Driving to Monterey
Feb 24th, 2004, 01:26 PM
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Driving to Monterey
We are considering hiring a car from San Francisco to drive to Monterey for the day also hoping to see the trees at Big Basin and get to Carmel. Is this able to be done in a day and is it an easy drive or are we better doing an organized tour. We are from Australia so it will be a new experience driving on the opposite side of the road. If the the answer is yes would it be best to go during a week day instead of a weekend, it will be at the end of August
Feb 24th, 2004, 03:27 PM
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There have been quite a few posts lately on the drive from the City to Monterey; check via the search engine, entering Monterey. You can have a nice day trip going from SF to Carmel, stopping off at Big Basin on the way. You don't need to take a tour--it will be much more fun on your own, and the driving isn't difficult. A week-day would be preferable in terms of crowds; August is vacation time here too. Are you planning to stay overnight in Carmel?
Feb 24th, 2004, 07:25 PM
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Doing Monterey and Big Basin as a daytrip from SF is not really possible. What I would recommend is to spend the night in San Jose and the next morning see Big Basin and then go over to Monterey for the afternoon. The best time to leave SF for San Jose is midday to avoid the traffic. Traffic leaving SF for San Jose in the morning is a real mess. On the weekends traffic is quite variable. Plan on about 1.5 hrs. to San Jose. Big Basin is about 30 minutes from San Jose. I think a weekday would be better so that there are fewer crowds.
Feb 24th, 2004, 07:31 PM
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Oh, I should have suggested a route. The best one would be the scenic 280 freeway to San Jose. From the city take highway 17 south for Big Basin and from there 1 south to Monterey. You will have no problem on highway 17 in the morning leaving the city since traffic is going in the opposite direction.
www.bigbasin.org has specific directions on getting to Big Basin once you exit off of highway 17.
www.bigbasin.org has specific directions on getting to Big Basin once you exit off of highway 17.
Feb 24th, 2004, 08:27 PM
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Thanks for the info. We only have a day so can't stay overnight. Could we just do Monterey and Carmel and then when in SF go to Muir Woods by some other means of transport, missing Big Basin. I had heard that the trees at Big Basin were much better.
