Driving Los Angeles to Grand Canyon
 

Dear.

I´m going to rent a car around 5 p.m in LAX and would like to drive to near Grand Canyon.

What about the route, its good for a 7 hours drive for 2 persons? i would like to sleep in Willians, AZ.

Many tnks.
Mr Juliano

That's the peak of LA rush hour so there is no "fast" route. Of the many possible routes I'd probably take the 405 to the 5 to the 210 and across to I-15 and connect with I-40 in Barstow for the trip to Williams. With good conditions it is about a 7 hour drive, but expect it to take longer starting at that time of day.

105 to 605 to 210 to 15 to 40

May I suggest that you spend the night in the LA area and drive the next day.
You will be passing through some scenic areas at night and you will be dead tired when you arrive in Williams, It is also likely that you will spend the first two hours sitting in traffic.

I second logandog's recommendation, especially if you've just flown into LAX. There is a section of I-40 between Barstow and Needles that is two hours of *nothing*. It's really easy to get sleepy, and you wouldn't want to get into an accident.

At most, I would drive to Barstow or maybe Victorville your first day, get a good night's sleep, then head to Williams the next day.

Lee Ann

I´m really looking a way to arrive in Grand Canyon in the time to make a good tour around it.

i was planning in stop and sleep around 200 miles from LA and get up early to arrive in Canyon early as possible.

My wife can drive too, so i think that she could helps me.

after canyon i´m going to Levas, so i can sleep in Williams and drive to Vegas in Morning.

Some tips?

Many tnks again,
Juliano.

The best tip so far is NOT to drive out of LAX at 5pm - unless it's a weekend. Traffic is extremely heavy, a lot of stopping and very little going, so you're really better off getting something to eat at the airport and getting a bit of rest, THEN rent the car at a later hour, say, around 7pm. Traffic will still be heavy then, but much more manageable. You are really not saving time by starting out at 5pm. If your plan is to arrive in Williams at midnight, then you will not be able to make it.

The best place to stop, if you want to stop at midnight is Kingman, Arizona. This will place you with about a 3 hour drive the next day to the Grand Canyon.

Otherwise, start out from LAX at 7pm and get into Williams about 2 or 3am in the morning.

Whatever you do, please don't start out from LAX at 5pm!

My plan is to start around 7 p.m. I will arrive around 4 pm. in a flight from Mexico, so i think that i´ll lose around 2 hours pass trough Immigration, luggage's areas and Alamo.

Is it easy to get a motel or hostel near Kingman without reservation?

tnks again.

I would think there would be rooms available in Kingman. There are many motels close to I-40 and some older motels,not luxury, left from the route 66 days in downtown.

Tnks.. Now i´m going to get the newest maps to my GPS and relax for this nice trip..

Do you guys have some route to get out from LA or there is just one way?

While I am one to say - go for it!! - I think you are getting some good advice about chilling at the airport for a couple hours - having something to eat - and then picking up the car and heading out after 7 PM to avoid most of the rush hour traffic.

If you did get as far as Barstow - or if you are feeling spry and keep going to say Kingman - that's doing pretty good and the next day - it's a relatively short shot into the GC.

see: http://www.travelmath.com/driving-ti...o/Grand+Canyon

BTW - I always - repeat - always recommend you carry some old fashioned paper maps too - just in case the GPS malfunctions -which has happened to travelers.

Here is the Mapquest page - http://www.mapquest.com/ and enter Los Angeles Airport and Grand Canyon for a detailed route.

Basically - you head east on the 105 - eventually taking the 15 north - and then hooking up with the 40 east.

Many tnks my friend. i prefer paper maps than gps, in some place in Brazil GPS isn't works very well, so always have a good map in my hands to help me.

This week i´m going to figure out every route near Los Angeles.

see ya.

Would be: 105 East to 605 North to 210 East to 15 North to 40 East to Williams.

What day of the week? You can fly LAX to Las Vegas for $60 each way. It is a little over 3 hours from Las Vegas to Williams.

The rental cars are much cheaper in Las Vegas. If you do rent at LAX drive no farther than Primm to stay at Buffalo Bill's.
Primm is exit 1 in Nevada. It is better than anything in Victorville, Barstow or Baker.
I take it that you are coming from overseas and have to clear customs at LAX.

You'll be driving through quite a bit of desert, so ask for a car with low mileage. I once had a rental car break down in New Mexico out in the middle of nowhere - it's really no fun. Besides which, you'll be traveling at night.

Have a good flashlight, bring sufficient water, and some sunscreen. You may want to have a hat and some sunglasses also. Wear sturdy shoes.

Always have at least a quarter tank of gas - there aren't that many gas stations out in the desert.

Have a great trip! :)

Good advice to always be prepared when driving longer distances. We always take a small cooler - which we load with water/beverages/snacks/ice - and keep in the back seat - under a couple towels (sweat shirts, whatnot) - to not only further insulate it - but keep it quiet while driving. I would suggest you look for a large grocery store near LAX to load up with the essentials - which you will also enjoy the rest of your trip. Also suggest you get some triple antibiotic cream to put on if you get a scratch/cut. Sometimes - the drier desert type air can encourage infections.

And I don't like to get much below a half of a tank of gas, although there are usually gas stations along the freeways. In the more remote areas - plan accordingly.

With the good mileage cars get today - you can probably average 25 mpg (US miles per gallon - not Kilometers per Liter :) ) - and go some 200 miles before getting very much into the lower half of the tank.

