anyazie

Hi, I'm planning a trip to San Fran and planning on driving down the coast to LA. I plan on this taking about 6 hours... but people have been saying it takes 1-2 days minimum??? Is this true? Can someone who has actually driven down the coast and done this tell me exactly how much time it will take? We don't want to take the "boring, highway route". The whole point of driving there in the first place is to drive the beautiful drive that everyone talks about. Please help!!

maria_so

It took us around 3 and 1/2 hours to drive from san francisco to carmel around 3 1/2 hours with some traffic (there's always traffic getting in and out of SF and count on sitting traffic during rush times), cutting over to half moon bay from 280 (so we didn't even start on hwy 1 until we got out of san fran) and this without any stops. From carmel by the sea to LA according to google maps is about 6 hours without traffic, up to 7 hours with (again, no stops but count on slower traffic through big sur and at least one stop to take a photo). From LA to San Diego is another 2 hours no traffic, up to 3 with. If you look it up on google maps, it actually tells you approximate times with and without traffic. Here's a link to google maps: http://tiny.cc/CB1pS

I've done this trip down the coast to santa barbara before and the reverse from san diego to oxnard - the coast will naturally take some time because it is slow going, speed limit is slower, and it's a one lane road. If you get stuck behind someone who is taking their time, count on adding some time there too. You will naturally take your time too because it is INDEED a most beautiful ride but it won't be fun if you're trying to get somewhere and it can get really dangerous driving at night, particularly in big sur area where curves are sharper and one side is a steep drop off to the ocean.

Also plan on hitting some traffic in the bigger cities, especially LA.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, I'm really not. I wish you to have the best time but if you were a little realistic about the times it will take you to drive this, you will most definitely enjoy it more.

I wish you the best of luck.

StuDudley

The "beautiful drive that everyone talks about" is really only from Carmel to San Simeon. Before & after this section, take the "boring, highway route".

Still - it will take longer than 6 hours. On weekends with no traffic & exceeding the speed limit most of the way, it will take 2 1/4 hrs from Union Square in SF to Carmel. Plan on 3 1/2 on weekdays unless you time it perfectly & leave SF around 10am - then it will be 2 1/2 - 2 3/4.

I would not recomend just a "drive-by" for this route.

- Visit Carmel - 3 hours min
- Visit Pt Lobos - 1 1/2 min
- Have late lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur - 1 1/2 hrs
- stop at several vistas along the way
- stay overnight around San Simeon, or slow the trip down a bit, spend more time in Carmel & Pt Lobos, and stay in Carmel.
- I have no idea about how to avoid taffic in LA.

I don't think you can get to mid-LA on the fastest "boring, highway route" in 6 hours.

Stu Dudley

maria_so

on your other post you mention spending 3 days in san fran. can you cut it down to 2 days and like stu said, spend an overnight en route down the coast? that will really buy you some time down that coastal drive and it will definitely be worth it. pch1 is such a beautiful ride.

anyazie

Yes, we have decided to cut down to 2 nights in San Fran, then leave Friday morning for this drive. So you are saying we will need most of the day Friday for this drive then right? We are planning on spending Fri night in LA, then heading out for Vegas on Saturday afternoon.

maria_so

Hi anyazie. Yes, you would need most of that day for this drive. What I would do is head out early so you can stop along the way, maybe have early lunch in monterrey or carmel or late lunch in big sur. there's more choices in either monterrey or carmel, nepenthe at big sur is pretty impressive though, just because of the sight itself although the food was a bit disappointing there. In any case, nepenthe is worth the stop (have some coffee?) if you do decide to take in early lunch in monterrey by the water. cannery row is a nice area to stop or head to the wharf and watch sea otters and seals playing in the water while having some lunch. carmel (by the sea - not the inland one) also has a nice walking area and if you do nothing but head down ocean (perpendicular to hwy1) and dead end at the sea to just see the beach would be good or head about a mile further south before entering big sur territory and take an hour break at point lobos. It's quite beautiful there. Take your time through big sur head out of hwy 1 to get to a freeway if you can right after sunset (so it's safer and faster) then sleep over in LA. You'll much enjoy this more.

maria_so

one must see in big sur (and you can probably do this in 30/45 min if you find parking right away) is stop and see mcway falls. short hike to the viewing spot. it's hte only waterfall that drops at a beach by the ocean in the continental us!

http://www.waterfallswest.com/ca_mcway.html

maria_so

here's a few links to what i mentioned above to help you out:

fisherman's wharf in monterey:
http://www.montereywharf.com/

cannery row in monterey:
http://www.canneryrow.com/

carmel by the sea:
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/

(the village corner is my favorite restaurant and make a point to eat there each time I visit! this site has a few videos that help to tell a bit about the little town.)

