Grand Canyon with older parents and small kids
 

Hello - we are planning to visit Grand Canyon this Spring (first week of April 2018) and debating whether to take a road trip from Los Angeles or fly there as I understand it's about 8 hour drive from LA. We have kids (6, 4, and 3) and two older parents. Not sure which way is the best for all of us. We heard of the Grand Canyon Railway and are interested in that too. Would you recommend that? I looked up the prices and they are so expensive. We have 4 days to spare in AZ. What are there to do at night if we decided to stay in Williams (take the train to GC)? and would you recommend Sedona? Thanks in advance for all your suggestions.

If you can manage it, I'd recommend that you fly into Flagstaff and have a car reserved to pick up there. I've driven to the GC and also taken the train with visiting friends and while I enjoyed the train, it isn't particularly exciting. I'd suggest you stay in Flagstaff, rather than Williams if you don't plan to stay at the canyon itself. Lots of good restaurants and a nice downtown to enjoy. You can visit Sedona from there.

If flights into Flagstaff are too expensive, many people opt to fly into Las Vegas and rent a car there. Compare prices. Flagstaff is closest to GC (75 miles), Phoenix (225) is next and Las Vegas 3rd (270) no need to drive all the way from LA (almost 500). What's unclear is your starting point, do you live in LA or are you coming from elsewhere?

I would suggest flying into Phoenix. Drive up to Sedona and stay there for a 3 days. Flying into Flagstaff will take a lot more time, since you would have to connect in Phoenix. Sedona is less than 2 hours from the Phoenix airport.

For visiting the Grand Canyon, drive there yourself, don't take the train. You do not see the canyon from the Grand Canyon Railroad. It goes, slowly, through grasslands and some forest. At the Grand Canyon, it stops about 1/4 mile from the rim. Also, don't stay in Williams. Book a room at one of the lodges inside the park at the Grand Canyon. Here are the links:

5 lodges: Grand Canyon National Park Lodges - You're not just close - You're there!
Yavapai Lodge: https://www.visitgrandcanyon.com/yavapai-lodge

El Tovar, Kachina, Thunderbird, and Bright Angel are right along the rim of the canyon. Maswick is near those, but about 1/4 mile away. Yavapai is not near the other lodges and is about 3/4 mile from the rim. Check availability and book immediately, if you can find anything. If nothing is available now, keep checking back and calling, because there are always cancellations. People book as much as a year in advance, and plans can change.

I would stay one night inside the park, so you get to view the canyon at the magical times of sunset and sunrise. If you absolutely can not get a room inside the park, get something in Tusayan, which is just outside the south entrance to the GCNP. I would definitely not stay in either Williams or Flagstaff for a visit to the GCNP, they are just too far away, particularly if you want to see sunset and sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

Give some feedback on how long you will have and what types of things you would like to see. There is so much to do around Sedona, including the very scenic Verde Canyon Railway.

Ok, I wont do the railway, it sounds not a good choice considering the time we have ( 4 days total). Yes, I live in LA.

Thanks so much for giving me lots of info. I have 4 days total...starting Monday 4/2 to Thursday 4/5.

Flying in 4/2 and back 4/5? Or do you have those full 4 days at your destination?

Is that starting in LA and returning to LA. . . . or 4 days free in AZ?

we were posting the same time :)

Yes, leave home 4/2 and go home 4/5.

If I do a road trip, i wouldn't have much time huh? Here's what i'm thinking

Monday 4/2 - home to GC lodge (check in)
Tuesday 4/3 - visit GC then back to hotel to check out
Tuesday 4/3 night - drive to Sedona (check in hotel)
Wednesday 4/4 - explore Sedona
Thursday 4/5 - hotel check out and drive home.

Of course, with flying, it'll save us more time. So what do you recommend in terms of the days we have?

So in reality you only have a bit over two days free - the 3rd and 4th plus maybe a couple of hours on another day.

All the rest is eaten up in transit. Even flying will take several hours what with getting to LAX (or Burbank or whichever) security etc.

yes...pretty much..so sad..wish we would have more time

With 2 of your 4 days travel days, I agree with Mike, fly into Phoenix. You have 3 nights, I'd suggest you spend 2 at your GC accommodation, so you have 1 entire day at GC without a long drive at the end, then 1 night in Sedona.

ok, thanks for all your recomemndations. I will fly there instead..

Drive. Flying isn't going to save much time and will be far more expensive.

Let's say you live 30 minutes from the airport and want to arrive 1.5 hours before your flight. That's 2 hours of travel time. Flight to Phoenix is 1.5 hours. We're now up to 3.5 hours of travel. Factor in 1 hour to collect luggage and pick up your rental car. 4.5 hours into your travel day, and you're just leaving the Phoenix airport for a 4 hour drive to the Grand Canyon. You pull into the parking lot 8.5 hours after leaving your house....which is about the same time you'd arrive if you drove.

Get the earliest flight from LAX to PHX as you can and the latest from PHX to LAX. Just a quick check I found flights at the reasonable time of around 8:30 AM, getting to PHX before 10AM, and flights out of PHX around 8PM. That gives you 1/2 day the 2nd, all day the 3rd and 4th, and pretty much all day the 5th. If you give us an idea which flights you will get, we can give you suggestions for a much more detailed itinerary. Also, book whatever you can get at the gCNP and build the rest of your days around that.

That will be hellacious getting to LAX for an 0830 flight. That is the most crowded time for departures and commute traffic is awful. From where in the LA Basin are you starting? If over on the east side -- Ontario is an option. In the Valley -- Burbank. etc.

I'm looking at Southwest. Looking at flights from LAX to PHX arriving around 10 a.m. and leaving PHX at 11 p.m. (LOL). Some of the lodges around GC already booked up...omg.

Oh and I live close to Chinatown.

Look at flights from BUR on Southwest. Probably a lot less hassle than LAX Nonstop 8AM arrive 9:25AM. Leave PHX 8:25PM arrive 9:50PM

thanks MikePin! I am looking at it right now!

By the way, isn't there some water, river place in Sedona? Do you guys know what is called? I wanna visit. Is it strenuous?

Oak Creek. Driving from the GC to Sedona, you will drive through scenic Oak Creek Canyon. And Oak Creek runs right through Sedona. A great place to go in Sedona is to Red Rock Crossing , at the Crescent Moon Picnic area. You can walk right down to and into, if you want, Oak Creek.