I think the answer depends on several things, one of which is how long your flight(s) are to LAX - also how good of a traveler are you? Short flights and/or someone who is not fatigued by air travel means you can drive farther your first day. Also, the pace of your whole itinerary is important - how many days do you have for the drive north and how far are you ultimately going?

If your flight arrives at 11, figure an hour to get out of the airport and your rental car (assuming this is a domestic flight), puts you on the road at about noon.

LAX to Pismo Beach is about a 3 hour drive - this is as far as I would go on the first day. If you have a fairly relaxed itinerary, I probably would spend the first night in Santa Barbara though, which is only about a 90 minute drive.

LAX to Cambria/San Simeon is very doable, unless you are tired...it can be a long 3 hour drive especially if you plan on stopping along the way. Cambria used to be a sleepy little town but it has become really popular. Look for hotels along Moonstone Drive.

like november_moon, I'd recommend staying in Santa Barbara..its much prettier than Pismo, in my opinion. I'm from an area where a lot of people vacation in Pismo Beach but I just don't find it that attractive in general. Santa Barbara is more quintessential "California".

Another alternative would be Morro Bay, which is a little north of Pismo, and I think nicer. From there it is a short drive to San Simeon/Hearst Castle. (you could stop in Cayucos and eat a really good breakfast at the Sea Shanty restaurant right along the north end of the main drive and then take a walk down the pier.)

I spent a lot of my childhood vacationing along the Central Coast and I still go frequently to Cayucos (a friend owns a beach house there).

Welcome to Fodor's, cutiepebbles75!

Maybe you could mention where you're flying from, and also provide a general overview of your itinerary and timetable. If you need to get all the way to San Simeon or Cambria the first day because you have commitments north of the Hearst Castle the next, letting us know about it will be quite helpful.

Otherwise, if this trip has a more flexible schedule, then I'd also agree that Santa Barbara might be a preferable overnight stop. Claiming bags, shuttling to get a car, navigating the San Diego and Ventura freeways, stopping for lunch... it's more than 3 hours to Cambria, and if you're operating on some other time zone, well...

Santa Barbara is gorgeous, plenty of nice places to stay, places to eat. Visit the Mission, and drive around town while you decide which bank to rob so that you can afford to move there.

"LAX to Cambria/San Simeon is very doable, unless you are tired...it can be a long 3 hour drive"

?? Nope. LAX to Cambria is almost exactly 225 miles. It would take 4 hours in just about perfect conditions - and that is w/o any stops.

W/ an 11:00 arrival I wouldn't plan on getting underway before about 12:30 and later is a possibility (the rentals are all off-airport and you have to catch a shuttle)

It is doable but how long is your flight? If cross country that will be one hellaciously long day.

I actually really like Pismo Beach and the surrounding area. I wasn't not recommending it. It is different from Santa Barbara, but they both have their charms and are both representative of different aspects of California. Santa Barbara is a good option and given the timing of the flight and the length of the drives, it may make more sense as a first stop. I wouldn't push to Cambria, which is another hour or so beyonf Pismo Beach, unless my flight into LAX was pretty short - like from Denver or something.

Thank you everyone for all the replies...sorry i should's gave more info. This is my first post so bare with me
We are flying in from NY so I believe the flight 5.5 hours I believe but there's also the time difference as well.
My husband travels for work so he is OK with driving long distances but I don't want him to be exhausted on vacation either.
Our plan is still in the works but so far looks like this:
Day 1 (4/19) Arrive LAX, get car...start on drive...make some stops along the way for site seeing and maybe lunch.
Spend the night in Pismo Beach or Cambria or Morro Bay etc...

Day 2 (4/20) Visit Hearst Castle, drive to Big Sur.
Spend night in Carmel or Monterey...need to decide between the two.

Day 3 (4/21) maybe go back to Big Sur for hiking then do some site seeing in Monterey/carmel area...we are staying in this area for 3 nights because we wanted to go to Aquarium, hike, kayak....and whatever else there.

Day 4(4/22) Same as above..

Day 5 (4/23) wake up drive to Yosemite
Spend night Yosemite

Day 6 (4/24) Yosemite
Spend night Yosemite

Day 7 (4/25) wake up and drive to San Fransisco...
Stay SF

Day 8 (4/26) Stay SF for site seeing

Day 9 (4/27) Stay SF

Day 10 (4/28) not sure here....this is my wild card....not sure that we will need another day in SF?

Day 11 (4/29) we fly home early morning

Please feel free to offer any suggestions.
We are outdoors people we love to be active and site seeing etc....not looking to shop....

