December in LA , san diego and san francisco in 10 days
Jul 9th, 2004, 07:47 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
December in LA , san diego and san francisco in 10 days
my husband and I plan to take our 3 sons aged 4, 6 and 12 LA in December. Currently planning for our trip but would appreciate any help in planning my itinerary.
1) I will be staying at Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland from 20th to 25th Dec. I wonder whether we need so many nights(5) there. Is 2 days enough? 2) is it really nice to spend christmas at disneyland? 3) Upon checking out I would like to visit universal studio. Do I need to move to a hotel close by? Is one night enough if I stay near U. Studio?
4)The next stop I want to go is Legoland and seaworld. Where should I stay for easy access to both places? How many nights should I stay there for both attractions?
5)Since our flight out of US departs from san francisco we would have to either drive from san diego or fly there. How long does it take to drive from san diego to san francisco? we will spend a few days there before leaving.
Thanks for all your help
1) I will be staying at Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland from 20th to 25th Dec. I wonder whether we need so many nights(5) there. Is 2 days enough? 2) is it really nice to spend christmas at disneyland? 3) Upon checking out I would like to visit universal studio. Do I need to move to a hotel close by? Is one night enough if I stay near U. Studio?
4)The next stop I want to go is Legoland and seaworld. Where should I stay for easy access to both places? How many nights should I stay there for both attractions?
5)Since our flight out of US departs from san francisco we would have to either drive from san diego or fly there. How long does it take to drive from san diego to san francisco? we will spend a few days there before leaving.
Thanks for all your help
Jul 9th, 2004, 08:08 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From SD to SF, there are three basic routes you can take.
The quickest is up I5, which takes you through the central valley once you get north of LA. You would then cut back to the coast around Tracy on Hwy 580. There are a couple drawbacks to this route, the main one being that it is boring and not very scenic once you get north of LA. The other drawback is that in the winter time, this route is prone to heavy fog. This route should take about 8 hours.
The next route would be I5 to LA and then Hwy 101 from LA to SF. At San Jose, you could transfer over to Hwy 280 and take that into SF. Hwy 280 is a much nicer road than Hwy 101 from SJ to SF. Hwy 101 wont be as fast as I5, but it will be more scenic and isn't as prone to winter fog, so it's a nicer drive. I'd say 9-10 hours for this route.
The third route, which is the best with respect to scenery is Hwy 1. You would take I5 to LA, Hwy 101 to San Luis Obispo, and then Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, you can either continue on Hwy 1 or take Hwy 17 over to San Jose and then Hwy 280 into SF. This route takes a lot longer because it follows the coast, but if you have the time, it is definitely worth it. The only problem is that this is not a good road to be on when there are storms and sometimes it closes in the wintertime. If we have a dry winter, then I would absolutely recommend this route if you have the time. You should plan on spending 2 nights on the road to break up the trip.
So, if you have the time, I would play it a bit by ear and see what the weather and road conditions are like. I would make reservations to spend the 1st night on the road from SD to SF in Santa Barbara and then the second night in Monterey. This way, if the weather is good and Hwy 1 is open, you can take that route. It is absolutely spectacular. If it isn't open, you can take Hwy 101 and have a little time to explore Monterey before heading up to SF.
Otherwise, if you don't have the time to take Hwy 1, I would do the I5 to LA, Hwy 101 to SF route.
The quickest is up I5, which takes you through the central valley once you get north of LA. You would then cut back to the coast around Tracy on Hwy 580. There are a couple drawbacks to this route, the main one being that it is boring and not very scenic once you get north of LA. The other drawback is that in the winter time, this route is prone to heavy fog. This route should take about 8 hours.
The next route would be I5 to LA and then Hwy 101 from LA to SF. At San Jose, you could transfer over to Hwy 280 and take that into SF. Hwy 280 is a much nicer road than Hwy 101 from SJ to SF. Hwy 101 wont be as fast as I5, but it will be more scenic and isn't as prone to winter fog, so it's a nicer drive. I'd say 9-10 hours for this route.
