If money is an issue then flying on JetBlue may be advantageous. The age is going to mean a challenge when rentinga car and hoping some rental companyp might offer a fee waiver is not a real smart way to plan. OTOH making certain someone else will be renting makes a lot more sense.

My friends are going to be renting the car so I don't have to worry about that

That's what I thought, Jkern24.

Have you made any decisions yet re: airports to use?

I predict you will love California. There's so much to see and do there, don't get overwhelmed thinking you have to do it all. The fires in Napa might alter your plans, so check that out.

In eight days, you would be fine visiting SF, Big Sur, Yosemite, and places in between.

Just FYI --when we picked up our rent car in California last year, we were told that it is against the law to even hold your phone while driving. They will surely give you the same warning, but be prepared so that you don't end up with the extra expense of a fine.

Regarding rental cars....I agree totally with all the advice given by Northwest Male. Very good information.

Add this -- rental companies quote prices for <b>ONE</b> person to drive the car. If you want to add additional drivers, many companies add a huge fee. For instance, we recently rented a car in Detroit. The cost was $15 per day. The additional cost to ADD a driver to the contract was $37 per day! You may want to decide who is driving and if they aren't willing to do ALL of the driving, the cost could increase substantially. Ask this question before renting if its an issue. The pricing varies greatly from one company to another.