Our California Fly Drive

stphnstevey

Hi

Going on a fly drive around California end of August this year, the following is our itinary that we have constructed.

If anyone has any ideas or comments on accomodation, places to visit/must see's, car hire etc etc - please feel free to comment (helpful constructive comments only please)

So far I have only booked the flights, Grand Canyon and Yosemite accomodation - any comments form people who have stayed in the same accomodation much appreciated

Just starting to flesh it out for the moment, so ideas welcome

Thanks


ITINARY

Sat – Depart Heathrow afternoon
Sat – Arrive Las Vegas evening


13 days in total

Sun GRAND CANYON
Start: Las Vegas
Finish: Grand Canyon Village
Hrs driving: 6hrs 300m

Explore LV 8am-12pm (4hrs)
Leave LV 12pm, arrive GC 6pm
Explore GC 7pm-9pm (2hrs)

Maswik Lodge



Mon LAS VEGAS
Start: Grand Canyon Village
Finish: Las Vegas
Hrs driving: 6hrs 300m

Explore GC 8am-2pm (6hrs)
Leave GC 2pm, arrive LV 8pm



Tues DEATH VALLEY
Start: Las Vegas - Death Valley
Finish: Lone Pine
Hrs driving: 4hrs 30m 250m (6hrs if goto Death Valley Nat Park)

Explore LV 8am-12pm (4hrs)
Leave LV 12pm, arrive DV 2pm
Explore DV 2pm-6pm (4hrs)
Leave DV 6pm, arrive LP 8pm



Wed YOSEMITE
Start: Lone Pine
Finish: Yosemite
Hrs driving: 4hrs 200m

Housekeeping Camp



Thurs YOSEMITE
Start: Yosemite
Finish: Yosemite
Hrs driving: 0hrs 0m

Housekeeping Camp



Fri YOSEMITE
Start: Yosemite
Finish: Yosemite
Hrs driving: 0hrs 0m



Sat SAN FRANSCISCO
Start:Yosemite
Finish: San Franscisco
Hrs driving: 4hrs 200m



Sun SAN FRANSCISCO
Start: San Franscisco
Finish: San Franscisco
Hrs driving: 0hrs 0m



Mon SANTA MARIA
Start: San Franscisco
Finish: Santa Maria
Hrs driving: 4.5hrs 250m



Tues LOS ANGELES
Start: Santa Maria
Finish: Los Angeles
Hrs driving: 3hrs 170m



Wed LOS ANGELES
Start: Los Angeles
Finish: Los Angeles
Hrs driving: 0hrs 0m


Thurs SAN DIEGO
Start: Los Angeles
Finish: San Diego
Hrs driving: 2hrs 121m


Fri SAN DIEGO
Start: San Diego
Finish: San Diego
Hrs driving: 0hrs 0m


Sat – Depart San Diego evening
Sun – Arrive Heathrow afternoon

Walter_Sobchak

I think http://www.usrentacar.co.uk/ is the best site for car hire, I plan on booking through them for our USA road trip in September.

Goldust

Have you already been to Las Vegas? Is that why you don't want to explore it much?

I'd swerve driving to the Canyon and back and get a helicopter excursion there. That gives you another day to explore Vegas, take in a show if you like that kind of thing.

Also I could be wrong here but they charge you a huge fee if you don't drop the car back at the same place. There is an exclusion to this if you pick up and drop off anywhere in California but don't think this extends to Vegas.

Agree 100% with the person above who said usrentacar - they were far and away the best deal.

stphnstevey

We are on a small budget and £300 for the two of us to go on a helicopter excursion is quite expensive for us.

The Grand Canyon hotel is only £60 for the two of us and petrol probaly £90, so half the price. We also get alot of time at the Grand Canyon, rather than the normal 3hrs or so.

We looked at Dollar and Alamo car rental, selecting the option for drop off in another city and the platinum service was only about £300-£600 for the whole 2 wks.

We wanted to spend about a day in Vegas, but only for the casinos and lights, nothing much more

jackieblack

Have you done a seach on this forum?
There have been dozens of threads on California/Las Vegas/West Coast USA trips which will give you an enormous amount of information.

System

This is nigh on the same itinerary we followed several years ago but we included South Lake Tahoe and never made it to Santa Maria or San Diego.

