Claudia_Neves

Hello all !!
I plan to visit California next September and probably my flight will arrive at San Francisco
Besides San Francisco (4 nights) I want to stay at Yosemite ( 3 nights) and then drive down to Sand Diego via pacific coast 1, visiting/staying in other cities on my way down ( still deciding but probably Carmel, Solvang and Santa Monica .. ) I am not sure how to arrange it. My initial plan was arrive to San Francisco, stay there for the 4 nights, go to Yosemite, stay there for 3 nights and then drive to Carmel …. But this way I will be skipping the part of H1 from San Francisco to Carmel .. Will I be missing to much ??
Any better ideia?
Thanks !!
Claudia

Tomsd

Would recommend you drive from Yo over to Carmel - starting on hiway 140 etc - as outlined below. If you are going pretty much straight through - can do in about 4 hours. And from Carmel south through Big Sur is probably the best part of the drive - although I drove from Half Moon Bay down HiWay1 in Oct -and the part from HMB to Carmel has some nice scenery.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Californi...ite-carmel.htm

Tomsd

And check other posts in here for more info/recommendations - under California - and I/we like to stay in Cambria if you want to take a tour of Hearst Castle, otherwise you could press on to Solvang - another couple of hours plus.

You might consider carving a day out of SF to spend on the Coast?

sf7307

Totally agree that the part of hwy 1 south of Carmel is far more beautiful than the drive north of Carmel - you'll be on the best part!

tomfuller

Have you considered Oakland, San Jose or Sacramento airports?
Have you considered what the drop off fee is on a rental car SFO to San Diego?
It sounds like you have a minimum of 10 days/nights planned for your trip.
Would it work to fly to LAX or San Diego and then head north through Fresno to enter Yosemite from the south? Spend your time in Yosemite and then head to San Francisco and spend 3 days there then south on the coastal route all the way back to LAX or San Diego to turn the car in where you rented it?

JCarlinsv

Perhaps LAX for the home airport. Do Santa Monica and San Diego if you must, but I would not. Then Yosemite from south, 120 to SF. 280-101 to Carmel. Hwy 1 from SF to Watsonville not worth the time if you plan on the Big Sur.

Tomsd

Geesh. And I would recommend San Diego over LA - as it's much easier to get around here and plenty of things to do - althogh the Getty Museum in LA is amazing - and it's fun to poke around Hollywood for a bit.

Tomsd

Again - I think your general plan sounds find. See SF, then Yo - drive over to Carmel - and then work your way down to San Diego. Very doable, and quite scenic.

Claudia_Neves

Thanks for all responses.
I checked car rental prices and there is no drop off fee, so I do not have to worry about retur the car in the same city.
I am from Brazil, so I don´t intend swimming in pacific ocean but I like nature and I am much more interested in good views and small and charming cities than in big cities. Anyway I would like to take a look at LA ( Holywood, Universal ) and San Diego. But I would love visit Lake Thaoe.
Maybe fly to Sacramento ( instead of San Francisco ) , go to Lake Thaoe, then Yosemite, then San Francisco, then big sur down ... but this way maybe I won´t have time to go to LA and/or San Diego.
I am coming late September and I still do not decide how many days I will stay ... but no longer then 20 days ...