10 Things to know Before Planning a California Road Trip

We all know that planning trips is what I live for. I love creating itineraries, researching the best places to stay, eat and visit. It’s all part of the holiday experience for me. We’ve just returned from a 17 day trip to California in which we rented a car and did a little road trip. Let me tell you, it took A LOT of planning. However, I obviously enjoyed the planning and we ended up having the best time in California. I thought I’d put together a blogpost of all the things you NEED to know before planning a California Road Trip. I guess some of these tips would also apply to any Road Trip too!

Car Rental

Our Car Rental experience was pretty smooth. We booked a Nissan Rogue (which was classed as a medium SUV) through Alamo on Expedia after shopping around. It was £360 for 10 days picking up from San Francisco Airport and dropping off at Las Vegas Airport. They do charge for drop off to be at a different location but we still thought £360 was an excellent price. It was also worth noting that it wasn’t the cheapest option on Expedia however we took into consideration the different rental companies recommendation ratings. As I said, our experience was very smooth. Pick up was quick and easy and overall, we were really happy with this experience and would recommend Alamo and booking through Expedia.

It’s also worth mentioning that we drove from San Francisco to Las Vegas via Los Angeles and spent just £120 in petrol.

Driving

Moving onto the actual driving. Obviously America is a little bit different to what Stefan was used to in terms of driving. First of all, all rental cars are Automatic however, Stefan was quick to get used to it. The other key thing is that they drive on the opposite side of the road and the steering wheel is on the left too! If you’ve not drove in the US before, I think it’s probably wise to do some research on the car you are renting (how it works etc..) and some basic US driving rules. Roundabouts are far and few between in the US but they do have a lot of stop signs and a rule about turning right on a red light.

Try and be as prepared as possible in getting clued up on rules and the car. Driving around San Francisco and Los Angeles can involved eight lane freeways which are just crazy. However Pacific Coast Highway and Highway 15 between LA and Vegas were pleasant drives.

Road Closures

Road Closures can cause detours and plans to change last minute on any road trip. However in particular, if you are driving Pacific Coast Highway near Big Sur in California; road closures can be very common. Both this trip and my California trip in 2017 both was affected by Highway 1 being partially closed. On this trip we still decided to do Big Sur, however we had to come down the coast to see the beauty spots and then come back on ourselves before taking the freeway inland down South. We did know about this closure well in advance via this website and we were able to plan our route accordingly.

Planning Your Route

We spent months planning our route and mainly just pinpointing the key places we wanted to stop off and spend some time. So whether that was a beauty spot along Big Sur or a unique place such as Solvang, once you’ve built up a list of places you can create an itinerary with a route. The key thing to take into consideration is the distance between locations and making sure you are not packing in too much into a day. There was many times which we had to compromise and miss out on a few things. It’s an excuse to go back though!

Booking Accommodation

Once you have an itinerary in place you can pinpoint where you will be spending each night. We booked the majority in advance on Expedia. Based on previous experience, I did think it could be cheaper booking in dollars last minute however we found that with Tax it was cheaper to book in British Sterling on Expedia UK. On average, we aimed to spend about £80ish each night. We stayed mainly in motels on the road and in hotels in the cities. Overall, where we stayed wasn’t bad but I’d certainly do a little bit of research before booking motels.  I am going to do a full blogpost of everywhere that we stayed and my thoughts so stay tuned for that.

Be Aware

Since returning from California, the main question that I’ve been asked is if it was safe in San Francisco. There has been many reports about a rise in crime, homelessness and drug abuse in the city. Before travelling, we were aware to stay away from the Tenderloin District and to just be aware and sensible. We personally enjoyed our time in San Fransisco and would return in a heart beat it’s important to be aware of places to maybe avoid and keep your wits about you.

This is completely applicable to all of the cities such as Los Angeles and Anaheim we visited though.

Parking

Across our road trip we experienced all sorts of different predicaments regarding parking. The best thing is to do a little bit of research before you go somewhere and see if there’s free parking anywhere or the nearest parking garage is. Between leaving San Francisco and arriving in Los Angeles, we only really had to pay for parking in Santa Barbara as we were there for a good couple of hours. Many towns offer free parking for around 2 hours.

When staying in motels, parking is almost always free but in Los Angeles expect to pay a premium. We stayed at the Beverly Laurel and paid $27 a night (total bill was $120). Whilst this seems steep, one of the main reasons we chose to stay there was the parking charges was alot less than hotel chains who charge upwards of $75 a night. In Los Angeles, we didn’t drive too much and opted for Uber but when visiting Beverly Hills we found that parking was free near Rodeo Drive for 2 hours and also on a lot of residential streets.

If you’re visiting Disneyland, choose a hotel within walking distance with free parking to avoid $35+ per day.

National Park Fees

If you are visiting a National Park, there is usually a charge to visit. We visited Yosemite National Park on an organised trip so it was already included in our trip price. However it’s usually $35 for entry in a car. Places such as Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the 17 Mile Drive are all chargeable. The later being redeemable on food places at Pebble Beach on the 17 Mile Drive.

Expensive & Tipping

In my opinion, America can be an expensive country. We spent a hell of a lot more than we expected. A lot of sit down meals cost a lot more than we anticipated. Los Angeles in particular is where we spent a lot. I do have like zero regrets though and had the best time but it’s worth considering that you probably need more money than you think. We certainly did.

Tipping is a huge thing in America. Do your research on where you need to tip. For Example: Restaurants, Valet, Bell Staff etc.. On top of tipping, take into consideration that tax is added to everything afterwards. So the price you see on a menu or the price you see for something on a shelf in the shop will then have tax added when you pay.

Never Enough Time

On a final note, no matter what you are planning. You’ll still not have enough time. There is so much to see and do in California. We crammed so much into our trip but could’ve easily spent another couple of weeks having the best time and still not scratching the surface. I recently wrote a blogpost with 40 Bucket List Things To Do In California showing the vast variety of incredible experiences to have in the Golden State.

All this being said, a Californian Road Trip is the best experience. California always has a place in my heart but this is down to places like Monterey, Carmel, Morro Bay and Santa Barbara. They are just gorgeous places and make excellent stop offs on a coastal road trip. Stay tuned for more content about our California trip and you can also find daily vlogs on my TikTok!

Is a California Road Trip on your bucket list?

XOXO