travelsandy

Is a one day road trip from S.F. to L.A too far and we need to visit a closer city to S.F instead of L.A. ? What is the speed limit on the Coastal Hwy from S.F to L.A. ? and approx. how many hrs does this drive take during the week ? We also want to enjoy the scenic hwy,shops, ice cream stops etc.... Any other city suggestions instead of L.A. is appreciated. TY

saps

What is a one day road trip???

Is it...

Day 1 - Drive to LA
Day 2 - Visit LA
Day 3 - Drive to SF

If it is Drive to LA and visit LA all in one day then (in my opinion) that is crazy

SF to LA is at a minimum 6-7 hour drive and that is not along Hwy 1. If you plan to do the coastal Hwy 1 then it is more like a 10 hour trip without many stops.

I guess it depends on your priorities and how long you are visiting for. I personally would not want to do it (although I have done the one day turn around but not for vacation).

If you really want to get out of SF then I might suggest Monterey and Carmel (about 2.5 hours from SF).

rjw_lgb_ca

This subject comes up on this board constantly. Realistically, the only way to drive from SF to LA in one day is on Interstate 5 through the Central Valley. A hot drive-- figure on a minimum of six hours (non-stop except for fuel). It's roughly 400 miles on that route (did you figure on LA being that far from SF?!).

CA-1 meanders down the California coast, adding quite a bit of mileage to the drive. Given some slow patches, other tourists gawking at the starkly gorgeous views, etc., figure on 12-14 hours on the road. That is, this is a drive best stretched over three or four days.

Within 120 miles of SF are both Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. I'd go there.

janisj

On the scenic route (hwy1) speed limit isn't even an issue -- you probably couldn't average the nominal speed limit anyway since a lot of it is white knuckle.

What exactly do you mean? A 1 day to drive to LA and then stay there a few days? 1 day down to LA and the next day back to SF? Or a 1 day round trip SF to SF?

In any case - none of them make sense driving hwy1.

mlgb

About 10 hours with minimal stops. This assumes you do not run into rushhour traffic at either end.

suze

It's ~10 hours from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

trippinkpj

If you go 101/ Hwy 1 combo, I'd do an overnight stop in the Pismo Beach to Cambria region.

TravelTess

Is this a joke? Come on...you aren't serious, are you?

Surfergirl

Yes it is too far and after Big Sur, there's not a lot of shops or ice cream stops for a great long way. Yes, it is a scenic highway, but when you question the speed limit, I question whether that's your primary goal. It's generally 55, but will you be traveling 55 all the way down? No, not unless you are thinking of all the way down off a cliff.

I have a suggestion for you. If you want to see the coast, and you have a day, take it down from San Francisco to Big Sur and back. That will give you a wonderful taste of the Coastal Hwy and the true beauty of Northern California.

amberkat

We are planning on driving from SF to LA also. We were going to stop in Carmel for 1 night & hang out there for at least 1/2 day (the day we get there or the next morning) and then continue driving south. I would also like to see the Hearst Castle. Maybe it would be more practical to plan on spending the night in Big Sur? How long should we allow for the Hearst Castle? Could we leave Big Sur, tour the castle and drive to LA in one day?

travelsandy

Thank you all very much for this valueable info !! - we will plan to visit another city instead of L.A.