(continuation from another topic)
Me and my family (4) will arrive Saturday, 19 of August, to LA airport at 16:00 from Europe (11 hours flight so we'll be more or less tired - tickets already bought, not refundable).
I assume that customs, getting the car, etc. will take up to two hours so we will depart about 18:00 (is saturday so I don't expect big traffic jams).

From LAX we go to Grand Canyon but I don't think I can make it directly so I already reserved the lodge in Grand Canyon the 20 of august.
Flying to Las Vegas for four people is more expensive than car rental and gas, and then, the travel from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon the next day is four hours so I don't see a real advantage.
Our plans is to rent a car in LAX and sleep some place in the middle between LAX and Grand Canyon.
I though about sleeping in Kingman, but is almost five hours from LA so we would arrive very late.
So, is there any decent place in the middle to sleep?. I got a recomendation to go to Primm, but is in I-15, not I-40 that is the more direct way to Grand Canyon.
After Grand Canyon we will go to Yosemite visiting Death Valley (early in the morning or late in the evening). Were can we sleep between Las Vegas and Yosemite in that route?

(Not really a 'continuation' since that was an ancient thread posts by someone else)

Do NOT drive anywhere on your arrival day. Sorry but driving after an 8 or 9 time zone flight is crazy. True it is Saturday so you will not have commute traffic, but there is almost ALWAYS some heavy traffic in the LA basin.

I would get a hotel near LAX and relax and start out Sunday Morning.

I agree with janisj on this one if you must fly to LAX.
See if you can fly into another US city clear customs and get a short rest and then fly to Las Vegas or Phoenix.
Repeating: Do not stay in Barstow!

Holy sheeyite, you're going to Las Vegas and Death Valley in an AUGUST?

Are you impervious to heat?

Does ice run through your veins?

Honestly, this is a huge consideration - know what you're going to be dealing with.

OMG -- I didn't even notice it was in August. (Was fixated on the old thread topped and this being the new one)

No -- if YOU want to go to Death Valley in August -- OK fine, you'd only be frying yourself. But you say 'family of 4' which would seem to indicate children. Do you really think it is a good idea to take them out in temps of 45ºC-48ºC? Me neither

Also -- now I see you have a booking at the Grand Canyon the day after you land. I would immediately fly from LAX to either Phoenix or Las vegas. With a 4PM arrival, I'd book a flight around 8PM to be on the safe side. But they are only hour flights so no big deal. Sleep off the trip in LV or Phoenix and drive to the South Rim the next morning.

Much better than driving through hell and gone on your arrival day only to end up sleeping in a dump. And BTW w/ in international arrival at LAX there would be no way you could get your rental car and be on your way in 2 hours. Immigration at LAX can take forever and all the rental agencies are off airport and you have to take a shuttle. You would be very lucky to hit the road by 7PM.

I also agree with janisj, after a long flight, stay in an airport hotel, or stay in Manhattan Beach, maybe at Sea View Inn a block from the beach. Then pick up your rental car the next am and get an early start. Most folks in LA don't start moving very early on a Sunday. Please do not endanger yourself or others by trying to drive after a long flight.
Tom, OP said their flights were not refundable.

I would just stay near the airport. There are also some suite hotels in El Segundo that may work better for a family. I'd start with the HIlton Garden Inn, which has an airport shuttle. YOu may or may not wish to delay the start of you car rental til the next day. Send the family on to the hotel on the shuttle, with your luggage. One of you can deal with the car rental that day if you want to get a head start the next day..the Garden Inn has free self-parking also. Be sure to check with the hotel about the need to reserve or call for the shuttle. A taxi or Uber would be $15 or $20 approx to El Segundo.

http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/e...GGI/index.html

>>I would just stay near the airport. There are also some suite hotels in El Segundo that may work better for a family.

The drive time from El Segundo to Grand Canyon is 8 hours, certainly feasible in a day for someone who has had a night's sleep. And .About the same as the total elaspsed time if they have to deal with an hour thru TSA plus recommended checkin 2 hours ahead, retrieving luggage and renting a car in LV, and the 4 drive to the GC . As the OP themselves pointed out, there really is no advantage.

