May be someone can help me - though I'm not sure there is an easy answer. Basically family of 5 (inc 2 teenage daughters- 13/15)travelling to USA/Canada for 1st time landing in Vancouver and staying for 4 weeks. We have different requirements -I'd like to see as much as possible (difficult to see us getting back) and don't mind the driving. Not keen on crowds and hot weather so not the best time to go I suspect but no choice.Girls want to go to LA (?!) / lots of shopping - usual stuff. Wife wants some time relaxing somewhere. Vague plan is to rent car at airport and head south almost straight away, whistle stop tour of San Fran (2/3 days), LA(2/3 days) via coastal highway, up to Yosesemite, few days Portland area, same round Seattle and back to Vancouver for 10 days rest/recovery. How silly is that out of 10 - I know its impossible really bit I'd value any thoughts on the itinery. Actually I'd like to do Banff aswell but a non starter I suppose. Few other questions-
1)any thoughts on flying Vancouver to LA and who is best/cheapest for such a flight?
2) For overnight stops what are the best budget hotels/motels for family of 5 - most only seem to allow 2 children with adults
3) How long driving times- Vancouver to San Fran - 2 days I thought may be stopping in Medford - but is it do- able in a day? Yosemite to Portland - is there a god scenic route and how long?

Any unmissable sites along the way would be welcome though prabably can't take in massive detours.

Sorry about any ignorance/stupidity that may be obvious in the above (but not to me). I live in a small cramped country (England) and have little sense of distances/times that may be involved.
Cheers.
Graham

Here's a quick first go at this.

1) Check on Expedia.com for the least expensive fares for your trip. It will give you options. You can pick which one you want and book directly through the airline if you want.

2) Most hotels will provide a roll away bed, if you ask, so you can add a bed. American "doubles" are not large enough for two average sized adults, unless they like to roll into each other. Queens are fine. We sometimes book two rooms.

3) Vancouver to San Francisco is almost 1,000 miles and not doable in a day. Vancouver to Medford is almost 600 miles, which is a very long day, especially if you hit traffic, which is not unlikely. Plus border crossing could take time. You'll probably break up the drive north of Medford. (Medford to SF is about 365 miles) You might want to break up the trip differently, taking a stop on the way to SF rather than rushing down and visiting places on the way back.
Vancouver to Portland is a nice day trip. Then Portland to Ashland, which is a cool town. See a play at the Shakespeare Festival (our kids enjoyed the Caberet theater recently). Then Ashland to SF.

Other detours: Oregon Coast; Mt. Rainier (a must do, I'd think); Mt. St. Helens.
I'm sure you've got a lot of good ideas heading your way on this website. I'll come up with more when I'm more awake.
Have a great trip!

Rereading this, I'm thinking you are used to kilometers. Think of averaging 60 to 70 mph on I-5, if you don't get into traffic. I'd say Vancouver to Seattle is about 2 1/2 hours; then you have to get through Seattle (add another 1/2 hour). Seattle to Portland is another 3 hours. Portland to Medford maybe 5 hours. And Medford to SF another 7 hours. Traffic will probably slow as you get towards SF. So, I'm guessing 18 hours without stops other than for gas, and no traffic congestion. If there are accidents (which is not at all improbable) or you hit a big city at rush hour, well, I don't want to depress you...

Orcas's driving times are in agreement with my experiences. My thought would be to do this as a one-way, rather than loop trip.

Vancouver to Seattle for a day or two, then Portland, Ashland (instead of Medford...much more of a 'destination'), then SF, Yosemite, and LA. From LA fly straight home, or back to Vancouver and then home. You could also do it in reverse, heading north as the days get hotter.

If this is not possible, due to airfares or car drop off fees, then I would budget more days to break up the long drives. It isn't impossible -I used to drive Portland to San Diego in two days when I was a univ student in a hurry to be home- but it is stressful and not fun to be on the road for more than about 5 hours in a day.
If you do that you wont need the 10 days in Vancouver at the end to recover!
.

I would definitely agree with doing it as a one-way rather than a loop. What may seem like beguiling and delightful scenery in one direction might translate into tedious and time-consuming driving on the way back. I've driven up the coast northwards from LA, and that might be the nicest way to go. You might also want to consider taking the ferry from the Seattle area to Sidney on Vancouver Island (just north of Victoria) - you could take the car - and then crossing to Vancouver for your flight home. We've seen whales and dolphins on that Seattle ferry.
What wonderful experiences you're going to have! Enjoy your holiday!

