Programs: MUCCI Seigneurs Veneres de la Pucci, Hotel Chocolat, LA Fitness (mainly thanks to Hotel Chocolat)
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I did San Fran to Palm Springs (not a gay road trip itinerary at all!). Overnighted in Monterey and Carmel which was lovely and then highway 1 with picnic and picture stops enroute. On the way back we drove via Yosemite which was again a wonderful place to stay overnight and broke the distances into nicer sizes.
Personally (and without any bias ), why on earth would you want to go to LA anyway? It's not a real city in the London/Paris/NYC sense, just endless quantities of traffic, smog and human debris.
Arrive and depart SFO, drive Highway 1 down to Monterey-Carmel-Pebble Beach-Big Sur, then turn around and head back to San Francisco and the wine county of Napa/Sonoma.
Thank you all for the advice, to say I was somewhat confused before posting this thread is an understatement after all the great ideas I have now recieved.
We are planning to travel on a friday returning monday week giving us at weekend at each city. I think we may plump for the SFO/ LAX route, my thoughts are that if the weather isn't great for March we can always do a run across to Las Vegas for a few days in the sun before going over to LAX for return flight.
We both enjoy a tipple of the old plonk (me red/ TOH white) so hoping to do a few overnights on the road south to do some samlpling.
Availability is looking good for both options at the moment, been having a look at car hire firms and many seem to be unclear as to fees for 1 way hire.
Many thanks to all.
... been having a look at car hire firms and many seem to be unclear as to fees for 1 way hire.
Most of the majors don't charge extra for 1 way SFO-LAX since they are corporately owned locations. But, beware of huge surcharges for SFO pickup. Example: Avis is quoting 1 week SFO airport-LAX at almost $800. But SFO city-LAX comes in at only $450.
Since you are planning on your first weekend in SFO, I would suggest taking a taxi $40 from the airport to your hotel and not renting your car until Monday... you don't need one in SF anyway. That saves on nightly parking (as much as $45 a night depending on the hotel) plus it cuts your rental to a week. Most majors (Avis/Hertz) have multiple downtown rental locations near hotels.
Since you are planning on your first weekend in SFO, I would suggest taking a taxi $40 from the airport to your hotel and not renting your car until Monday... you don't need one in SF anyway.
Good advice about no having a car while staying in SF, but id say you can probably save even more and take BART unto SF for ~$9/person, which is walking distance from most major hotels.
I also agree with those saying you should start in LA and end in SF
Good advice about no having a car while staying in SF, but id say you can probably save even more and take BART unto SF for ~$9/person, which is walking distance from most major hotels.
OP noted that he was "... Looking to take our first redemptions in F so want to make the best of F experience..." BART hardly qualifies, although it would be one way to experience a different part of SF, especially if OP got off at the wrong stop.
Location: LAX, STL or somewhere I don't want to be
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SFO777
Personally (and without any bias ), why on earth would you want to go to LA anyway? It's not a real city in the London/Paris/NYC sense, just endless quantities of traffic, smog and human debris.
I'd much rather live in LA than San Fran any day
As far as adding anything I would land in LA go up to SFO.
No arguments there. However for a visitor sightseeing ?????
I'd recommend booking a one day bus trip of LA . You'd see all the 'tourist bits' and decide that none of them really warranted any more attention for a separate trip.
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The final straw, that breaks the camels back, is if they get rid of the London Pride.
Most of the majors don't charge extra for 1 way SFO-LAX since they are corporately owned locations. But, beware of huge surcharges for SFO pickup. Example: Avis is quoting 1 week SFO airport-LAX at almost $800. But SFO city-LAX comes in at only $450.
Since you are planning on your first weekend in SFO, I would suggest taking a taxi $40 from the airport to your hotel and not renting your car until Monday... you don't need one in SF anyway. That saves on nightly parking (as much as $45 a night depending on the hotel) plus it cuts your rental to a week. Most majors (Avis/Hertz) have multiple downtown rental locations near hotels.
Driving in SF can be a bl**dy nightmare. With the trams and the steepness of the hills it can become quite stressful, particularly at night. It's quite unnerving when you look out of the windscreen and can't see the road in front of you .
As mentioned, hotel parking prices are steep (much like the hills ) expect to pay $50 a day.
In summary ,try to avoid having the car in SF.
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The final straw, that breaks the camels back, is if they get rid of the London Pride.
While I agree about route 1 as the way to go, you also might consider going inland to visit either Redwood or Yosemite national parks.
Redwood NP is 250 miles north of SF. Wrong way.
Yosemite in March? Hmmm.
Edited to add... if the one-way car fees/costs are too high, you can drive from LA to SFO via the inland route (Interstate 5) in around 6 1/2 hours (or considerably less, depending on your skill at slip-streaming the semis.) So you could return the car to SFO, thereby (probably) saving considerable scratch.
__________________ Vengeance is for people who don't have the patience for karma.
But, Sequoia National Park (IMHO one of the most insanely cool places on earth) is sort of between SFO & LAX and it's stunning in the snow.
My inexperienced choice would be to drive LAX-->SFO - no doubt there are many great part of LA but most people I've spoken to have been underwhelmed by LA (myself included), so would be best to get it done first!
One thing to bear in mind when considering side trips (e.g. Yosemite) is that some of the key roads will be closed by snow when you are there. So you can rock up somewhere and then realise it's quite a long drive to where you want to go because e.g. Tioga pass is still closed.
But you will often find that visiting these places (e.g. Yosemite, Bodie CA etc.) in winter is very rewarding.
But, Sequoia National Park (IMHO one of the most insanely cool places on earth) is sort of between SFO & LAX and it's stunning in the snow.
A bit like saying that Holyhead is sort of between London and Edinburgh.
Go SF > LA on SR 1, stopping at Point Lobos State Park, Nepenthe near Big Sur (with Orson Welles' and Rita Hayworth's cabin below) and the Hearst Castle. Go clam digging in the surf at Pismo Beach (cold, but the mutant Pismo clams are to die for) and go wine tasting around the Santa Ynez valley (Sideways.) Spend at least one night (two better) in Santa Barbara, one of California's (make that America's) most beautiful cities. Bring money. Have breakfast (Latkes or Salami and Eggs) at Nate 'n Al's on Beverly Drive and play spot-the-former-movie-star (or current TV types.) Go to a Lakers game. Dinner at Nobu or Spago. Bring more money. Walk along the Strand and out the pier at Manhattan Beach and watch the surfers. Eat a burrito. He who is tired of LA is tired of... oh wait.
Forget the ragtop in March - too expensive and you'll freeze your tuchas off. Get a small SUV instead so you can use the higher seating position to see over the other cars.
__________________ Vengeance is for people who don't have the patience for karma.
), why on earth would you want to go to LA anyway? It's not a real city in the London/Paris/NYC sense, just endless quantities of traffic, smog and human debris. 
) expect to pay $50 a day. 
