US West coast cities - how many nights

Caz3121

Just booked flights with my bmi miles and will be redeeming points for hotels so is a real moneysaving holiday - leave 19th May (and already planning!)
Arrive LAX
want to drive to Vegas (well OH does)
will take flight Vegas to SFO (due to short holiday not going to drive)
fly back from SFO on day 10 with 1 day/night stop in Toronto

Currently have LA, Vegas and SFO all pencilled in for 3 nights each - tempted to change LA to 2 and increase Vegas to 4 - want to spend one of the Vegas days going to Grand Canyon. Been reading the Vegas thread but wondered if we are likely to end up with any regrets only doing 2 nights in LA

We are not going to do Studios/Anaheim etc but do want to do Getty Museum and probably a bus tour

any thoughts?

jenny_f

LA - don't spend ages there, Venice Beach is the nicest area. We felt 3 days was too long! We stayed on the Walk of Fame and wouldn't again, Venice Beach much nicer.

Vegas - get a hotel on the strip, can get really nice, well known hotels for £20+

Grand Canyon - defo worth seeing

If you need to break the journey up then Yosemite National Park is nice - can do short or long walks.

San Fran - make sure you go to Alcatraz - might be best to book to make sure you don't miss out, wine tour (if you can get someone else to drive), San Fran was one of my fave places in the USA

We did the same thing but San Fran to LA and with a tour so not as much flexibility.

misa.blue

Hi Caz3121
We are about to book our flights for April/MAy.
Flying to LA, staying there just 1 day, going to see Universal studios. Then driving down to San Diego for 2 nights. From SD back round LA to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel (one night in each town) then droping of hire car in San Fran where we stay for 4 days. From San Fran flying to Vegas for 3 days and back to London from there.

Who are you flying with?

Zazie

Have to agree that you'd be better to take a day off LA and add to LV in order to get out to see the Grand Canyon. It took my breath away.

LA is very sprawling and you spend a lot of time just getting from A to B. In SF you don't need a car. Buy a MUNI pass and you can have unlimited rides on all public transport (including cable cars).

Caz3121

misa.blue wrote: »

Hi Caz3121
We are about to book our flights for April/MAy.
Flying to LA, staying there just 1 day, going to see Universal studios. Then driving down to San Diego for 2 nights. From SD back round LA to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel (one night in each town) then droping of hire car in San Fran where we stay for 4 days. From San Fran flying to Vegas for 3 days and back to London from there.

Who are you flying with?

booked with my bmi miles all business class - managed to get Air New Zealand for the flight out and coming back with Air Canada from San Francisco to Toronto - spending a night and full day there then Toronto to London overnight

this started off as a 'where can we go for a long weekend to use some free hotel nights that need to be used by end of May'...to this!....so accomodation all free and only taxes paid for flights..we have 6 months to save for spends....excited :j

misa.blue

Caz: wow, that is cool! You did well then.

ailuro2

Haven't met anyone yet who liked LA more than SF or LV...

the Grand Canyon is awesome, spend as much time there as you can afford.

I second the alcatraz trip, is brilliant! We did the alcatraz trip combined with the city tour.

When we were in Toronto we stayed at the Grand Hotel and Suites, very nice hotel with the best,cheapest room service menu we'd ever seen!

dmg24

ailuro2 wrote: »

Haven't met anyone yet who liked LA more than SF or LV...

Me? LA is marmite, you love it or hate it. For a few days sat by the pool it is fab. San Francisco bored me, just another city, and Fishermans Wharf is chav hell (think Skegness/ Blackpool with sun). I enjoyed Alcatraz, but having been to the Eastern State Peniteniary (Philadelphia) I prefer the latter.

Caz3121, I have stayed at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza twice now, it is a lovely hotel in a very accessible location. I have heard good reports of the Andaz also. I would avoid Hollywood, it is a dump.

dickydonkin

Originally Posted by ailuro2
Haven't met anyone yet who liked LA more than SF or LV...

Well here's another one to add to the list!

I am of the same mindset as dmg24 on this one - sure - you have to see SF and LV, but once you have seen all of the (some may say) tacky hotels on the strip, then the novelty wears off somewhat.

Of course there are some tours you can take from LV - such as the Grand Canyon - but that is not really in LV is it? - in fact it is in another state. Factor in the Chav crowd who disembark the VS flights from the UK after drinking the flight dry, hardly enhances the image of the place either.

As for SF - I do like the city, although after seeing the main points, then that is it really.

In respect of LA, once you have found a base, you have access to numerous beaches, islands (Catalina is certainly worth a visit), Hollywood (if that's your thing) although did some horse riding in the Hollywood hills a couple of weeks ago - the views were worth the price alone.

Obviously the theme parks are also readily accessible (fortunately the kids are now grown up and I don't have to endure the Disney ordeal any more)

You are also within reasonable driving distance of Mexico (Tijuana is an acquired taste however), but I certainly would not discourage anyone from visiting SF or LA - it is just my preference not to go there any more.

OK - I accept that some of these places I have mentioned are not technically in LA either, but the point I am trying to make is that you are in easy access of many attractions within a relatively short drive.

I also appreciate that LA is not many peoples cup of tea either - one mans meat and all that!

dickydonkin

Caz3121 wrote: »

booked with my bmi miles all business class - managed to get Air New Zealand for the flight out and coming back with Air Canada from San Francisco to Toronto - spending a night and full day there then Toronto to London overnight

this started off as a 'where can we go for a long weekend to use some free hotel nights that need to be used by end of May'...to this!....so accomodation all free and only taxes paid for flights..we have 6 months to save for spends....excited :j

I don't know if you have used Air New Zealand before, but they are very good - we just returned from LAX last week and the flights/food were fine - Enjoy!

Lower_North

SF - get a 1 or 3 day pass on the trams to get around. its a fun way to see the city. I agree about booking Alcatrz on line to save disappointment. Found it better in morning as there were less tourists.

Really envy you. Have a great time