Looking to do a road trip San Fransisco to Los Angeles (or vice versa)in mid march but after advice form lurkers who know the cities the best way to do it ( Fly out to LAX/ SFO ). Looking to take our first redemptions in F so want to make the best of F experience.
Regards
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Highway 1 all the way - one of the best things Ive ever done - Pebble beach, Monterrey, Santa cruz, Big Sur, - you could add in a side trip to Yosemite as well depending on how long you have. Enjoy !
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Hi,
I would probably do;
(1) LHR-SFO ( easier immigration)
(2) LAX-LHR ( whilst TBIT is not as nice as SFO intl terminal the OW First lounge is better than the small room at SFO- although at SFO you are almost face to face with the 747-400 and you will board from the lounge)
If you are driving down the Pacific Coast highway ( via Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur/Pebble Beach and the 17 mile scenic drive) then as you drive down on the right you will have the Pacific ocean directly to your right
Regards
TBS
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Immigration seems to be better at SFO as LAX can be a nightmare.
On the other hand, SFO is a much nicer airport to leave from.
On balance, I would probably make sure that I arrive at SFO, do the road trip to LAX, and then fly Virgin America back to SFO purely for the opportunity to try that carrier.
If you want to speed between the two locations, the drive can be done in a day on the main Freeway (101?). However, if you also a night or two, the drive is lovely.
Carmel is nice place to visit
You can smell Gilroy approaching since it is the Garlic Capital of the world
A must do is the the Hearst Castle near San Luis Obispo.
Santa Barbara is also a reasonable lunch time stop.
In terms of directly, it is better to be on the coast side of the road for better views. That would mean north to south (SFO-LAX) direction. If you are a driver of a slightly nervous disposition, then the LAX-SFO direction would keep you away from the edge of the cliff beside the road. Take a leisure drive with lots of stops to enjoy the views. You will not be the only car to do so.
Personally I'd fly into LAX and drive North. TBIT is pretty lousy but I've never had signifcant immigration issues there other than the queues ("lines") and if you're fast off the plane which you will be in F, then that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
As to my reasons, the log day flight in F to LAX tends to be more amusing. There's usually a celeb or two in the cabin which can be an interesting diversion. Also, the LA crew always seem in a good mood to me whereas SF can be a tadge more earnest.
As to the drive, Highway 1 of course. For me, driving north seems to work better as you're not driving into the sun so much. However, you're on the inland side of the road (but the steering wheel is on the left). I'd stop at San Simeon, check out the wineries near San Luis Obispo, go to Big Sur (Post Ranch Inn is very nice) and wind your way up to SF with a stop at the elephant seal reserve at Pescadero. You'll need advance reservations for San Simeon (and the seals around December to March when the breeding herds are in).
Lastly, you end up in SF which is much more charming than LA as a place to finish a trip and flying out of SFO (on the later flight in my view) is a much better experience than LAX overall, even with the small lounge. Just my 2c; whichever you choose, it's a fabulous trip, especially in a rag-top of course although March can be iffy weather-wise.
cheers
Fritz
Last edited by Fritz; Nov 1, 09 at 9:09 am.
Reason: typo
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Highway 1 definately and stop over at Pismo Beach on the way south. An alternative route that is very scenic is to detour through the Carmel Valley and then cut back onto Highway 1.
(2) LAX-LHR ( whilst TBIT is not as nice as SFO intl terminal the OW First lounge is better than the small room at SFO- although at SFO you are almost face to face with the 747-400 and you will board from the lounge)
If you are driving down the Pacific Coast highway ( via Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur/Pebble Beach and the 17 mile scenic drive) then as you drive down on the right you will have the Pacific ocean directly to your right
Regards
TBS
+1 on TBS assessments as to flights and clubs as well as advice to drive DOWN the coast. I would highly recommend that you plan your trip such that you have a few extra days for stops on the way down. I would stop at either Carmel or Monterey or Big Sur (Post Ranch in Big Sur is very special but pricey). Agree with others that San Simeon is a must see. And I would stop again for a night in Santa Barbara -- probably the most charming smaller coastal city -- worth touring the Mission, and if you like gardens, there is a fantastic private garden called Lotusland (go to their website and you will need reservations). Highway 1 is truly a great drive -- just hope you have good weather. Enjoy.
Personally I'd go for landing in LAX and ending at SFO but in my view it all depends whether you want to spend a few days in one or the other at the end of the trip. San Francisco is much the nicer city for just having a wander around (and you can ditch the car and use public transport).
I landed in LAX in July and the immigration wasn't too bad (about 20 mins and that was only because I joined the slowest queue).
Looking to do a road trip San Fransisco to Los Angeles (or vice versa)in mid march but after advice form lurkers who know the cities the best way to do it ( Fly out to LAX/ SFO ). Looking to take our first redemptions in F so want to make the best of F experience.
Regards
You've had some good suggestions so far . How long are you planning to visit for ? Do you want to see the Cities at either end of your trip?
(With BA) SFO is a good airport for arrivals and departures.
LAX (TBIT) can be a nightmare for arrivals (external alterations not helping at all)
but IMHO not bad for departures.
All of this dependant on what other flights have just landed before yours.
BTW have you any preference on car hire companies ?
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