driving from san diego to los angeles
Feb 28th, 2002, 11:44 AM
#1
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driving from san diego to los angeles
could someone please help me the driving from san diego to los angeles this friday morning. we will be flying into sd in the morning and renting a car and driving to los angeles for a funeral on saturday morning. what is the most scenic route and how long would it take. will make several stops along the way. all help will be so much appreciated. would like to drive the coast. thanks again.
ann
ann
Feb 28th, 2002, 12:33 PM
#2
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If you were to drive on the freeway all the way from the SD airport to Los Angeles, the driving time would be about 3 hours depending on traffic. If you do a partial coastal route, it could take you double the time.
For a scenic coastal route, start up the 5 freeway and take the Torrey Pines Rd exit west. Stay on Torrey Pines Rd in a north direction and you will end up on the pacific coast highway in Del Mar. You can stay on PCH for a long time going north through many small coastal towns. When you reach Oceanside, you need to cut back over to the 5 Freeway to continue North. After you go through Camp Pendelton and San Clemente, there will be an exit for Dana Point and Coastal Cities. You can take that exit and continue North (I think its PCh again) up through Dana Point and into Laguna Beach. A nice rest stop would be the Ritz Carlton hotel in Laguna Niguel which is a very short distance after you leave Dana Point. It is on the left and easy to miss but worth a visit. Laguna Beach is also a nice place to stop. This is a far as I can take you on the coastal roads as I would then work your way back to the 5 Freeway and then take the 405 to stay nearer the coast. But there are other ways from here into Newport Beach and such. Hope this helps.
For a scenic coastal route, start up the 5 freeway and take the Torrey Pines Rd exit west. Stay on Torrey Pines Rd in a north direction and you will end up on the pacific coast highway in Del Mar. You can stay on PCH for a long time going north through many small coastal towns. When you reach Oceanside, you need to cut back over to the 5 Freeway to continue North. After you go through Camp Pendelton and San Clemente, there will be an exit for Dana Point and Coastal Cities. You can take that exit and continue North (I think its PCh again) up through Dana Point and into Laguna Beach. A nice rest stop would be the Ritz Carlton hotel in Laguna Niguel which is a very short distance after you leave Dana Point. It is on the left and easy to miss but worth a visit. Laguna Beach is also a nice place to stop. This is a far as I can take you on the coastal roads as I would then work your way back to the 5 Freeway and then take the 405 to stay nearer the coast. But there are other ways from here into Newport Beach and such. Hope this helps.
Feb 28th, 2002, 02:36 PM
#4
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A few things that might be of interest: you have to valet park at the Ritz Carlton and it can be pretty costly just for an hour of wandering around. And the dining room is very expensive. The route that you were advised of will be scenic, but will take up most of your day.
Feb 28th, 2002, 02:45 PM
#5
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I would stop instead in Laguna Beach. Lots of little restaurants for lunch and a brief walk on the beach. It is PCH there, but locally they call it South Coast Highway and North Coast Highway with the dividing line just about the little town of Laguna Beach. Think that's a nice drive up, but a lot depends on where you're going in LA as to where you want to cut back over to the 5. To end up in Pasadena/ San Gabriel Valley you'll want to head up the 710, to get to the San Fernando Valley take 110 to the 101 or stay on 5 to the 405 if you're going to the far Valley like Encino or Thousand Oaks.