Just leave early..before 6 am and you'll be there before sunset...

Furthermore, there is no way I would try to attempt the domestic connection the night they arrive.. they will not make it because you are dealing with potential flight delays,luggage retrieval and the possibility of missed connections.

Driving 8 hours plus stops w/ children in the car - making it more like a 10 or 11 hour drive - is not how I would start a holiday.

OP sorry you have run into the NEGATIVE crowd on the California board.

Only you (not janisj) know what your family is capable of in terms of drive time.

To answer your question directly..although I would not start driving on your arrival day..if you want a part way stop, Blythe is 4 hours (assuming extra time since there is nearly always at least a 1/2 hour delay getting out of town , and then the next day it's about 5 hours to the GC. The Best Western Sahara in Blythe is probably your best option. For some interesting local flavor, the funky Steaks and Cakes is an option.

Driving between Las Vegas and Yosemite, you could look for Lodging in Bishop or Mammoth Lakes, depending on which day you want the longer drive.

Negative?? What is negative about saying it will be a 10 hour drive. It will be more than 10 hours in the car.

If they want to drive 10+ hours -- they should.

It is negative when you exaggerate with things like "frying your children". It isn't uncommon for European tourists to visit DV and LV in summer, stopping to take the photo next to the big thermometer at the visitor center..YOu don't hike, you car tour on the paved roads only!..and cars come with reliable air conditioning these days, which can comfortable handle the conditions in DV and Las Vegas. Artist's Drive is a good route for car touring. Bring gallons of water in the car and stick to the main roads.

Check the DV website links for road conditions and routes to Las Vegas, August is monsoon season and roads inside the park can flood or wash out.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/faqs.htm

First, thanks to everybody for your suggestions.

Some comments, the "children" will be 20 and 16 years old and they are used to trips of many hours in car.

I'll sleep in the plane, we're two drivers and I don't want to spend all Sunday traveling. Saturday will be lost, so, although is not the best option, we prefer to recover 2 or 3 hours and reduce the travel on Sunday so we can arrive to GC at 2 or 3.

In the map Blythe is so out of the route to GC (Google Maps adds one and half hour to the travel compared with the "best" route). Perhaps Primm like Tom Fuller recommended in another topic.

Also what we pretended in DV, as MLGB indicated, was to cross it over the paved roads, stop five minutes to make some photos (and feel the heat) and continue. Perhaps, only perhaps, visit quickly some of the more interesting points in a paved road, Zabriskie point, etc.

If not through DV, what is the preferred route between LV and Yosemite?

Thanks again for the feedback to all of you.

If you absolutely must drive after you arrive - and I really hope you and the other driver are able to sleep on the plane - then I would plan to stay in San Bernardino or maybe Victorville that night.

Lee Ann

Primm takes you too far north..on the 25 toward Las Vegas. If you are heading straight to Grand Canyon from LAX..then the 40 toward Kingman is the most direct route.If you want to stop before Kingman then there is Needles, which also has a Best Western.But Needles is nearly 6 hours and that route often has slower traffic. Hence I would prefer Blythe if you are driving on that first day.

Another option is just driving to Palm Springs and stopping the night. Then in the morning, drive the 6 hours to the Grand Canyon. Presumably you're staying in the south rim?

I was thinking just inw HuisClos said, sleeping in Palm Spring/Desert this would also allow us the next day to do a short visit to the Joshua Tree National Park.

I think that waking up early on sunday would allow that and even arriving to GC before sunset.

If that is your plan you may want to look at 29 Palms or for h0tels instead of Palm Desert/PS. It's about an hour closer to Joshua Tree and the Grand Canyon than is Palm Springs or Palm Desert. Have a proper map that has secondary highways or use Google Maps.
Also from JT to Grand Canyon you have a choice of routes. I assume you will not want to return to I-10 per your prior comment about it being the less direct route to have more time at the Grand Canyon (?). It should be faster to continue north from 29 Palms /JT along Amboy Road to Amboy and then connect to I-40. (About 5 1/2 hours drive time). Be careful of speeding along those local roads, they are speed traps.