Hello! My husband and I are attending a wedding on Sunday, April 19th in Redondo Beach. We need to be there by Saturday the 18th for the rehearsal dinner.

We would like to fly into San Francisco the weekend before and road-trip down the coast. I have looked at guidebooks and google maps to determine how long it would take to drive to each location but real life advice would be appreciated! I don't want to be over-ambitious in our itinerary. We are relatively flexible and can add an extra day or two if necessary.

Sunday April 12 - fly into SFO and check into a hotel
Monday 13 - explore San Francisco
Tuesday 14 - rent a car and drive to Monterrey or Carmel by the Sea and spend the night
Wednesday 15 - drive to a cabin in Big Sur to spend the night and take a hike to see big trees - recommendations appreciated!
Thursday 16 - drive to and spend the night in Santa Barbara
Friday 17 - drive to wedding destination hotel in Redondo beach and check out LA
Saturday 18 - Sunday 19 Wedding activities
Monday 20 - fly out of LAX

Thanks! Any other recommendations appreciated! We'd like to see Hearst Castle if we could fit that in.

You might have an easier time finding lodging in Monterey or Pacific Grove than in Carmel. The Monterey Aquarium is worth a visit.
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

https://flic.kr/p/xGcdybAs is Point Lobos on the way to Big Sur

https://flic.kr/p/96zgFK
Big Sur State Park has cabins, but they may be fully booked.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570

Consider reservations for Hearst Castle: Home - Hearst Castle

https://flic.kr/p/8oUQW3

If you want to see both redwoods and Hearst Castle, I'd adjust the timing thus:

Tuesday - SF to Monterey/Carmel via Big Basin or Henry Cowell redwoods.
Wednesday - Monterey/Carmel area including Point Lobos
Thursday - Monterey/Carmel to San Simeon; afternoon tour of Hearst Castle
Friday - Monday - as planned.

Google the places on this map - https://goo.gl/maps/JL2KaeJFMDBYumtg9 These include the Henry Cowell redwoods (more impressive than the ones at Big Sur IMO) as well as the old Spanish mission in Carmel, incredible Point Lobos, and Nepenthe, where you can pretend to be Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth (or Liz and Dick) while eating overpriced food on one of the world's great view decks.

I'd skip a night at Big Sur and instead head for San Simeon. See the amazing elephant seal colony just north of the Hearst Castle parking area and tour the castle. The next day, hustle down to Santa Barbara and be sure to visit the "Queen of the Missions" while you're there. Then it's on to Redondo Beach. Depending on the timing, either on Saturday or on Monday before leaving, have breakfast at Martha's on 22nd in Hermosa Beach - https://marthashermosabeach.com/ - then walk off the carbs along the beachfront Strand, while you decide which bank to rob so you can buy a house there.





Have a great time!

Assuming you'll drive from SB to RB on Friday, I would start off in the morning to avoid weekend getaway traffic in the afternoon. Consider driving Coast Hwy. (#1) south of Oxnard, and, if you're interested, see the Getty Villa in Malibu (parking reservations required). After Santa Monica, stay on Hwy. 1* rather than go east on the 10 freeway and south on the 405 freeway because the 405 bends away from RB as it goes south. By that time of day, it will be a slow slog on Hwy. 1/Lincoln Blvd. but about the same as taking the freeway.

* In urban areas, Hwy. #1 changes street names several times: Pacific Coast Highway, Lincoln Blvd., Sepulveda Blvd., PCH, Sepulveda, and back to PCH before you reach Redondo Beach.

>>spend the night in Santa Barbara
Friday 17 - drive to wedding destination hotel in Redondo beach and check out LA<<

Not doable/enjoyable. Just stick to the drive from Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach and forget about "checking anything out" in LA.

Unless you are castle freaks - I would spend more time in the Carmel & big Sur area, and skip Hearst Castle. You are already spending 1/5 to 1/2 the time I consider to be a "minimum" in all the areas on your destination list (1/5 is for San Francisco).

Here are about 2 months worth of stuff to do & see in San Francisco & the Bay Area.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/

Stu Dudley

>>spend the night in Santa Barbara
Friday 17 - drive to wedding destination hotel in Redondo beach and check out LA<<

Not doable/enjoyable. Just stick to the drive from Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach and forget about "checking anything out" in LA.

Unless you are castle freaks - I would spend more time in the Carmel & big Sur area, and skip Hearst Castle. You are already spending 1/5 to 1/2 the time I consider to be a "minimum" in all the areas on your destination list (1/5 is for San Francisco).

Here are about 2 months worth of stuff to do & see in San Francisco & the Bay Area.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/

Stu Dudley

Not doable/enjoyable. Just stick to the drive from Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach and forget about "checking anything out" in LA.

Unless you are castle freaks - I would spend more time in the Carmel & big Sur area, and skip Hearst Castle. You are already spending 1/5 to 1/2 the time I consider to be a "minimum" in all the areas on your destination list (1/5 is for San Francisco).

Here are about 2 months worth of stuff to do & see in San Francisco & the Bay Area.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/

Stu Dudley

Fodors is really hosed up!!!

Stu Dudley

I like Gardyloo’s plan.

Thank you for your advice everyone! I really appreciate it! A trip looks doable on paper but once at the destination is never as anticipated. The feedback from this forum is so valuable in trip planning.

If you find that the drop fee is too much renting at San Francisco and dropping at LAX, you can take the Amtrak Coast Starlight south to SLO or Santa Barbara and rent a car there.
Renting a car away from an airport and returning it where you rented it is usually the best idea.

"Just stick to the drive from Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach and forget about "checking anything out" in LA."

IMO, a stop at the Getty Villa in Malibu is very doable, and the drive along the coast, albeit longer in time, is more enjoyable than the freeway. SB to the Getty along the coast would take about 2 hours, and the Villa opens at 10:00 a.m. Lunch at the cafe on the terrace on a sunny day is very nice. The drive to RB would probably take about 90 minutes depending on how late you leave the Getty and your final destination in Redondo.

Try car rentals through CostcoTravel.com. Last time we rented a car in LA to drop at SFO, there was no penalty.
I'm assuming because cars are moving up and down that state so much, they don't mind doing it.

My only advice (other than "Have fun, it will be a lovely trip") is to make reservations at Hearst Castle in advance. Its a long drive up to the castle to be told there are no tours.

You can't drive up to the castle. The Visitor's Center is right off Hwy 1 and then they bus you up from there. Reservations are a good idea though.