I couldn't find in your post exactly when you arrive; it might make some difference in terms of your desire to avoid heat and crowds.

If you want to have plenty of time in Vancouver at the end of the holiday (maybe 7 days instead of 10?) then you might well consider driving one way. There will be a drop fee for the car, and of course additional airfare to return to Vancouver, but it will cut a couple of heavy driving days out of your itinerary. One thought though - have you looked into "open jaw" flight schedules, for example flying to Vancouver, then back to Britain from LA? They're easy to arrange and the const differential is usually nominal.

On the assumption you want to drive down and back, here are a few comments. (I've hosted a number of British friends on this itinerary or something like it and so I think I know some of the things that they regarded as highlights.)

If you want to avoid heat, stay as close to the Pacific coast as you can. The inland freeway (Interstate 5) that runs from Seattle to San Diego is shielded from the Pacific by a string of low mountains. The result is that from southern Oregon (Medford) all the way to LA the climate along that highway in the summer can and is scorching - 100+F/40+C not at all uncommon in places like Medford or Sacramento.

The good news is that the coastal areas are infinitely more interesting to visit, have more scenic attractions, nicer towns, and more opportunities to relax and interact with nature, rather than playing tag with truckers on a deadline.

The drive from Vancouver to San Francisco using the coastal route (I-5 as far south as Oregon, then the Oregon coast on down) requires 3 days of moderate driving. Included in this is time to see the coastal Redwoods in northern California, invariably the highlight of the trip. The last 250 miles into SF can either be driven on the main US 101 highway (mostly freeway/motorway style) or on the slower but incredibly scenic California Highway 1, which hugs the coastline through gorgeous country. Using Highway 1 effectively adds a day to the drive.

From SF to LA you basically have the same choice - inland on 101 for a couple hundred miles (hot here too but not like I-5) or the Big Sur/Hearst Castle stretch of Hwy 1. Again, you're on holiday and this length of coastline is what people from all over the world travel to see.

After LA, you can (a) drop the car and fly back, (b) hit I-5 and aim for Yosemite, or (c) retrace your steps. This is where timing comes in. Yosemite is simply inundated with visitors throughout the summer, and while it's a glorious place, the combination of lowland heat (the Calif. central valley and Sierra foothills can be broiling in July/Aug/Sept.) and gazillions of tourists, plus their exhaust fumes, can make the experience less than ideal.

Personally I'd be inclined to skip it, and load the family into the car and head north, pedal to metal. If you use I-5, give some consideration to leaving LA in the very early morning (like, 3 AM) so as to escape morning traffic, and plan to get through the California central valley all in one day, overnighting in someplace like Redding or Mt. Shasta - call it 10 hours from LA. Then the next day Portland is a snap.

Or fly back from LA to Vancouver, rent a second car and drive over to Banff/Jasper, a long but doable day from Vancouver each way.

Or take the train from LA to Portland or Seattle - very nice ride.

Or morph this into a grand tour of the west and head north from LA on Interstate 15, through Las Vegas and Utah (talk about heat, also fascinating) with the idea of hitting Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons instead of Banff. Yellowstone can be reached in two longish days from LA, and while Yellowstone is also heavily visited, it's more spread out and with more facilities than Yosemite. My concern with this alternative would be that your daughters might start getting a bit antsy with nothing but scenery and the odd cowboy outside the car windows.

If heading inland is not practical or if you think it's adding too much travel onto your plates, then you can substitute some closer-in but still world class mountain scenery by renting an apartment or condominium for a week at Whistler, two hours north of Vancouver in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Start at http://www.mywhistler.com/ for ideas and leads on accommodation.

It's a wilderness of choice - good luck with your planning.

thanks to each of you for replying - i'm really amazed and grateful for the time you given to my various dilemmas. Its a wilderness of choice indeed - too much choice when you're greedy to see everything.
I'm coming mid/late July hece the concerns over heat - Yosemite sounds a bit of a nightmare - its mid 20's here in the UK and I'm struggling. Sadly looking for one way flights for 5 of us may not be within the budget so I'm really going to have give the route some careful thought - the guide driving times are invaluable.
Thanks again.
Graham