Me and my girlfriend are from the UK and will have 23 nights in the US we have booked our return flight to vegas as it worked out cheaper but we are only spending one night there before flying to San Francisco.

The plan then is :
4 nights in SF

Pick up car drive to Yosemite on 5th
spend two nights in the park.

Drive down coast via Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur etc stopping for a night in a few places 5/6 nights.

4 nights in LA

drive to San Diego 1/2 nights

fly to Vegas 4 nights there before flying home.

Do you think we have time to spend a night in Sacramento or Napa or would it be too much.

I think your current plan is just fine. The only thing I might do is cut the time on the coast by 1 night (or maybe even 2 nights) and add it to San Diego.

Not that the coast isn't terrific - but you'd really enjoy more than 1 or 2 days in SD.

W/ the great wine regions in along the central coast there is no need to detour up to Napa. And while I live near Sacramento and could help w/ several good suggestions - It really isn't a "destination" like the other places on your itinerary. If Sacramento fit in your itinerary, fine - but I wouldn't detour just to visit the city.

Will spend 2/3 nights in San Diego then.

So for a 5/6 night drive down the coast where would you suggest we stay. We have a list of places to visit but anymore advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Its going to be an all day drive from Yosemite to Carmel. Just plan accordingly. You should visit wineries around Solvang..North of Santa Barbara, you won't have time for Napa or Sonoma. If you are interested, visit some of the Calif. missions in Carmel, Santa Barbara etc. Its a fascinating slice of old Calif. history. Welcome to California. You'll have a super time and its going to be a very cheap vacation for you!

You don't say when you are planning this trip. If it is in summer, you might consider driving from Vegas to SF. That way you could see the Eastern Sierra and enter Yosemite via Tioga Pass which is one of the most scenic parts of California.

This way you could see Yosemite before going to SF or Monterey/Carmel which are both about a 4-5 hour drive from Yosemite and you would avoid driving across the Central Valley twice.

If you are staying in SF for 4 nights, you could take a day trip up to Napa and Sonoma. If you are going to be in the area for that long, you really should see a little bit of the wine country.

You don't say what you will be doing in LA for 4 nights. If you describe your interests, you might get some tips on where to stay.

You might also consider trimming the 4 nights in Vegas back to 2 or 3 since you will probably be broke after the first night anyway. If you are really into gambling, 4 nights may not be enough but if you are not, be aware that Vegas can be an oven in the summer.

I agree with the last poster that Las Vegas is not a place to linger at. It is fun and good for about two (2) nights but that is it.

I may be muddying the water here, but if you have the four nights allocated to Vegas, spend one (1) or two (2) there and then visit Zion National Park in Southern Utah.

Anna Roz

Thanks, we are goin 30th of June so we will have the 4th of July in SF then move on to Yosemite the next Morning

Your original plan looks very good. It's obvious that you did your research.

Some minor tweaking thoughts:

Two nights in Las Vegas is plenty. Really.

Another night or two in SF would be time you will treasure later. Even if you used the extra time in SF for a day trip to Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Napa, or something else.

Thanks for the tips, for our drive down the coast where would you suggest we stay, as in resort and hotel/motel/B&B

You might want to start a new post with a more detailed subject title.

Something along the lines of: "Need ideas for stops on 5-6 day trip from SF to LA".

I am in DC and usually fly direct to west coast destinations so have nothing to offer this particular question.