DIY or travel agent

sandsy

Whilst I haven't been, my general comment would be that in countries with good tourist infrastructure, it will often be cheaper to book it yourself. In fact, planning holidays like this can become a bit of a hobby. And the satisfaction when you get to experience it all in the way you wanted is immense.

Nobody else will ever fully understand your family's wants as much as you do. Read extensively. Find the relevant tripadvisor forums. Use tips like those provided above on flights (and generally flights become more expensive nearer the time).

Look at different types of accommodation from hotels and motels to apartments and B&Bs. City stays will be most expensive but can often be funded by staying in much cheaper accommodation elsewhere. Using a mixture of types adds to the interest and fun.

Have fun planning!

nimac20

wow, thanks for all the replies!! I'll read through them all and come back with more questions!!

nimac20

nickcc wrote: »

Depends on the children's age regards cost.

Both will be under 11 at the time, just!!

Make sure you research likely weather conditions for your trip for instance if you intend to head east out of Yosemite through the Tioga pass, it's closed for much of the year.

We are going in June, after looking on the yosemite website, some roads may be closed. We will be heading west out of the park.

Don't dismiss the idea of getting positioning flights to/from a non-UK airport and starting your holiday from (say) Dublin. The potential saving can be considerable. As a guide DUB - SFO, LAX to DUB was £1504, MAN-SFO, LAX-MAN was £2525 & LHR - SFO, LAX to LHR was £2491

We're in Ireland anyway so was probably going to go from Dublin anyway, i was budgeting £2,000 for flights, what flight search site did you use to get these prices?

Whilst I haven't been, my general comment would be that in countries with good tourist infrastructure, it will often be cheaper to book it yourself. In fact, planning holidays like this can become a bit of a hobby. And the satisfaction when you get to experience it all in the way you wanted is immense.

Thats a great point, i think we'll organise it ourselves.

Thanks everybody for all the great info, i've taken it all in and will look at the websites recommended.

For the people who've already done this trip or similar, can you recommend accomodation to use, thats probably the biggest issue i will have, making sure its meets our needs - ideally we want to have rudimentary cooking facilities to cook for ourselves (we will have dietary issues to cater for), safe area etc... We dont mind roughing it a little, not looking for 5 star, just clean and comfortable!!

Murphy_The_Cat

nimac20 wrote: »

wow, thanks for all the replies!! I'll read through them all and come back with more questions!!

start saving your £££££'ssss:beer:

John259

nimac20 wrote: »

For the people who've already done this trip or similar, can you recommend accommodation

Searching for accommodation on Google Maps will give you a good idea of what's available and relative pricing in each town or city. For example, motels near San Luis Obispo:
https://goo.gl/maps/CffNatuWPwC2
(you can zoom in and pan round to see more detail, and drop into StreetView mode to view the outside of the buildings and the surroundings)

Some people find the budget motel chains acceptable, while others prefer to use the more expensive chains. I'd suggest giving a budget chain motel a try somewhere in your trip, if only for research purposes for future trips.

Some motels have in-room microwave ovens. However, you would need to check this for individual locations on the relevant chains' web sites. Even then, microwaves might not be supplied in every room. Sorry, I've no experience of any more in-room cooking facilities.

In most cases, where there are motels there are also restaurants nearby. The restaurant chains' web sites usually contain detailed nutritional information about each of their menu items.

John259

PS:

Independent family run "mom & pop" motels in smaller towns can often be good value for money, but standards vary so pre-booking can be risky. Also, you're unlikely to find any in-room cooking facilities other than coffee makers in these motels, although I have very occasionally encountered toasters.

In the UK, B&B means inexpensive accommodation in family homes. But in the USA it means expensive "chic" or "boutique" style accommodation, usually at least as expensive as the upper-end motel/hotel chains.

blindman

nimac20 wrote: »

We are going in June, after looking on the yosemite website, some roads may be closed. We will be heading west out of the park.


We're in Ireland anyway so was probably going to go from Dublin anyway, i was budgeting £2,000 for flights, what flight search site did you use to get these prices?

