My daughter and I are planning a trip to California. We will fly to LAX and take a shuttle service to Anaheim to avoid driving in LA. Plan to tour LA one day by bus and the next day take the Gray Line to San Diego. Plan to then rent a car and drive up the coast to San Francisco for a few days then Tahoe, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. We want to leave from Las Vegas to avoid having to drive to LAX. Are we overreacting to the traffic problems. Can this trip be done in 2 weeks or are we trying to do too much? Only reason to stay in Anaheim is to avoid driving in LA. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

why are you going to san diego and l.a. on the bus?? fly to lax and do your coastal drive north from there. going to anaheim and san diego is in the wrong direction and you'll be pressed for time on your remaining trip which is much more worthwhile!
the traffic in l.a. is bad quite often, but i think it's much worse in boston or new york, so don't get freaked at the idea of driving there. certain times are fine (mid-week at mid-day or after 7 pm), some freeways are worse than others (405 can be crowded.)l.a. is not that hard to get around, just a little crowded, but it's all on a grid.
don't be afraid! and from san diego to los angeles is not too scenic in a "coastal" way.
have fun!

In answer to your main question, yes, you're overreacting (unless you have no experience driving in cities).
Driving in LA's traffic isn't much different than most other big cities, just that the distances can be greater and the clogs cover more miles in some cases.
But I'd strongly suggest you avoid bus trips over a rental car.

Driving in LA, I think, is much easier than many other cities. The freeways are parallel basically with many bisecting freeways. Drivers are mostly courteous although they like to go fast.(you stay in slower lanes, give up the fast lane) You must use your turn signal and you will find that they will let you in, but "he who hesitates....." I think you'll be just fine driving in LA and you're jumping through hoops unnecessarily to avoid it.

All previous replys are quite true. I rented a car in Boston last summer. Now that is truely "Mr. Toads Wild Ride"! Do go to Disneyland, enter at 8am leave around noon, swim at motel, go back to park from 7:30 till closing and watch the Big show on Tom Sawyers Island around 10:30. For real driving fun take Hiway 1 from Hearst Castle to Monterey.

You are over reacting. Traffic in LA can be bad, but it can also be smooth sailing .. you never know! Avoid rush hours. It's OK to take a shuttle to Anaheim, but why a bus to San Diego and then drive back to S.F??? You will have to drive through LA then. This does not make much sense. Flying back out of Las Vegas is OK, it doesn't make a lot of sense to drive back to LAX just to return the car ... unless you get zinged with a large drop off in another city penalty charge. I've driven in LA for years, it can be lousy and it can be fine. You can always get off the freeway if it's backed up and take an alternate route .. at least LA does have alternate (local streets) that go places, unlike many cities. Just relax and don't imagine the worst, you might just be surprised that it is no where near as bad as you thought (they do tend to drive fast on the freeway tho, so stay to the left). Also .. don't start hesitating about getting off if it is your exit, if you do make a mistake better to get off and then get back on the freeway then to nearly cause a crash because you are hesitating. (I've seen this a zillion times with tourists and those not familiar with where they are going). Study a map, have your daughter "navigate" a little. The signs on the freeways are very good, you will know miles ahead where you need to be to get off.

I think you are trying to fit way too much into 2 weeks. Don't worry about driving in LA, worry about spending all of your trip driving. Why go to LA at all if you are just driving through it on your way to somewhere else? The destinations are so different - what is it you are looking for?

One more comment about LA freeways-- what is different about them compared to many other cities is that the major roads have up to five lanes across. This is good news and bad news. I imagine it is intimidating at first, but it has the advantage of there almost always being somewhere to move, whether your desire is to go faster or slower. Compare this to a two-lane road in the country where you are constanting passing or being passed-- to me that's much scarier!

It does mean that you should plan your route and know when to expect your offramp, as you may be required to cross more than one lane to exit. I agree with the others-- do drive. Just get a map before you arrive, and try to get a good feeling for your route.

Just one more thought. The AAA has a "freeway" map of LA. It's a very simplified map but shows all the freeways and access ramps so your daughter can navigate very efficiently and you will know exactly where to get off or switch from one freeway to another. In most cases, if you get off by mistake it is a simple matter of getting back on. The only place I've ever ended up on a sidewalk was Boston!! And, I lived in LA at the time! Have a good trip.

Unless you're just stuck with flying into LAX, don't forget that the major airlines fly into John Wayne Airport in Orange County & also Long Beach Airport...both are easier to get started with a rental car. Driving in LA isn't that bad...just avoid the rush hours.