Also good advice to check the mileage on the rental car. The major rental car companies usually have a newer fleet - but sometimes you never know when you might draw one with more miles.

And here is the website I always first check when renting a car: www.carrentals.com,

I agree with tomfuller, get an inexpensive flight to/from LA to Las Vegas, get your inexpensive rental car in Vegas (the difference in cost of car and gas may be the same as the cost of the flight) find an inexpensive hotel in Henderson and head to Grand Canyon in the morning. This makes much more sense, since you are planning to come to Vegas after GC.

Have a great trip.

Uhh Many tnks for the tips.

I did my rent reservation last week, so it´s late to try get a car in Vegas.

My plan is to stay 1 full day in Canyon, sleep near Williams, get up early and drive to Vegas, stay 3 days, after Vegas drive to San Francisco pass-through Death Valley and Yosemite.

I´m going to take some notes with this informations.

many tnks again.

Unless you pre-paid for the rental car then it is not too late.

Here is another option. After flying to Las Vegas, take an airplane or bus tour to the South Rim (not the West Rim and not a helicopter). These are available for same-day or overnight trips.

The same-day flight tour would be something like: pickup at your hotel, 6AM flight to GCY, bus tour with a few stops on the South Rim, then the 45-minute flight returning to LV at around 2PM. No need for a car rental until the day you leave LV. Another option would be to fly from Las Vegas to Fresno, but the fare is about $140 and up for the one-way and that would mean skipping Death Valley.

Even if you already have a car reservation - check www.carrentals.com and see if they have something that will beat it. :)

If you are going to turn the car in - after you get to SF - also check on the drop off chargres.

Or - if you have time - drive back down the Coast/Hiway 1.

BTW - IMO - if you miss Death Valley - you ain't missed much.

Coast Hiway 1 is in my plan, SF to Los Angeles.

What´s the fast route from Vegas to São francisco? If i lose time i wont pass in Deah Valley or near Yosemite. just drive directly to SF

What´s the best route to San Francisco from Vegas? i´m planning to pass near Yosemite to take some pictures, is it a good idea?

"Best" is a bit relative.

Certainly the most scenic route is going through Death Valley to Highway 395 and driving north on the east side of the Sierra Mountains, then cross the mountains through Yosemite and catch Interstate 80 towards San Francisco. In this stretch, you will have the heavy traffic from Yosemite to San Francisco, i.e., traffic hour, to worry about.

Another route, if you have plenty of time, is to bypass the Sierras to the south, go through more parkland, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and then up north to SF.

If you are in a hurry, the best way is, again,to bypass the mountains to the south, get to Bakersfield, cross over from Bakersfield to Interstate 5 and then north to SF.

Not sure how much time you have but you might consider spending a night at the Valley Floor in Yosemite (4 hours from SF - assuming you don't get caught in traffic) - and then bright and early the next morning - drive east out through Tuoloumne Meadows - down the Tioga pass and down 395 and then over thru Death Valley into Vegas.

We did this in 8 hours - even stopping for breakfast at Tuolumne meadows. Be sure to take extra water (and some snacks) with you going through Death Valley - should your car by chance break down.

Tnks..

i wanna travel the entire day and pass through beautiful places, but i need save some time to try arrive SF early as possible.

i´m planning to get up early in Vegas and sleep in SF, i really dont know if its possible, my wife and i will drive.

tnks
Juliano.

Hey guys, just thinking about about change my rental plans and get a flight from Vegas to SF.

It´s a good idea? i would like to get this 1 day that i will spend in the route (Vegas to SF around 12 hours) and use in San Francisco, get a flight in Vegas to SF and dont travel by car.

What do you guys prefer, 1 day travelling trought Death Vallet and Yosemite (just pass) or flight and 1 more day in San Francisco?

many tnks.
Juliano.

Flying is a great idea.

Lee Ann

Like Yosemite but it's much easier to access from SF - 4 hrs. :)

Given those choices I would definitely fly.

But what I would prefer would be to fly Las Vegas to Fresno, drive to Yosemite and spend at least one night, preferrably two or more nights, there at the expense of nights in SF. That is what I did (after flying LAX-LAS and Vegas to Grand Canyon and before flying SFO->LAX), but I didn't have to cut time from SF.

But if your priority is San Francisco then flying LAS-SFO or LAS-Oakland or LAS-San Jose. Those flight route options are listed in order, by my preference, but the choice would depend on cost and schedule.

I'm in a situation similar to Juliano. I and my family (4) will arrive Saturday, 19 of August, to LA airport at 16:00 from Europe (11 hours flight).
I assume that customs, getting the car, etc. will take up to two hours.
I already reserved the lodge in Grand Canyon the 20 of august.
So our plans is to rent a car and sleep some place in the middle.
Flying to Las Vegas for four people is more expensive than car rental and gas, and then, the travel from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon the next day is four hours so I don't see a real advantage.
I though about sleeping in Kingman, but is more than four hours from LA so we would arrive very late.
So, is there any decent place in the middle to sleep? Barstow? any other?
Any other recommendation?

If you must fly to LAX, don't stay in Barstow! Go at least as far as Primm Nevada (Exit 1). Buffalo Bill's is better than anything in Barstow.
Can you fly to Chicago or some other city and then fly to Las Vegas or Phoenix?
Your best option IMO for lodging between Las Vegas and Williams is at the Hoover Dam Lodge (about 2 miles from Hoover Dam).
Start a new thread if you have more questions.

mundofer. This thread is more than 4 years old -- do start a new one of your own.

Oh - I now see you did :) -- I'll post on that one.