Recommendations for vacationing in San Francisco AND Los Angeles??
 

My husband is a major 49ers fan and we are planning to attend the SF/Dallas game on Sept. 25. We would like to spend a few days in SF, then drive (or possibly Amtrak?) along the coast to LA. Does anyone have suggestions for this type of trip? We hope to be able to take 7 - 9 days for the trip, so we will need to really manage our time and prioritize!

So far, in SF, we know for sure that we want to bike the bridge and visit Fisherman's Wharf. (We don't mind doing the touristy stuff.) The game starts at 1 pm on Sunday, so hopefully we can sightsee either before or after.

In LA, we want to visit Universal Studios, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. Any thoughts on a tour that would fit in the major attractions? We are also planning to drive and spend a day at Six Flags Magic Mountain for the coasters.

We typically utilize Priceline for all of our hotel stays - but we are not sure of which regions to bid in.

Any suggestions for our California trip would be greatly appreciated!

We just did an SF to LA trip July 2 - 10. In SF we stayed in the Union Square area which was very convenient. We did Chinatown, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, and walked on the bridge. One thing that I highly recommend if you like this type of thing is the Victorian home walk. The rest of my family wasn't really interested but even they enjoyed it. Their website is www.victorianwalk.com. The drive down highway 1 is incredible, but takes longer than you'd expect due to the curves. There are lots of places to stop and admire the view or take pictures. Along the way we spent a night in Monterey and a night in Cambria. We stopped at Henry Cowell state park to see redwoods, at the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk, and at Hearst Castle. In LA we stayed at the Rennaisance Hotel in Hollywood. I'll be posting a detailed trip report in a few days and would be happy to answer any questions.

I'm very interested in this thread. I've been contemplating a similar trip. We visited Disneyland a couple of years ago and frankly, we enjoyed it at least as much as Disneyworld. I'd like to do a few days in Disneyland, hike a bit, and introduce the kids to San Francisco.

I know that it is expensive to park a car in SF.

Do people buy round trip plane tickets for this type of trip, or fly into one city and out of the other?

We flew into SF and returned from LA. There was no additional fee for returning the rental car to a different place and the airfares seemed about the same as if we had done just a round trip. Our hotel in SF included parking.

I would definitly not take the Amtrak for this trip. You'll want to make the drive yourself so you can stop off at eh places you like on the trip down from SF to LA.

Six Flags will only be open on the weekends at that time of year. 10:00- 6:00 on Friday, 10:00-8:00 on Sat & Sun.

for missypie, yes, an 'open jaw' plane ticket into LA and out of SF (or the reverse) saves you having to backtrack an ~8-10 hrs drive.

To maximize the enjoyment of the drive down the coast (I also wouldn't recommend the train) make sure you take at least some part of the Pacific Coast Highway (known as PCH or Rte. 1). I don't know specific hotels (we stay with friends and family), but a couple of lovely towns to see would be Pismo Beach and Solvang, both north of Ventura. Then you have the usual Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Malibu to name just a few.

In Buena Park, not far from Disneyland, you have Knott's Berry Farm, a theme park with thrill rides that are "thrillier" than Disney's.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Does anyone have an estimate as to how long the drive takes from SF to LA? I think we would enjoy the drive along the coast. The only reason I considered Amtrak was due to the current gas prices!

Pat_in_Mich: The Victorian home tour looks beautiful - I hadn't seen or heard about during my research thus far. I look forward to reading your trip report.

We are planning to fly into SF and out of LA.

We weren't really planning to visit Knott's Berry Farm, but should we reconsider? We definitely want to visit Universal & Magic Mountain. We aren't planning to go to Disneyland - we visit Disney World in Orlando every 3-4 years or so.

The drive from SF to LA along the coast (Highway One) can be done in one long day, about ten or twelve hours. But there's enough to see that spending two or three days on the way is not unreasonable. The area between Carmel and Cambria is the Big Sur coast, where the mountains rise out of the ocean. There's limited accomodation along this route, but by late Sept. you should be able to find something in a variety of price ranges, from an $80 motel room along the river to a $2000 condo overlooking the ocean. Search for "Big Sur Lodging".

Amtrak does not go along the coast at all until you get down around San Luis Obispo, so you miss Big Sur entirely. The "San Joaquin" trains avoid the coast entirely, and then you take a bus from Bakersfield to LA.

sequoia370,
How long would it take to get to Carmel from SF if we left at about 5 pm on Sunday?

Also, approximately what time does the sun set in late Sept?

Maybe we could leave after the NFL game, but I'm not sure what traffic would be like. I don't want to drive out when it is getting too late. We'd miss the view!

I have posted my trip report. Click on my name to see it. Warning: it's long!!

It's true, if you drive from SF to LA down the coast, you should plan on at least a 9 hour drive. However, it is quite scenic.

You can also drive down I-5, which will take you 6 hours. There's no scenery, unless you like flat, brown, desert like scenery with nothing but reststops, but it does get you there quickly.

Just depends on how quickly you want to get to LA, or how important scenery is to you. The coast drive is definitely gorgeous along some parts.

About SF. Although you don't mind the touristy stuff....please, see more of SF then just the bridge and the wharf. We have so much more to offer and the wharf isn't representative of San Francisco, except that it's by the water. Our Chinatown is touristy, but also fabulous. There are two parallel streets, Grant (the touristy Chinatown) and Stockton, (the ones the Chinese shop at) don't miss them both. (They are also great for inexpensive souvineres) We also have walking tours of just about every neighbourhood, so I'm certain you will find something of interest. Sept. should be gorgeous weather, you may consider taking a day to drive to either Napa or Sonoma in the wine country. They may be in full "crush" season at that time, so you can see the process in action.

My goddaughter is visiting, and we just came back from a 4 day trip to LA. We did the Universal tour, which was amazing. We got the VIP tickets, and I wouldn't go any other way. It's expensive, but completely worth the money. (Click on my name to see my other posts regarding Universal)

I'm certain you can find some LA tours, check out http://www.seeing-stars.com But, if you have a car, and map out where you want to go, you can go on your own time. We managed to fit in Melrose Ave, The "walk of fame", Kodak theater (where the Oscars are held), etc. on our own time. You might also enjoy Venice Beach and Santa Monica. SM has an area called 3rd street promanade, which is about 7 blocks of stores, that are closed to traffic....lots of fun and great for people watching.

We enjoyed staying in Santa Monica, as it is safe and clean. The airport hotels in LA may be cheaper, but I've heard from may people that the area is dirty and not very safe. Be prepared that wherever you stay, you will drive. If Yahoo maps say it's 12 miles, be prepared to drive for an hour. The freeways are insane.

Have fun, and please......see more of SF than the bridge and the wharf! :)

Andiamo

Oh, you asked about SF to Carmel. It's usually about a two hour drive, give or take 15 minutes. Hard to say on a Sunday evening. But, I think it's safe to say 2-2 1/4 hours.

Enjoy.
'Mo

Thanks to everyone for the help! And we will definitely see more than just the touristy stuff!