Tomsd

When you arrive at the airport in Vegas - check out the local tourist mags for "deals" and also on the Strip - Tix 4 less and other outlets have discounts for shows, dining, etc

You can also google ahead to see what shows are playing (Las Vegas Magazine, etc). If you can catch one of the Cirque de Soleil shows - it would be great - or La Reve at the Wynn - which is like Cirque's O at the Bellagio.

And be sure to see the fountains at the Bellagio and the Arboretum inside, along with the huge chocolate fountain at the Patissere.

janisj

>>Janisj, I thought we all access the same websites for car rentals. I have booked it thro' "carrentals" which is basically a UK based agent. My car is coming thro' Dollar Company, but they don't offer the same rate on their own website.think Latin American visitors can take advantage of deals Americans can't.

We get the same sort of service/reduced rates from Autoeurope and a few others when we travel overseas.

Paragkash

Lot of brainstorming and restlessness for me, as I feel I have packed in too much in too little time. Have to choose between the best of the places and adequate time at each location.
Have revised the itinerary and am dropping Grand Canyon for Yosemite Park. I feel there is a lot to see at GC and around. Will try and come again to see GC, Bryce and wave Canyon, rather than just seeing just one of them.
Revised itinerary...
11th June- land at SFO and Check in..
12th &13th June- Fly to Las Vegas (8.55am to 10.25am @ 58$ including hand luggage)Check in and explore Las Vegas.
14th June- Leave at 5.30am and drive to Yosemite via Tioga Pass to reach by 4 pm (Most Fodorites will not approve of this plan- But shall wait at some good places for sightseeing on the way. We both are drivers and are used to long drives)
15th June- 1st half Yosemite park- Drive to Pso robles- san Simeon
16th June- Highway 1, Big Sur- overnight at Monterey
17th-18th June- San Francisco
19th June morning- Fly to Vancouver...
I have also booked a car from Las Vegas to SFO without any drop off charges.
Have booked Yosemite View at El Portal which cannot be changed. can only be cancelled.
Please comment.

janisj

Without the Grand Canyon, your current plan would make much MUCH more sense if you skipped Las Vegas entirely. But at this late date you may not want to make that drastic a change what with the car rental and El Portal bookings in place. But honestly - you will have essentially NO time in Yosemite. Barely 1/2 a day. You will see so much of glorious California (the mountains/Yosemite/the coast) through the car windows w/ little time to stop and see/do anything.

If Las Vegas is a 'Must', so be it. But IMO you are making a mistake devoting more time to LV than to either Yosemite or the coast. Your trip -- good luck.

MichelleY

I agree with Janis. Cut out Las Vegas. If you come back some day for the Grand Canyon, then include LV.

Paragkash

janisj, MichelleY, I agree with you. But LV is my wife's choice and demand. National parks is mine. So we try and balance it out. 2 days in LV with 8 days in Canadian Rockies and 1 1/2 days in Yosemite Park)
That does sound funny. But that's how it is.
I intend to spend 14th and 1/2 day on 15th June (Saturday- would be crowded)
You won't believe this, but so many seasoned traveler friends (who have even been to north cape) who have visited the US for 4-5 times, haven't even heard about Yosemite Park. For me, I have been hearing about it and seeing photos and have been dreaming of going there some day. So at least want to be there for whatever little time I can.

I remember, I did my 1st Europe trip like a whirlwind way back in 1999. Not knowing if I would be fortunate enough to go there again. But luckily, I have been there 6 times after that and have seen 1 or 2 countries peacefully at a time (Thanks to Fodors Forum) I hope the same happens with America. May this be my 1st orientation trip. Want to come again some time to see fall colours.
I hope that the road from LV to Yosemite is safe and not too curvy and difficult to negotiate.

dwdvagamundo

Paragkash--If it were I, I'd see the Grand Canyon. You'll be so close at Las Vegas that it would be a shame not to see it.

IN LV, You can book a flight over the Grand Canyon and that would be better than nothing.

Paragkash

>> IN LV, You can book a flight over the Grand Canyon and that would be better than nothing.>> dwdvagamundo, I will surely try and do that.

janisj

>>and 1 1/2 days in Yosemite ParkNINE hour drive. Even leaving at 0530 you will not possibly be to the Valley until 4 in the afternoon assuming just a very quick lunch stop and no rest anywhere and no other stops. And you will be driving through the back country where you will want to stop often to see the glorious scenery. Even though sunset is later that time of year, Yosemite Valley is like a canyon, the sun goes behind the mountains long before 'sunset'. Eating dinner - that is about all you'll be able to do.

Then the next day you want to drive from El Portal to San Simeon which is another 5+ hour drive - without a single stop. So leaving at noon you won't be to San Simeon until after 5PM - basically you will have time for one dinner and one breakfast in Yosemite.

If Las Vegas is THAT important, then skip Yosemite since you will not see any of it.