Point Lobos:
http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/Information.htm

Nepenthe:
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

StuDudley

I don't understand.... You said you were cutting San Francisco by 1 day, but still trying to make the coast trip a 1 day event. Everyone suggested that you stay overnight somewhere on the Coast.

I don't know what LA is like on a Friday night (getaway day), but on Friday night in San Francisco, we usually have our worst traffic of the week.

Don't rush the dirve - it's specacular. I also think you're rushing San Francisco.

BTW, up north here, it's called the Cabrillo Highway - hot PCH. I think PCH only goes as far north as Santa Barbara.

Stu Dudley

maria_so

i didn't know that stu! all this time when we go there, we kept saying PCH and everyone just seemed to know what we were talking about. I guess they knew we weren't local...

yeah, why i said after big sur to cut off to the hwy (maybe from cambria up to paso robles then down on I-5). Still getting in LA quite late and I would expect LA has worse traffic than friday night in SF.

dmlove

FWIW, the fastest time we have ever made from Burlingame to Hollywood is 5 hours and 15 minutes and that was going the fastest, most boring route possible, and leaving home at 5:30 a.m.

anyazie

Hi, Maria. Thank you so much for all of the information. I really appreciate it and will def make it a point to check some of those places out. Thanks again to all of you!

- Aisha

Pildredge

If you want to do this in 6 hours, you must take 101 and don't stop but once for a restroom break.

101 is still fairly scenic compared with hwy1.

I have done 101 from SF to LA in 7 hours 100 times, and this is realistic.

easytraveler

I'm with Stu on this one. Seems like anyazie is anxious to get to LAs Vegas. if that's the case, then skip the beautiful drive because you'll need to go 60 miles an hour on a road designed for 40 mph.

I've driven the Highway 1 route many, many times. I've also driven dmlove's route many many times. The first route is for tourists, the second route is for business.

Last weekend, on the drive back from San Diego, it was almost bumper to bumper big trucks on I-5. It was IMPOSSIBLE to go more than an average of 55-60 mph over the length of the trip. It took over an hour more than my usual time to get back.

anyazie: i think you need to factor in what "old hands" like Stu Dudley and "locals" like dmlove say.

What they are telling you is: you need to plan on at least an overnight stay if you are planning on driving the "beautiful route". Or, they are suggesting that it will take you a minimum of 6 1/2 hours to get from SF to LA (hitting the downslope from the Tehachapis to the first LA towns like Valencia) WITHOUT traffic.

LA driving, depending on where you are going, is going to involve getting into bumper to bumper traffic no matter what time of day or night, except in the wee hours of the morning.

This is not like driving parts of the West, like New Mexico where you can go 75 mph and the only living thing you'll likely to meet is a roadrunner!

Do try to adjust your schedule to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the California coast! have a good trip!

StuDudley

>>101 is still fairly scenic compared with hwy1.<<

Explain that please to the OP. I would agree that 101 is fairly scenic compared to 5.

Stu Dudley

Pildredge

Stu, I would describe 101 as extremely scenic compared with I-5.

I meant there is still plenty to see on 101 if not as scenic as hwy 1.

The OP seems to have a schedule to make.

happytrailstoyou

We like to drive from San Francisco through Half Moon Bay to Carmel and then through Big Sur to Cambria for the night.

This makes a good drive, and Cambria is a great place to spend the night.

The next day it is an easy drive into Malibu.

Of course, this does not allow much time for the many things there are to see and do along the way. In the past, we have spent three, four, or more days on this same route--sightseeing along the way.

Driving San Francisco, Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria, LA is about 450 miles and over 8 hours of driving.

Highway 101 is quite beautiful in the spring (but it isn't the coast).

Pildredge

Maybe 375.