Wouldn't mind fitting in wineries but not sure where to put it in.

Thanks so much!

I think you are racing through the first half of the trip way too fast. The first day, you should drive to Santa Barbara. Believe me, that is far enough. The second day, drive via state rd. 154 to Cambria or Morro Bay. If you are outdoors people you will love that drive. If you are into wine, stop at Los Olivos on the way and have lunch. There are numerous tasting rooms. The third day, drive through Big Sur and either stay there or in Carmel/Monterey for as many days as you can. Then spend the rest of your time in the Bay area. This will not be leisurely but you will see alot and it's not an unreasonable amount of driving.

Do you have space booked in Yosemite? You should be aware (I assume you are?) that spring and summer come quite late to Yosemite, so if you're flexible on this, you really ought to give some consideration to reprogramming that part of your trip. In addition to snow being a possibility (not likely on the valley floor but possible) there are occasional high-water problems in the Merced River. In the event tire chains are required, that would be a problem with most rental car companies.

What you might consider for those days is to base yourselves in, say, Mariposa, on Calif. Hwy 49 about an hour from the Yosemite Valley floor, and visit the valley as a day trip, then use another day to tour up and down Hwy 49, so named because it runs through the middle of the 1849 Gold Rush country in the Sierra foothills. In April this road is drop-dead gorgeous, with spring flowers, trees in bud, rivers full of water, and warm weather, all combined with a number of very attractive and historic Gold Rush towns. It's also an up-and-coming wine production area. So if conditions in Yosemite aren't ideal, you can fall back on the Gold Rush country.

If it was moi - I would plan on driving to Cambria for the afternoon - which really is a pretty easy drive from LAX.

You would be leaving LA and getting through Santa Barbara before afternoon traffic starts - and once you get a few miles past Santa Barbara - the drive is fairly routine/straight up to Cambria. http://tinyurl.com/byk3g5j,

And Moonstone Beach is special. http://www.cambriachamber.org/motels-beach.php

From the Cambria area - you are well positioned to visit Hearst Castle and drive up to/through Big Sur, which is very scenic - with slower driving.

And agree with checking on/getting your Yosemite reservations arranged. I would try to stay on the Valley Floor/the main area - and if for some reason you don't like it - you could always fall back to one of the surrounding towns.

We have not made any reservations for Yosemite so that is flexible. Originally we planned lake Tahoe and then changed it to Yosemite. I am concerned about the weather conditions in late April....
Thanks for the suggestions about staying on the valley floor....so that would be considered Yosemite Valley, correct?

Thanks to all!

@gardyloo....thanks for the idea about Gold Rush Country...we never even thought of that.

@tomsd...I think we might try to drive to Cambria the 1st day....thanks for confirming that it is quite possible. I will look into Moonstone Beach.
Maybe along the way we can stop in Santa Barb. To take a peek around.

Santa Barbara is a nice place - and worth a quick look see. My wife and her UCSB college roomies get together there from time to time, but for someone visiting from outside Cal - I recommend spending most of your time driving/staying further up/along the coast.

You might also consider a short detour to to Danish themed Solvang (a half hour or so above Santa Barbara) - if you want to have lunch en-route. http://www.solvangusa.com/

Cambria has several nice restaurants - and also - wine tasting nearby if you want to do that.

Oh yes, if you stay at the Valley Floor in Yosemite - you could still enjoy driving out along the Gold Rush towns/hiway 49. Lot's of early California history there, as well as in downtown Folsom/Sacramento.

Figure n hour and a half/two hours driving from Sacto to SF - assuming you don't hit rush hour traffic.

Actually - you could also divert to Napa Valley for a night - or just a look see on the way from Sacto to SF. Maybe use that as your "wild card" night?

"We have not made any reservations for Yosemite so that is flexible"

Not quite sure what you mean by that. If you mean you can book it for any day(s) - it won't be that easy. Yosemite books up months in advance. Contact them NOW - like this very minute. At that time of year Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is your best option and it may be too late.

Many of the places tomsd wants you to drive are very crowded/time consuming. Driving through Sacramento is bumper to bumper from 0700-9:30AM and from 3:30-6:00PM so you have to plan carefully. And the I-80 corridor between Sacramento/Napa/SF has even longer periods of heavy congestion.

he can be wildly optimistic about drive times.

If you do try to make Cambria that first day - don't count on arriving til around 5PM, and much later if you stop for a nice lunch and not just fast food.

If Pebbles is driving from Yosemite to SF, no need to divert thru Sacramento. I would be a waste of your precious vacation time.