The third route, which is the best with respect to scenery is Hwy 1. You would take I5 to LA, Hwy 101 to San Luis Obispo, and then Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, you can either continue on Hwy 1 or take Hwy 17 over to San Jose and then Hwy 280 into SF. This route takes a lot longer because it follows the coast, but if you have the time, it is definitely worth it. The only problem is that this is not a good road to be on when there are storms and sometimes it closes in the wintertime. If we have a dry winter, then I would absolutely recommend this route if you have the time. You should plan on spending 2 nights on the road to break up the trip.
So, if you have the time, I would play it a bit by ear and see what the weather and road conditions are like. I would make reservations to spend the 1st night on the road from SD to SF in Santa Barbara and then the second night in Monterey. This way, if the weather is good and Hwy 1 is open, you can take that route. It is absolutely spectacular. If it isn't open, you can take Hwy 101 and have a little time to explore Monterey before heading up to SF.
Otherwise, if you don't have the time to take Hwy 1, I would do the I5 to LA, Hwy 101 to SF route.
Jul 9th, 2004, 08:28 AM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,379
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here are my thoughts on the LA-SD portion of the trip:
1. Nice hotel in pretty awful city (Anaheim is a hole outside of the immediate Disneyland area). Personally, I'd spend three nights somewhere else (just about anywhere else), then the last two nights in the LA area at the Grand Californian. How about Laguna or Newport Beach, if you don't want to be in the "LA" area itself? If you do, I'd stay either in Santa Monica or Beverly Hills.
2. Xmas should be a lot of fun at Disneyland.
3. Universal Studios can be easily done in a day (it's a theme park stapled to a working movie studio, but the Warners Brothers tour is a much better movie studio tour). There's a pretty good Sheraton not far away from the studio (the area is actually called Universal City), but the drive down to San Diego would be less than 3 hours, so you could make a long day out of it and just head to SD.
4. Legoland is in Carlsbad, about 30 minutes north of SD. I'd just stay in SD (Mission Beach, maybe, or Old Town) and drive up the I-5 for that park. SD's a great town, and SeaWorld and Legoland are just icing on the cake IMHO.
5. J_Correa's drive times SD-SF are accurate (hi, J!). I'm one of those who hates to drive more than 2 hours, so I'd fly. But that's me. Flights up to the Bay Area are cheap from all southern CA airports (SAN, LAX, SNA, LGB, BUR, ONT), but for five people....
Happy planning!
1. Nice hotel in pretty awful city (Anaheim is a hole outside of the immediate Disneyland area). Personally, I'd spend three nights somewhere else (just about anywhere else), then the last two nights in the LA area at the Grand Californian. How about Laguna or Newport Beach, if you don't want to be in the "LA" area itself? If you do, I'd stay either in Santa Monica or Beverly Hills.
2. Xmas should be a lot of fun at Disneyland.
3. Universal Studios can be easily done in a day (it's a theme park stapled to a working movie studio, but the Warners Brothers tour is a much better movie studio tour). There's a pretty good Sheraton not far away from the studio (the area is actually called Universal City), but the drive down to San Diego would be less than 3 hours, so you could make a long day out of it and just head to SD.
4. Legoland is in Carlsbad, about 30 minutes north of SD. I'd just stay in SD (Mission Beach, maybe, or Old Town) and drive up the I-5 for that park. SD's a great town, and SeaWorld and Legoland are just icing on the cake IMHO.
5. J_Correa's drive times SD-SF are accurate (hi, J!). I'm one of those who hates to drive more than 2 hours, so I'd fly. But that's me. Flights up to the Bay Area are cheap from all southern CA airports (SAN, LAX, SNA, LGB, BUR, ONT), but for five people....
Happy planning!
Jul 9th, 2004, 05:39 PM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, having live my entire life in LA, I never thought it would be the busiest day of the year either, until I decided to go there one Christmas. I have been told their busiest days are Christmas day through New Year's eve and the 4th of July.
