Never planned a trip in my life and need help!!
 

I am in the process of planning my first trip to California in february 2016. I have 8 days to travel. The top places I want to hit are Big Sur, San Francisco, Yosemite, and Napa Valley. I need advice on a planned route! I haven't bought plan tickets yet so I would need advise where to fly into to start my journey. I also plan on renting a car when I get there.

Please if any one has any advice on a route that would make this trip successful I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks,
Jen

PS I am traveling from Long Island, New York

What is your age and what exactly do you want to see and do?

It would make more sense, given the weather and time constraints, to keep to the coast and leave Yosemite for a visit later in the year. You might consider swapping Big Sur for the Mendocino Coast because of the proximity to Napa & Sonoma Valleys. Fly into SFO, go north to wine country & the coast, then finish up in San Francisco. The north coast is quite beautiful and less crowded.

I am 22 and I'm going with 2 other friends who are 25. I want to just looking to explore the coast. I like hiking and doing outdoor activities.

Thank you for your responses

The concern I have is weather, which is always hit and miss, and mostly miss for the last few years, given the severe drought we've been having, but which is supposed to abate this year with a massive El Nino, meaning lots of rain. February would be the middle of rainy season.

Putting the weather aside, with 8 days (assuming that's 8 days plus travel days), I'd fly into San Jose, drive down to Monterey and spend at 3 days in Monterey-Carmel and Big Sur, and driving down the coast, spend 2-3 in San Francisco, and then 2 in the Sonoma area. Yosemite is really out of the question both because of the time of year and the distance (4 hours east from San Francisco). Fly home from either San Francisco or San Jose (or even Oakland if the price is better). If you really only have 6 days (i.e. if the 8 includes your travel days), it'll be tough to even hit those three.

Bear in mind Feb is normally the rainiest month and hopefully we will finally have some!

It actually could snow in Yosemite, though the Valley itself should remain open.

It wouldn't hurt to make fully refundable reservations in Big Sur and Yosemite which have limited lodging, but otherwise I would stay flexible.

As far as flights you might look at Jetblue and Virgin between JFK and SFO.

I agree with sf7307's concern about the weather.
If we get rain and snow (which we hope we will) the California Highway Patrol may put chain controls in effect on the road into Yosemite. The problem is the majority of rental car companies prohibit the use of chains. So you want to have a backup plan of driving to maybe Mariposa and taking the YARTS bus to the park for a fee.
Also Big Sur is not one specific spot (although there is a Big Sur Village) but the section of Highway 1 between Monterey and Cambria. Be sure and check with Caltrans online or via phone for possible road closures due to rock or mudslides.
Not sure if you have time to get all the way to Cambria given possible weather issues and much shorter daylight hours, might have to drop Napa or Yosemite to fit it in. You can likely get to Monterey though.

Several years ago I took a friend around the state and one of the west-side entrances to Yosemite was closed because of snow...in May. Granted, it was a wet year, exactly what we're hoping for this coming winter/spring. You might defer your decision, keep an eye on the weather forecasts and pick either Yosemite if the weather allows, or Monterey/Big Sur if Yosemite looks iffy.

Weather can be an issue for both Yosemite and Big Sur especially if the predicted El Nino materializes. We once had to cancel a winter Yosemite trip, changed our destination to Big Sur instead only to encounter road closures in Big Sur. What you could do is base yourself on the Monterey Peninsula and day trip to Big Sur weather permitting.

I agree that for the Monterey/Big Sur portion of your trip, basing yourselves in the Monterey area for a few nights is best that time of year, rather than planning to drive all the way through Big Sur. This way, you can have a bit more flexibility to adjust to the weather.

I'm sure being from the east coast, our weather concerns seem a little silly - although we don't get the same severe weather on out coast, Big Sur is a special case because it is a narrow highway, often a few hundred feet above the ocean that is prone to mudslides and washouts in the rain.

Or, in February, the weather could be amazingly clear and gorgeous, just just never know.

Of I were you, I'd start with airline tickets. Price SFO, San Jose, and Oakland to see if there's a big price difference. Then plan your trip based on that.

Since you will be renting a car upon arrival, that means you will probably want to leave from the same airport, to avoid drop fees at a second airport car rental location. One of your 25-year old friends will need to rent the car.

If you are looking for budget lodging, I near there's a nice hostel at Fort Mason. It's in a pretty location.

Sounds like a fun trip!

If you start with the city of San Francisco, you may want to delay renting the car for a few days.

Often overseas visitors can get a better package (including insurance and waiving drop fees) if they book car rentals in their own country.

You may want to post separately on the car rental issue.

Thank you for all the replies! I will definitely keep weather in mind cause this seems to be a big concern.

Really appreciate it!

The weather CAN be a problem, but it may not be a problem at all. And why I suggest that if you make reservations in advance, that you do at places that have a liberal cancellation policy (same day or 24 hours cancellation at no charge), so you can can choose to go where the weather will be best. Play it as you go, watch the forecasts and allow yourself the luxury of changing plans along the way. That time of year that kind of travel shouldn't be a problem. But do have reservations especially for Yosemite, if it's still on your list.

The <b>first things you should do</b> are to price <U>rental cars</u> from the various airports which are your options: (San Fran, Oakland, San Jose?) <b>and match them up with airfare costs</b> to/from each of those airports.

Add the figures together to determine the lowest cost.

Also, research ways to <b>rent your car AWAY from the airport grounds, and perhaps not even until you <i>absolutely need</i> the vehicle.</b>

For example, you spoke of having <I>8 days to travel</i>... well IF, say, you flew into San Fran (SFO), you might first take public transportation from the airport to your hotel in the downtown-ish area... spend a day or two exploring San Fran without a rental car, (and without having to fret astronomical parking charges for parking your car in a could-be-pricey downtown hotel).

<b>THEN, and only then</b> do you rent a car at a <i>downtown office</i> for the period of "one week" (which in rental car terms is from 5 to 7 days)... <b>and arrange to return the car THERE, downtown, before again taking public transport to the airport</b> at the end of your trip.

IF you have way too many bags for that, consider maybe two of you being dropped off at the airport with the bags, while the 3rd goes to return the car <b>downtown</b> (and with nothing to carry). OR you can finesse a near-the-airport hotel/motel for your last night, leave your bags in the room, and all go into the city to return the car where you got it.

<b>The airport rental places have LOTS of taxes and fees that the other rental outlets don't have to charge</b>.

At 22, she will have a problem renting a car.

Her friends are 25.

....I also plan on renting a car when I get there....

Her friends may be 25 but she is not. What happens if the friends do not want that responsibility?

She can rent a car, but will have to pay the underage driver fee. I have read elsewhere that Hertz sometimes runs specials where they waive this fee.

That may or may not be true. About ten years ago my son was just out of college and traveling a lot with company credit cards, etc., He constantly had problems renting cars for about a year until he turned 25. One time had to have the client he was meeting rent the car.