california trip
 

Hello everyone!!

Want to make a trip to california from Puerto Rico....places I want to visit (if possible):
San Francisco Area......golden gate, embarcadero
Los Angeles Area.....Hollywood, universal city
Anaheim...disneyland
Mountains....yosemite, lake tahoe

any suggested airport arrival, route and departure???

How many days will you have (you'd need about 2 weeks to do all of that)?

I just have one week!! If this is the case I would prefer to stay in the coast (anaheim, los angeles and san francisco)

Are you planning to rent a car while in Southern Calif??

Stu Dudley

With only one week, I'd suggest you do either San Francisco/Monterey, or Anaheim/Los Angeles or San Diego. It really depends what your interests are. The former would be a more urban/coastal experience (you could spend 3-4 days in San Francisco, then drive down to Monterey, and even have one day to drive the spectacular coastline south of Monterey). The latter would be more theme park/beach, with some sites thrown in.

"<i>I just have one week!! If this is the case I would prefer to stay in the coast (anaheim, los angeles and san francisco)"</i>

Cutting out the mountains doesn't really solve the problem. As sf7307 says, with just one week you will do better wither EITHER northern California - or - southern California.

San Francisco and the coast and <i>maybe</i> a day/night at Lake Tahoe - <B>or</B> - Los Angeles and Anaheim and maybe a day or 2 in San Diego.

thanks!! Stu, i do plan to rent a car..

You did not say what month or season. For a whirlwind tour of California in the summer my plan would be to fly to Sacramento and rent a car. From there take I-80 to Lake Tahoe.
From Tahoe/Carson City head south on US 395 to Lee Vining and take the Tioga Pass into Yosemite. From Yosemite head west to either San Francisco or Monterey. You don't have time for both. Head back to Sacramento and turn in the car and fly to southern California for the rest of your time. LAX or San Diego for your flight home.

march or april period.....

You won't be able to do the route tomfuller suggests since the mountain highway across the Sierra (Tioga Pass) will be closed due to snow.

ohh...so sad because it looked good!!!

What you have mentioned is all good. So, don't be that disappointed. As others have said, don't try to see to much at one time.

You really can't go wrong with either of sf7307 options

I would think flying into LAX would be fine. I would think you could catch a flight into the 1 of the 3 airports near San Francisco. San Francisco, San Jose, or Oakland.

>> flight into the 1 of the 3 airports near San Francisco. San Francisco, San Jose, or Oakland.<<

But getting TO San Francisco from Oakland or San Jose is a little more complicated. I assume the OP will not have a car in San Francisco.

Sty Dudley

Why not see all you can in one week? If you fly into LA - check out LA for a day or two - and then drive/head up the Coast/Hiway 1 (hey - you can drive all the way to SF in a day if you had to) - and take a couple days enroute (plenty of other posts in here under California on what to see/do) and then wind up in San Francisco.

Easy.

BTW - once in SF - if you still have a yearn to see the mountains/Lake Tahoe - you can also drive up there and back in a day - or spend a night - weather permitting of course.

>>Why not see all you can in one week?<<

If "seeing" is your thing, then go ahead. If you want to "experience and enjoy" - then perhaps spend more time in fewer locations. Follow sf7307 & Janisj's suggestion - Northern Calif or Southern Calf. Tahoe area could be snowed in - it was last year when we were there at the same time of year you're planning to visit.

Stu Dudley

"<i>Coast/Hiway 1 (hey - you can drive all the way to SF in a day if you had to) </i>"

Sure you could -- but it takes 9+ hours without a single stop (not for gas, food, photos, a walk on a beach - nothing). To most that would be a AWFUL trek in one day. It is really a two FULL day drive and 3 is better. But some don't care if they actually stop and <i>see</i> anything.

Here again - different strokes for different folks.

I again suggest that on a first trip - one can survey quite a bit - and then come back to spend more time in areas they choose - but for somebody's first time in California - if they could visit the two largest cities (SF and LA -which are quite different) and spend a couple days driving the coast - super.

Only said it could be driven in one day so they would know it's not that far. In fact, my wife, sister and niece and her boy friend just finsihed driving from here(SD)over the Grapevine (I-5 as you know), through some snow even - and will be in Saratoga (South Bay - SF) for dinner. :)

And for the visitor - it rarely - if ever - snows on the Coast hiway.

>> in California - if they could visit the two largest cities (SF and LA<<

Nope - to visit the 2 largest cities in Calif they would stay in Southern Calif. If they wanted to visit the 3rd largest city - they could fly into San Jose & visit San Jose. SF is 4th largest.

Stu Dudley