HI, my son and I (13 yrs) are driving from Grand Canyon to Los Angeles in an RV, can anyone suggest a good place to stop for one night - I saw Lake Havasu on the map - any thoughts? Thanks

Circus Circus has the only RV park on the LV Strip. http://www.circuscircus.com/las_vega.../rv_park.aspx/
For less amenities, there is free RV parking behind Buffalo Bill's in Primm. Buffalo Bill's has a great roller coaster for your son.

Thanks tomfuller, I will look at the link and definately check out the rollercoaster

Make sure you have AAA membership and sign up for the added "Plus" benefit which will come and help you even when you are 100 miles from nowhere. If it's just you and a 13 year old, you don't want to be faced with changing a flat tire in 105 degree heat, or an overheated RV. Have you done the math regarding the cost of fuel from Grand Canyon to Los Angeles then up to San Francisco? Or, on your other thread I thought you said you were driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

What's the story, really?

Hi tracys2cents
We fly to San Francisco and stay for three days, we are returning from Los angeles, so the plan was to drive from sf to la then to las Vegas, grand canyon and back to Los Angeles. So I have a couple of questions on various parts of the route. Here is my plan so far

San Francisco 3 nights
Big sur or pismo beach 1night
Los Angeles 3 nights
Las Vegas 2nights
Grand canyon 2 nights
One night on route to la
Fly home from la

Thanks for your advice re aaa will definitely do that, many thanks

If you have already spent 2 nights in LV you might want to park the RV at Buffalo Bills and get a good hot shower in a hotel room for less than $50. http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/bu...-accommodation

Am just wondering what day of the week you would be driving back to LA. You would probalby not enjoy the Las Vegas to LA drive on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, for example.

HI mrwunrfl - the plan is back to Los Angeles Thursday 11th or Fri 12th April next year

OK -- a basic question> I assumed you already owned the RV, but now you say you are flying into California. So why are you using a motorhome? Is it because you think it is a way to economize? . . .It won't be. An RV rental - especially one way - gas, and sites w/ hook ups would cost more than renting a car and staying in motels.

And if it is because you want to prepare your own meals, many moderate motels have kitchens or kitchenettes.

You really don't want to attempt SF to LA through Big Sur and down the coast w/ just one overnight . . . In an RV. That would be difficult in a car let alone a motorhome.

Where the heck are you going to park an RV in Los Angeles? And do you realize that 1500 miles of driving that thing is going to cost about $500 just for fuel? Plus the rental fee?

RVing might sound like a neato fun thing to do with your son but the route from SF to Monterey to Big Sur is curvy and edgy and iffy and maneuvering in and out of 5 lanes of L.A in one of those things nearly impossible. Good luck though.

I'd buy a tent and do that before I would do the RV.

Now, if you were flying into Vegas and renting an RV there, maybe(you still wouldn't save any money though). But do yo really want to drive an RV in LA and then all the way to the GC? this sounds like a lot of driving and not a whole lot of fun.

I suggest doing just Vegas/Grand Canyon/ and add in the Utah National Parks-Zion and Bryce

Or do Just California. San Francisco, Yosemite, Sequoia, LA, Coast

Don't try to do both in one trip.

Grand Canyon is always on the top of everyone's "must see" list. However, the other utah parks and places like Yosemite are truly amazing too, and for the common traveler who isn't going to do some serious hiking or rafting, has a lot more things to do. I'll admit Grand Canyon first view is amazing/wow/shock and awe/etc. But the big trees and waterfalls in Yosemite/Sequoia are just as awesome.

Really, you need more than 1 day along the coast from SF to LA. There is a lot to do and see along the way there. Monterey, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Lobos, McWay Falls, Hearst Castle, Channel Islands NP, Kayaking in Elkhorn Slough, etc.

The poor fun-mom has probably already put her deposit down on the big rig so lets try to help her instead of trying to scare her.

Are there any Walmart parking lots in L.A. where she can park that thing then hop on the metro?

And since auto parking is $50 a night in San Francisco, does anybody know of any RV parking lots under $150 a night?

"The poor fun-mom has probably already put her deposit down on the big rig so lets try to help her instead of trying to scare her. "

Since the trip isn't until April of next year I sure hope they haven't pre-paid for an RV.

Thursday or Friday in April for LV to LA? No problem.

HI everyone and thanks for all your input. The reason for the RV is that it's a once in a lifetime trip for my son and I and the RV part is his dream! There seem to be several RV parks on the beaches in LA, I was planning on staying there and getting public transport into the city for sight seeing etc.

I originally wanted to go SF to LV via yosemite and death valley then back to LA but lots of reviews said that those roads were perilous and possibly closed with hours and hours of driving, so the coastal route seemed a better alternative.

It's a compact RV (for 2 people) and as a Sales Rep I'm used to driving a lot in the UK (our petrol prices are also much much higher than the US so prepared for costs!)

Due to all suggestions I might look at an extra night down the coast and save it elsewhere - thanks everyone

" . . . so the coastal route seemed a better alternative."

Unfortunately not. The coast road - especially through Big Sur is difficult for some drivers in cars, let alone in an RV. Are you used mountainous/cliffside driving?

Maybe consider renting an RV for a few days somewhere during your trip for the semi-camping experience. Say near Pismo Beach.

Then use a car for the areas RVs make no sense.

Just so you know. Most people that have an RV pull a car behind them(usually a Jeep Wrangler).

I think janis is right. An RV makes better sense in just Grand Canyon or just Yosemite or somewhere like that. Maybe rent one in Vegas and do the Grand Canyon Camping style and rest of your trip do in a car.

I still think you are trying to cover way to much ground when there is so much in either spot. You would have a lot more time to experience things besides driving.

Driving an RV through LA traffic is like trying to move a small house on the M5 - at peak traffic hours. Do you really want to do this?

Please heed the good advice here and either not rent/rent for a limited time an RV.

Don't know how many days you have in total (on the ground, not counting travel days)- but allow me to suggest this.

Fly into Los Angeles, rent a normal-sized car for two weeks. Drive this car out to Las Vegas and park that car. Rent an RV in Las Vegas for a couple of days and drive that RV out to the Grand Canyon and back to Las Vegas. Return the RV in Las Vegas. Driving an RV in the desert shouldn't be as much of an issue as driving it in LA traffic or along the California coast.

Once back in Las Vegas, retrieve the other rental car and drive up to Lake Tahoe/San Francisco. I believe the roads from Tahoe to SF should be pretty good by April, no snow issues, but janisj and the others would know better than I.

Then drive the coast from SF to LA.

For someone who is 13, I'd suggest you seriously think of adding in San Diego (and maybe cutting Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon?). There is a lot more to interest someone of his age in San Diego than driving miles and miles in the desert to see a big slash in the ground.


An alternate suggestion would be to fly to Las Vegas from the UK. Rent an RV and do the GC, return the RV in Las Vegas. Then fly from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and rent a normal sized car in LA, then do a loop trip in California.

Good luck with your planning!

HI All
OK I'm thinking of trying to swap the RV for a car! Would it be a good option on the route from SF to LA to go via Sequoia and maybe stay there 2 nights? Thanks

If you mean Sequoia Park, then that's easier to do when you're on the way from Las Vegas to San Francsico.

Driving along the coast from SF to LA and then dipping in to Sequoia will be too much of a detour.

Why Sequoia?