And there is a LOT of difference between seeing a few sites close together in a European city and driving hundreds of miles to spend a couple of hours somewhere like Yosemite.

easytraveler

At this point, there have been so many variations of this trip that I feel confused as to what the OP's real priorities are.

I'm glad that other posters like janisj and Michelle are keeping track of your trip and can still provide valuable input to you.

HappyTrvlr

Since you're heading to the Candian Rockies, save Yosemite for a return trip. Too bad you can't skip Las Vegas but understand your situation of having to compromise.

janisj

HappyTravlr is right -- there really is no reason to include Yosemite in the current plan. Honest. Enjoy the Canadian scenery instead.

Consider this HUGE alteration. Fly to Vegas - see Vegas. Fly to Monterey, rent car and see San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, drive to SF, see SF, fly to Canada.

BarbAnn

I know I am late to the game, but my biggest problem with this itinerary is spending the first night in San Francisco. If your flight arrives at 4PM, you still need to clear customs and immigration. Then, you can get to downtown San Francisco. You will be lucky to arrive by 7PM. Then up early the next day to be back at SFO by about 7:30ish for a 8:55A flight. I would bite the bullet and continue to fly to Las Vegas. I know it will make for a long journey from Mumbai (I've done 30 hour flight journies before and I am much older than you). But, you will fly into Las Vegas in the evening and see the lights of the city as you arrive.

Be advised, that driving from Las Vegas to Yosemite you will be traveling in hot weather in the desert. What route will you be taking from Las Vegas to Yosemite? Personally, I would not drive it, but I have heard that overseas visitors want to drive via Death Valley. It is called that for a reason.

My second trip to Yosemite was for the day round trip from Sacramento (went to college in Sacramento). We had fun, but did not get to see the grandeur of Yosemite. I actually love seeing it from the air.

The California coast is beautiful. When you visit the Paso Robles wine area, be sure to go west of Hwy 101. The vineyards are beautiful in that area.

Welcome to California and the USA.

janisj

BarbAnn: >> my biggest problem with this itinerary is spending the first night in San Francisco.>What route will you be taking from Las Vegas to Yosemite? YNP > the coast.

MichelleY

Beating a dead horse.

janisj

If the horse isn't dead - the driver/passenger surely will be after driving from Las Vegas to Yosemite to San Simeon in two days

michele_d

700 miles in two days...I'm tired just thinking about it. It would be torture for me to just drive through Yosemite and not really get to see much of it.

BarbAnn

Janisj: I realize the only route that makes sense is I-15 to Barstow and then north to 395, but was wondering if via Death Valley prompted his desire to drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite. Hope they like seeing California from the car.

Sorry, I did not mean to resurrect a dead horse. I'll just keep quiet and shake my head.

sharona

<Since you're heading to the Candian Rockies, save Yosemite for a return trip.>

<Consider this HUGE alteration. Fly to Vegas - see Vegas. Fly to Monterey, rent car and see San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, drive to SF, see SF, fly to Canada.>

I suggested this at the very beginning and I still think it's best. You're already going to be seeing glorious scenery in the Canadian Rockies and while I agree that Yosemite is special, well, so is the Grand Canyon (if you decide to see it on this trip) and the beautiful California coast.

You may not recall but I told you upthread that we made the drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite last year via Death Valley. It's a long, sometimes boring drive and you're going to be tired. The thought of getting in the car the next day to drive another 5+ hours gives me the shivers. I wouldn't do it for the small (very small) amount of time you'll have in Yosemite.

I would modify janisj's itinerary a bit and simply drive from Las Vegas over to the Pacific Coast Highway and start the coastal drive from around Santa Barbara. That's still a long day of driving but at least you'll get to see some of the area around Santa Barbara, which is gorgeous.

Good luck Paragkash and don't stress. You can come back, honest, and I'm betting you will. There is so much beautiful and unique scenery in the US, especially in the southwest.

So here's my proposed itinerary:

Land in San Francisco
Fly to Las Vegas, pick up rental car
Drive to Santa Barbara, overnight there
Start drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at a winery or two (Paso Robles)
Spend time in area around Monterey and Big Sur
Back to San Francisco, return rental car and flight to Vancouver

I assure you this is still a lovely trip. And if you think you need to see that wow scenery then take one of those day tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. You can't get much more WOW than the Grand Canyon.

Paragkash

Dear Fodorites, I realise the blunders in the itinerary.
Really appreciate everyone's advise and pains taken for it...
Have revised the itinerary...
11th June SFO
12th June- Fly to LV- rent a car and drive to Grand canyon 1 n
13-14th- Drive back to LV and stay for 2 N
15th June- Morning flight to LA (cheaper flights) rent a car- drive on highway 1 - overnight at somewhere half-way to Monterey
16th June- Continue on Highway 1- Overnight at Monterey
17th and 18th June- San Francisco
19th- Fly out from SFO

Hope this works better...please comment