hy everybody - this site is fun and great help - now my questions:
I'll be travelling with my boyfriend to CA in Sept..We will start in San Fran. go to Yosemite and from there down the coastline (monterey, Carmel) to LA. How is bad the traffic in San Fran and LA. We are from Austria/Europe and so we are not really used to 4-lane-roads. At what should we avoid the roads in SF and LA???
Thx for the help....

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The roads are just like your autobahns, only slower. As a matter of fact, if there is a lot of traffic, they are a LOT slower. There is not a lot of difference between 4 lanes in one direction and two in one direction. Just have a good map and study your route before you leave. Then, have the passenger has to act like a navigator. And the driver has to listen to the navigator. Stay in the right two lanes, unless you need to pass. Then the navigator keeps the map open on his or her lap. He or she knows how many exits until you change routes, watches the signs, and gives you plenty of advance warning on when and where to exit. (Sometimes exits are on the left, or you must be in the left 2 lanes because that's the way your route goes--and the navigator's job is to let you know in plenty of time so you can get into one of those lanes.) Yes, the traffic can get extremely busy, but if it gets busy, it slows way down, sometimes to a crawl. You'll be OK. If you can drive the autobahn in Austria, you can drive around LA and San Francisco. Have a great time on your trip to LA.

Silvia,

With respect to SF, the city itself always has lots of cars and traffic lights/stops so it's always stop and go, but it shouldn't be too different than driving in any other major city. The only thing I would think to avoid is the downtown financial district area after work hours (typically 5-6:30) because there are a lot more people walking, and a lot of commuters are trying to get on the freeways which clog up specific roads. Additionally, I would avoid attempting to take any roads near highway 80 onramps. This especially goes for Friday afternoons.

The rest of the Bay Area is a different situation altogether. Whether or not you'll hit traffic outside the city really depends on which road you're taking and what direction you're going in. So, regarding these areas, more specific information is needed. But, seems from your post that you are going to be staying only in SF then driving directly to Yosemite. The drive from SF to Yosemite shouldn't be bad as most of the drive east is rural once you get maybe an hour east of SF. If you're going to take the 80E to get out to the east bay, however, I would suggest you avoid at all cost leaving in the afternoons during rush hour. The freeway onramps and bridge will be jammed with daily commuters trying to leave the city. Try going either in the morning or early afternoon.

As for southern CA, I haven't lived there for a while, so I probably can't offer much up to date input. Anyone have suggestions?

Hope this helped!

I've lived in SF and LA, and yes, the traffic is bad! Avoid the freeways close to the both of the cities (around San Jose in the Bay Area also) when people commute to and from work...between 7 and 9 AM and 4 and 6 PM. Good luck!

The traffic in San Francisco is congested but moves and is generally well-behaved (pretty similar to most European cities except those in Italy and Portugal) - except for the freeways and bridge approaches in the rush hours (0700-0900 and 1600-1830); but as in all US cities the worst traffic tends not to be in the central cities but in the metropolitan areas around them - Silicon Valley, for example.

LA is another matter - much more choice on freeways, many are congested all the time except the middle of the night. For visitors to the area wanting to travel around the region, careful itinerary planning is needed if you want to avoid long waits on freeways in crawling traffic.

The one big difference between California freeways and European motorways is the near total absence of lane discipline. On an eight-lane highway people will be passing on the right, moving from one lane to another rapidly; the right lane may be faster than the left lane, or the right lane may suddenly become "exit only" forcing you to weave to the left, etc. There is no practice of keeping to the right unless overtaking, and flashing your lights to have someone move over will usually be misunderstood and received with hostility. Use your mirrors and signals. As when you're on a safari looking at the lions, don't forget this is their habitat and you are the intruder.

That said, most California drivers are very competent and courteous, and given the amount of time spent on the freeways and the numbers of vehicles, the accident rate is quite low.

One very important resource for driving in SF or LA is your car radio. All radio stations in the US are local, and most have some sort of continuous (every few minutes) traffic reporting from helicopters, especially in rush hours. Listening to these reports is fun, you'll learn a lot of geography and American lingo, and by listening you can save a lot of time by avoiding accidents or traffic jams.

Happy travels!

I have outlawed all traffic jams in the state of California so do not worry.

I will next make sure that gasoline is free in California by having state run gas stations since we all know all gas comes from those evil, price gouging Texans.

Traffic in and around both San Francisco and Los Angeles are quite horrendous during daylight hours and in some cases, nightime traffic crawls depending on which freeway youre on.

You might notice that driving habits in SF and LA are quite different. LA with its broad freeways and boulevards is no easy task but San Francisco with its narrower streets requires more attention in my opinion. Downtown San Francisco is much more crowded with pedestrians than is downtown LA but the overall sprawl ans sheer size of LA is quite overwhelming to the newcomer.

Agree with all of the above. Only a bit to add. In LA, try to anticipate what your exit will be so you can get to the right lane in time. Always use your turn signal and then move quickly to change lanes. If you get off a freeway by mistake, you can usually get back on very easily--don't panic. Also, especially here in the Bay area some of the right lanes (as in the slowest one) are exit only lanes so keep on your toes. Obey the metering lights when getting on the freeways and never violate the HOV lanes--it's a terribly big fine if you are caught as a single driver. On some of the HOV lanes in So Cal, pay attention to the double lines which mean you have to stay in the HOV lane until it indicates you can change lanes.Motorcycles are allowed to pass between cars, sharing the lanes with them---the first couple times it happens to you it will startle you. Always wear your seatbelt--yes, they will stop you at least up here in the Bay area.The good news is that most drivers are very courteous--especially in LA where there is a "we're all in this together" attitude. Remember the pedestrians always have the right of way! No matter what stupid things they do. I almost killed a few when I first moved to California! You'll do just fine, and you can wait to rent your car until you are leaving SF--no need to have one here.

HOV= High Occupancy Vehicle, also know as a carpool lane. Often it is two or more people, so you and your boyfriend can use it, but do watch the signs. Also, Kam's advice to anticipate your exit and be over to the right in time is wise, and driving in the carpool lane might add additional stress (because it is almost always the far left lane).

I'm sorry that all of this advice is probably making it sound worse than it is-- honestly driving here is not that different from driving in any other metropolitan area. You'll be fine!

I've never had too much trouble with the traffic in San Francisco, but I try not to travel in rush hours. As for Southern California (from LA to San Diego) I have never not had trouble. And if there is a threat of rain in LA, I suggest you pack a lunch and a good book.