West Coast roadtrip

Hi, My wife and I who live in the UK are spending 2 weeks traveeling the West Coast of America this summer. Has anyone got and suggestions on places to visit which I wouldn't find in the usual guidebooks? Reply to this

Thanks for the advice. A guidebook it is then!

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I've always found it very useful to have a guide book in one hand, a map in the other, and available internet access. Especially for the West Coast, read the guide book in combination with looking at possible routes along the coast. Jot down any place you have a remote interest in, and then go ahead and research it more to find things that might be outside of the guidebook's realm. City and town websites have often showed me specific events going on that have changed my itinerary or allowed me to experience something I would have missed otherwise.

I will have to recommend that you drive down Highway 1 in California. The views are incredible and though the towns can be few and far between at times (you might want to pack a lunch if doing a day drive). The stretch of land from Big Sur to Mendocino are by far my favorite places on the West Coast, with San Francisco right in the middle. Reply to this

We're going to start in San Fran and have about 2 weeks before our flight out from LA. Currently have no idea what sights to see. Think it will depend on our method of transport.
I'm thinking of renting a car, but if coach/train is a cheaper viable option i'll go for that.
Any recommendations as to what I should do for the 2 weeks? Reply to this

If you are in California, the outdoors are definitely the way to go. The Beaches are great. Yes, rent a car. Public transportation in general if horrible in California. San Francisco has a decent one, but only if you stay in the city, thus for the majority of things you NEED a car. That being said, I drove a car on the "wrong" side of the road in New Zealand and Ireland, so it's payback now. But you still need a car. Get a convertible if you can. really adds to the experience.

Yosemite National Park. Pain to get stay there in the The Valley, but this is the off season so it may not be that bad. It really is magnificent. Everyone talks about it, but it would be a shame to be in California and not see it.

Joshua Tree Nationa Monument: Outside of Los Angeles. Kind of a desert but really nice rock formations. I'm not a rock climber myself but enjoyed it anyway.

Big Sur: The area on Highway 1 on the beach. When they talk about the beautiful CA coast, that is what they are talking about.

Yes In And out Burgers are nice, but if you are from the UK, you have to try to Mexican food here. The real stuff. Not as good as Mexico, but better than anything in Europe. So hit a mom and pop place.

Venice Beach: How can you go to a California beach town and not go to Venice Beach.

Yes are my suggestions are in the guidebooks, but there is a reason it's in the guide books.

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hi, you mentioned you were starting in san francisco and flying out of LA.....i am hoping to do arizona next year and want to fly into phoenix and out of LA. who are you flying with from UK? is it really expensive to fly out of a different airport than the one you arrive in? I'd be pleased for info, you sound like you've done research already. thanx. Reply to this

Hi Mikethewhite. I live in London and have always wanted to do the US West Coast. Last year I took 3 weeks off and did this:

Flew to San Francisco, hired a mustang cabriolet (obviously !) spent 3 nights in SF partying and visiting the normal attractions. Alcatraz = good ! GGBridge = Lovely ! The scenic drive = good ! Lots of traffic though but the guide book warned me about this anyway. Went to the amazing red wood bar all made from rich red wood ! I thought I needed to see as much as SF as possible so I stayed in a hostel the first night. Some advice, don't do this if you are with your wife. I stayed in the Sky Line hostel with a Sky Bar on the top but sharing bunk beds with strangers is never a good idea, I thought I was mad but these guys were on another planet. Next 2 nights I stayed in an amazing hotel which runs out of space about now so book up, I know the stars tend to hang out there because they have a night club attached, sorry I'll get the name for you.

Start drive, now I'll go through where I stopped off and excuse if I sound arrogant but I am a 28 year old male so boring for me may not be boring for others ! Ok in no order, stopped off at Santa Cruz = boring, Marina Del Ray = nice, Yosemite = amazing ! Long Beach = not bad, Santa Monica = amazing ! Santa Barbra = unmissable, brilliant ! Malibu = only one bar but a beautiful 22 mile long caostal drive ! Hermosa = nice, Huntington = very very nice if you like surfers and beaches, I loved it ! Big Sur = unreal, must see it ! Veince Beach = brilliant ! I was pulled over several times and when the police hear you are on holiday and you have all your documentation, you really couldn't hope to be pulled up by anyone more polite ! You need a convertible to take in all of the views.

I made the drive take about 5 or 6 days because I stopped and zig zagged to Yosemite and didn't want to miss a single mile of PCH, just stay on the same road the whole way Highway 1. As I remember you do come off it for an hour onto 101 but it's failry straight forward and all the cars come with satnav.

Then I spent a week and a half in LA, stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 3 nights and to my dissapointment was very snooty so checked out after a couple of nights but then I guess it would be like that because the price of the rooms but worth seeing especially for the pool. Stayed at the Standard Down Town Hollywood which was very cool ! Lots of clubs in Beverly Hills and Hollywood and lovely driving down all the famous raods. Shopping Santa Monica was lovely, most things are cheaper but I noticed designer clothes cost about the same as back in the UK.

Try and get a mountain bike everywhere you stop and cycle along the paths of the beach, the bikes all seem to be good quality and there are hire shops everywhere !

Then I ran out of time and had to come back so I'm going again for 3 weeks to do the bits I missed, namely Palm Springs and Death Valley. If I have some time spare I would like to go to Miami South Beach for a week if anyone has been lives there, shedding some inside light on this would be great !

Oh ye, if you like nightlif DEFINITELY get the TIMEOUT travel guide and not the Lonely Planet one, TO is much better with much better places . That's from experience !

Any questions you have I would be happy to answer. But I highly recomend the West Coast, only wish I had been around 50 odd years ago when Route 66 was everything I have read about but you can't have everything ! Reply to this