I would not leave out the Grand Canyon as there is just so much to see. I would also suggest doing the tour of the Hoover Dam, it is really informative. I would recommend more time in Vegas though.

When we were in Vegas we went on a tour which involved a flight over the west rim of the Grand Canyon and which then took you to Hoover Dam from which we rafted (not white water) down Black Canyon.
There are various companies which offer this:-
www.papillon.com
www.maverickhelicopter.com
www.sundancehelicopters.com


I would also recommend visiting the Museum of Tolerance in LA if you have the time. It is very thought provoking and something different from the usual sites but it will take up several hours of your time.Oh and make sure you visit the Farmers market area.

You are travelling the best way from San Francisco to LA (north to south) because you will be on the side of the road closest to the edge and there are many places to pull over to enjoy the view.

victor2

The Grand Canyon is huge and you really don't have that much time there. Well worth making the effort to see a sunset or sunrise.
San Francisco looks tight as well - you will have to be very selective in what you see in a day.
Vegas, you'll either love or just cross it off the list to say "been there."
Yosemite is beautiful, you have about the right amount of time there.
The drive from Vegas to the Canyon is very long and largely boring. Easy driving, but little to see - make sure you have a comfortable car. I used to hire cars quite a bit in the US. Found the trick was to book a car I considered adequate, then see what upgrade deals they offered (which they inevitably did) when I collected it.

Murphy_The_Cat

If you book a Dollar/Alamo car via US Rentacar (great company, highly recommended), then there is no oneway hire charge in Arizona/Nevada/California.

By the look of it, you are going to be doing quite a lot of miles - IMO, it is well and truly worth spending a bit extra and getting a mile eating luxury car, rather than skinning a fart and getting something smaller/mid range. The extra comfort is so worth paying a few ££££ for.

tarkytarks

We rented a car in SFO and returned it in Vegas with no one way fee, so it shouldn't be a problem. We also didn't spend a big amount on a luxury car either - went for a focus sized car but do make sure you go for one with air con as it will be HOT when you're there! We ended up with a nissan versa which was pretty crappy to be honest but it got us from A to B but the automatic-ness was annoying but you get that in the US

We did some of your route in reverse - Yosemite (stayed in Oakhurst but couldn't use the pass and it took us a full day to get to) - Lone Pine (stayed in the Best Western hotel there - it was OK, one of the better inclusive breakfasts but the air con in the room wasn't great) - Death Valley (do try and visit Scottys Castle if you can - it's so unexpected in the middle of the desert!) - Vegas.

As you have limited time in Vegas I'd suggest you stay in a hotel mid strip to give you maximum chance to see as many of the casinos as possible, it can take a long time getting between them otherwise!

I second visiting hoover damn if you can - even if you just stop off fairly briefly on the way to or from the Grand Canyon.

Try and make time to visit Alcatraz in SFO and make sure you stop off in Monterey on your drive down the coast to LA.

Goldust

stphnstevey wrote: »

We are on a small budget and £300 for the two of us to go on a helicopter excursion is quite expensive for us.

The Grand Canyon hotel is only £60 for the two of us and petrol probaly £90, so half the price. We also get alot of time at the Grand Canyon, rather than the normal 3hrs or so.

We looked at Dollar and Alamo car rental, selecting the option for drop off in another city and the platinum service was only about £300-£600 for the whole 2 wks.

We wanted to spend about a day in Vegas, but only for the casinos and lights, nothing much more

I'd say being in the Canyon is better than being on the Canyon. It was $300 which was around £200 at the time which brings the two prices a lot closer together. Up to you though I guess...

Murphy_The_Cat

tarkytarks wrote: »

We rented a car in SFO and returned it in Vegas with no one way fee, so it shouldn't be a problem. We also didn't spend a big amount on a luxury car either - went for a focus sized car but do make sure you go for one with air con as it will be HOT when you're there! We ended up with a nissan versa which was pretty crappy to be honest but it got us from A to B but the automatic-ness was annoying but you get that in the US

Thats exactly my point - a holiday to California that is centred around a road trip deserves decent transport. You got a minging Nissan Versa, I got a V8 Cadillac DTS . You saved a few ££ and got a crappy car, I spent a few ££ more and got a car that made my Californian holiday even better :beer:

p.s Monteray / Monteray Aquirium is a great stop off. I still smile when I think of Sea Otters