Google flights is a good site


Thats a great point, i think we'll organise it ourselves.

Good decision


For the people who've already done this trip or similar, can you recommend accomodation to use, thats probably the biggest issue i will have, making sure its meets our needs - ideally we want to have rudimentary cooking facilities to cook for ourselves (we will have dietary issues to cater for), safe area etc... We dont mind roughing it a little, not looking for 5 star, just clean and comfortable!!

If you are staying in one area for a few days it may be worth looking at

AirBbN

VRBO

as you can rent out a home which will have the amenities you need.

Southwest thread has some accomodation recommendations for people who actually stayed
My first trip to Yosemite and around has accomodation we stayed at, though no Youtube clips.

Other posters have done similar-Though again with no YouTube clips....

If you're doing one nighters then look at tripadvisor for motels\suites nearby where you may stop.
Some can be good value for a family-Some can be cess pits!

John29 will recommend Motel 6 :eek:
I would avoid them like the plague!

Depending on your credit history you could sign up to AMEX PLAT card to get the points and convert to hotel points.
These can come in handy for expensive cities, though some chains will not let you book a family room with points

Look at Headforpoints for info.

Murphy_The_Cat

John259 wrote: »

In the UK, B&B means inexpensive accommodation in family homes. But in the USA it means expensive "chic" or "boutique" style accommodation, usually at least as expensive as the upper-end motel/hotel chains.

I've stayed in some US B&B's in the past and its fair to say that the memories remain, when the cost has been long forgotten :beer:. If you deal in value, rather than cost, there are some good 'deals' out there.

IF the OP can get a family room in a B&B, then the cost per person can sometimes make things more cost effective. But comparing a B&B with a chain motel is like comparing apple to pears.

But possibly not applicable for the OP, who may be on to tight a budget.

hollie.weimeraner

I have planned a holiday this autumn, San Francisco 4 nights (Villa Florence), Monterey 2 nights, Cambria 1 night, Yosemite 3 nights, Mammoth 1 night, Vegas 3 nights (Bellagio) and Grand Canyon 2 nights. Flying in to SF and home from Las Vegas. Doing it myself has saved me at least £2,000 over what I was quoted by travel companies. Including car hire and flights it totals about £4,200 but that will vary with the exchange rates changing.
Flights will be cheaper if you can fly into and out of the same airport and if you fly into and stay in San Francisco don't hire a car while you're in the city, car park charges are horrendous.
I used Hertz to hire a car as they were the cheapest for me.
It did my head in planning it and finding hotels but saved me a fortune.
Loads of assistance on trip advisor road trip and California forums which you should read.
The cost is for myself and my wife so £4,000 for a family may be pushing it. My flights are £1100 BA from Manchester via Heathrow. Flying from Heathrow itself added another £500 to the bill!

blindman

hollie.weimeraner wrote: »

I have planned a holiday this autumn,

San Francisco 4 nights (Villa Florence),
Monterey 2 nights,
Cambria 1 night,
Yosemite 3 nights,
Mammoth 1 night,
Vegas 3 nights (Bellagio) and
Grand Canyon 2 nights.

Flying in to SF and home from Las Vegas.

Doing it myself has saved me at least £2,000 over what I was quoted by travel companies.
Including car hire and flights it totals about £4,200 but that will vary with the exchange rates changing.

Flights will be cheaper if you can fly into and out of the same airport

In general not true TBHO

and if you fly into and stay in San Francisco don't hire a car while you're in the city, car park charges are horrendous.
I used Hertz to hire a car as they were the cheapest for me.
It did my head in planning it and finding hotels but saved me a fortune.
Loads of assistance on trip advisor road trip and California forums which you should read.
The cost is for myself and my wife so £4,000 for a family may be pushing it. My flights are £1100 BA from Manchester via Heathrow. Flying from Heathrow itself added another £500 to the bill!

Flying into\out of Vegas tends to be the expensive bit compared to other airports.