The drive to Cambria is very doable and is a good choice if you want to see the Hearst castle the next day. Get north of LA before rush hour starts. I did the reverse drive (Cambria to Irvine) via the coast in the late afternoon/evening and thought I'd never get there. I love driving through Malibu. Since you are arrive in late morning, you should be fine.

I stopped along the way to take pictures and sight-see and it's a lovely drive.

We also visted the central coast wineries around Paso Robles and really enjoyed that. Enjoyed the interior drive to PR past very green hills with lots of Hearst cows. Made me think of the California happy cows ads.

We spent the night at the Best Western at Moonstone Beach in Cambria and really enjoyed it. Good rates, fireplace in the room, free breakfast, a little patio outside the room. Be sure to take time to do the boardwalk walk at Moonstone Beach.
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/CA/Cambria-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-PLUS-Fireside-Inn-on-Moonstone-Beach/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=05320

I did a similar drive a few years ago and stayed 2 nights in Cambria and 2 nights in Carmel. I think that would be a good split for you. It would give you more time to relax and enjoy the first two days instead of rushing on up the coast.

I totally agree there is no reason to go through Sacramento and Folsom - was just commenting that up hwy 49 and through Folsom, Sacramento, Napa, SF would not be a walk in the park . . .

Different people worry more about driving I guess - but we have driven from Yosemite/Valley Floor - leaving early - and enjoyed the scenic/historic ride along'through Gold Country/hiway 49 - stopping in Sutter Creek for a snack - and getting over to hiway 50 in about 4 and a half hours, including the stop.

I think it is a worthwhile drive for someone visiting California - and we even have a favorite bakery/deli in Sutter Creek we like - (can't remember the name - Susan's? ) - a half a block/north? off the main road - but there are also other good dining options there: http://www.suttercreek.org/sutter-creek-amador-county-restaurants.html

Here are a couple of webpages to tell you more about the route: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sugexp=les;&gs_rn=2&gs_ri=hp&gs_mss=Driving+from+Yosemite+to+P&cp=36&gs_id=4a&xhr=t&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42080656,d.cGE&biw=1253&bih=658&wrapid=tljp1360353850358066&um=1&ie=UTF-8&gl=us&daddr=Placerville,+CA&saddr=Yosemite+National+Park,+Yosemite,+CA+95389&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=If4DgO0snCQt;Ke1YpTtFT5qAMTbqZzPtLAO1&sa=X&ei=HFoVUdPRMOOCiwKMk4CIAg&sqi=2&ved=0CD0Q-A8wAA

http://www.allyosemite.com/scenic_drives/highway_49.php

As you get closer to Placerville - if you take the branch/road that winds up heading into Folsom - you could also drive into downtown/historic Folsom in about 10 minutes from the time you reach hiway 50/Bidwell exit - and have lunch there. We have a good friend who lives in Folsom - and have enjoyed a number of tasty meals in the historic/old/Victorian styled town - including some good Thai and Chinese options. http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/36/3518/Sacramento/Folsom-restaurants

From that point at hiway 50/Folsom Bidwell exit - down to Napa is an fairly easy shot - couple hours max - assuming you get through Sacto by say 3 PM, and downtown Sacto is about 20 minutes from that point on hiway 50. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42080656,d.cGE&biw=1253&bih=658&wrapid=tlif136035433776710&um=1&ie=UTF-8&gl=us&daddr=Napa,+CA&saddr=Sacramento,+CA&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=KfmXg7JyxpqAMdt_GXSqah-S;Ke_e8vjn_4SAMSXHhDM6n2LW&sa=X&ei=BFwVUf-wIY3piwLA74DgCg&ved=0CC4Q-A8wAA

@tomsd---thanks so much for all the help and links...much appreciated.

@starrss--thanks...always nice when someone who has done the trip chimes in...makes me feel better . I was looking @ that best western....price was high for that date though was considering trying to get it thru price line/hotwire.

@janisj.....thank u for your suggestions...what I meant was we have not booked a place to stay in Yosemite yet because I wasn't sure yet if it was a define stop. I am glad I didnt since many folks are recommending we stay outside Yosemite due to weather conditions.
I figured with stops from lax to Cambria could take us like 6 1/2 hours?

As with gardyloo, welcome to this Forum!

You'll find that there are any number of posters who are willing to give you advice or tell you of past trips, but their information may not be tailored to your trip and your needs, so be careful!

gardyloo and november_moon usually gives very good travel advice.

janisj (as does MichelleY) lives along that corridor (or did), so heed her advice about the times of the traffic jams. It'll be like - what would be a possible equivalent - driving around Times Square? Also heed her advice on booking early in Yosemite.

