?) Stay one night.
Day 4-6: Drive to Yosemite. Spend three nights.
Day 7: Drive to Monterey or Santa cruz (suggestions?). We've done Monterey before, so we're open to other places. We just want to stay somewhere along the coast that is budget friendly.
Day 8: Drive up the coast, stay somewhere in a city along here, closer to San Fran (suggestions?)
Day 9: Drive and fly out of SFO.

Thanks for your input

I fear that you will be out of luck trying to get a reservation in Yosemite. Keep trying you might luck out.
There are 2 HI hostels at lighthouses south of San Francisco.
They are Pigeon Point and Point Montara.

Sonoma is generally cheaper to stay, but both are way overpriced in August. You might try Glen Ellen, about 8 miles north of Sonoma, which is generally cheaper.

I'd take out Yosemite, as it will be booked and the park perimeter hotels are a ways away from the Valley Floor.

You've given SF a day and a half max. Not nearly enough time to see a wonderful city.

If you like wine tasting at all, add at least a night or two to Sonoma. There are a ton of wineries in the Sonoma Valley (The Valley of the Moon).

Half Moon Bay and points northward, as mentioned above, are great places to visit.

Check out hotels.com or tripadvisor to make a better informed decision about places to stay andvrealistic prices. I lived in SF briefly as well as having relatives live there. In my personal opinion, I like Union Square /Chinatown area because of its proximity to all the sights. Public transportation like the bus system makes it pretty convenient to get around although drivers aren't always on time at $2 for each fare (with a 2 hr transfer ticket). The cable car trip is $5 EACH WAY. so if you know you might want to ride more than once, get a pass, so tou can save some money. .Think about what's your focus for yor trip, museums, tourist spots, etc. so that you can figure out where is the most convenient location for you to stay.
I take it you probably want to the see the Golden Gate Bridge and experience some local eats, check Yelp.com since many locals tell you where to find the best.

Thank you for the input! Does anyone have any other itinerary suggestions that are still doable if we can't pull of Yosemite this late?

Nice areas just south of San Francisco include Point Lobos, Henry Cowell Redwoods and Big Basin State Parks.

You might be able to get into Yosemite. Keep checking for cancellations. The valley will be very crowded but the high country will be gorgeous.

There are lots of options if you can't go to Yosemite including adding more time to the other areas you are already visiting. What would you want to do if you can't go to Yosemite?

Yosemite Park reservation site shows availability every day for the month of August. May only be Curry Village tent cabins, but they also would be the only ones in your price range(except possibly Wawona with shared bath).

Use Priceline for SF, I've had very good luck over the years.

We stayed at a B & B last time in Healdsburg (Haydon Street Inn), but there is a decent looking Best Western just north of town. Really liked Healdsburg and area.

If you can't get into Yosemite, Shanti's suggestion of Henry Cowell, Big Basin and Point Lobos is an outstanding alternative (plus, its much closer to Monterey/Carmel!)

If it is your first and only trip to CA, Yosemite shouldn't be missed. Yosemite Lodge reservations are hard to get, but sometimes rooms open up in the morning.
There are 2 motels outside of the park, Yosemite View Lodge and Cedar Lodge. There is a shuttle bus that runs to the Valley floor, takes about 30 min. If you have a car, you may want to go to Tuolumne the backcountry instead. It is stunning and not as warm and crowded as the Valley in July. Yosemite is the most beautiful place in the world!