Jul 10th, 2004, 01:17 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your prompt reply. To finetune my trip I need further assistance from you. Say if I want to make my way from SD to SF:
1)In SD should I base myself for 3 nights in La Jolla and visit Legoland, Seaworld and some other attractions? (please suggeset) Is La Jolla more fun for the kids or SD? I have been to La Jolla once many years ago and my impression is that it is a beach town. Correct me if I am wrong.
2)After SD I will move on to LA for Universal Studio and Disneyland. Where should I stay first? LA or Disneyland before proceeding north to SF. For Disneyland I plan 2 nights. LA another 2 nights at Beverly Hills or Universal City Sheraton?
1)In SD should I base myself for 3 nights in La Jolla and visit Legoland, Seaworld and some other attractions? (please suggeset) Is La Jolla more fun for the kids or SD? I have been to La Jolla once many years ago and my impression is that it is a beach town. Correct me if I am wrong.
2)After SD I will move on to LA for Universal Studio and Disneyland. Where should I stay first? LA or Disneyland before proceeding north to SF. For Disneyland I plan 2 nights. LA another 2 nights at Beverly Hills or Universal City Sheraton?
Jul 10th, 2004, 01:22 AM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your prompt reply. To finetune my trip I need further assistance from you. Say if I want to make my way from SD to SF:
1)In SD should I base myself for 3 nights in La Jolla and visit Legoland, Seaworld and some other attractions? (please suggeset) Is La Jolla more fun for the kids or SD? I have been to La Jolla once many years ago and my impression is that it is a beach town. Correct me if I am wrong.
2)After SD I will move on to LA for Universal Studio and Disneyland. Where should I stay first? LA or Disneyland before proceeding north to SF. For Disneyland I plan 2 nights. LA another 2 nights at Beverly Hills or Universal City Sheraton? Is there a Warner Bros studio there as suggested? Wonder if the Universal studio is open for Christmas and boxing day. I think spending the 23rd and 24th night at Disney would be fun for the kids. I am thinking of leaving on 25th. Should I do LA first or Disneyland first before proceeding to SF?
Thanks so much again
1)In SD should I base myself for 3 nights in La Jolla and visit Legoland, Seaworld and some other attractions? (please suggeset) Is La Jolla more fun for the kids or SD? I have been to La Jolla once many years ago and my impression is that it is a beach town. Correct me if I am wrong.
2)After SD I will move on to LA for Universal Studio and Disneyland. Where should I stay first? LA or Disneyland before proceeding north to SF. For Disneyland I plan 2 nights. LA another 2 nights at Beverly Hills or Universal City Sheraton? Is there a Warner Bros studio there as suggested? Wonder if the Universal studio is open for Christmas and boxing day. I think spending the 23rd and 24th night at Disney would be fun for the kids. I am thinking of leaving on 25th. Should I do LA first or Disneyland first before proceeding to SF?
Thanks so much again
Jul 10th, 2004, 05:03 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,265
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The SD Zoo and SD Wild Animal Park are also fun for kids. However, please note that at all the attractions you have mentioned, there will be a lot of standing in lines (especially during the busy holiday week) and a lot of walking. It may be overly ambitious to expect your 4 & 6 year-olds to keep up your pace of a different theme park every day. You may be wise to schedule in some "down time" in between.
Disneyland is between SD and LA, so it makes sense to make that your 2nd stop.
We don't officially celebrate "Boxing Day" in the US. You can go onto the web sites of all the places you listed and find out their open hours and dates.
Hope you have a great trip! (I'm exhausted just reading your itinerary!)
Disneyland is between SD and LA, so it makes sense to make that your 2nd stop.
We don't officially celebrate "Boxing Day" in the US. You can go onto the web sites of all the places you listed and find out their open hours and dates.
Hope you have a great trip! (I'm exhausted just reading your itinerary!)
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Carocamarasa
United States
20
Nov 29th, 2011 04:12 PM