Not saying that the others haven't given you good advice, just that I'm not familiar with their posts.

I second the recommendation to stop in Santa Barbara rather than Cambria for the first night.

Wine country? Just about everywhere in California is "wine country" nowadays. Here's a map of the different wine regions of California.

http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/discover-california/wine-map-winery-directory/

If the weather is gloomy along the coast (we have coastal fog here), that might be the best day to head inland and visit some wineries in sunshine.

Lastly, I have a question: what happens to the car? If you are planning on pickup in one city and drop-off in another city, the drop-off charges could be huge.

Hi easy traveler...

Thanks for the warm welcome
The car we are picking up in lax and dropping in SF near the end of our stay ....the last few nights we will be staying there.
I did reserve a car for $380....which wasn't too bad for a week....I can cancel if I happen to find cheaper. Those drop fees are super ridiculous.

Thanks for the great advise!

eastraveler: Driving through Sacramento - mid day - is like driving around Times Square? Really?

Drive that area at least once a year - and have for some 40 years (about every which way - from Folsom to the airport/north side - or vice/versa - or from Folsom/Sacramento into San Francisco (or cut over to Napa) or the reverse, or from San Diego up to Sacramento/return) - and it's usually no sweat during the day, after the morning rush hour - and before the later/afternoon commute starts.

And cutie: Keep checking on the car rental prices - but the drop off charges can be expensive for sure.

I am glad to see that you have 3 nights planned for the Monterey area - it is a great place to visit and 2 days is a nice amount of time. The choice about whether to stay in Monterey or Carmel - or Pacific Grove, which is another town right there - really depends on what you are looking for.

Carmel is upscale, quiet, and quaint with lots of boutique-y shops and galeries. It also has a really beautiful beach. It is a romantic place.

Monterey is larger (30K people or so) with more going on and it is more diverse - wide range of accomodations, wide range of restaurants, etc. The coastline is varied with rocky stretches with beaches in between. There is a good recreational trail that runs for many miles along the coast - great for biking, walking, etc.

Pacific Grove is a small town with a gorgeous coastline - the recreational trail in Monterey continues through PG. Walking or biking that path is one of my favorite things to do in the area. Downtown PG is nice and relaxed - a piece of small town America with a variety of shops and restaurants, a real, functioning downtown.

NM's descriptions of the 3 towns is great, but just so you understand the lay of the land, they are all basically adjacent to each other (the Monterey Aquarium is IN both Monterey and Pacific Grove, and Carmel is only 5 miles from Monterey).

@november _moon....
Thanks for the reply. I think we will love that area so I made sure I left enough time to enjoy it.
I will have to figure out where to stay....I did see a deal for intercontinental in Monterey on travel zoo for 149 a night plus tax it included parking and wifi too....the weekend was 179.....does that seem look a decent deal for that area?

Thanks

Do u think 2 full days for SF is enough?

You could always return to SF for a long weekend if you love it as much as most people do - but if you have more time on this trip - suggeast you spend it exploring California.

Use your wild card day for more of SF and surroundings. Two days is not enough.

BTW - just talked some golf/basketball with my buddy who lives in Folsom. He's bummed - as the Sacramento NBA team - the Kings - looks like they will be moving to Seattle - but the golf tournament at Pebble Beach is in full swing. Pebble is of the great courses of the world, and he enjoys playing it - or used to before it became so exorbitantly expensive. He's about a 3 handicap.

Anywho - he confirmed that after 9 and before 3 - traffic is not that bad around Sacramento - but it is a little heavier over on the I-80 side (toward Auburn/North Shore Tahoe) - than on I-50 - which goes out toward Folsom/South Shore Tahoe.

Yes we hope to return someday to check out any areas we miss this time around.
@MichelleY....Yeah, thats why I wanted to have that wild card day...just in case...so if we need it for that area we have it. I need to make a list of the must see's for that area.
@Tomsd...thats stinks for your buddy but at least the golf tourn. is in full swing for him
Thanks for asking him about the traffic!

TOM- STOP IT!!!!

I am now leaving this thread. There is no purpose posting about things I actually know about only to have someone who lives 500+ miles away insist he knows better.

Good luck

(BTW - Tom does not know one teensy, tiny little thing about the Kings - If you want to know whats going on maybe ask someone who has been to every single game for 27 years . . . just sayin')

Janis - sorry you are going to lose your "Queenies" - as Shaq used to call them. Maybe their young/inconsistent players will fare better in Seattle.

And I guess you missed the part about my buddy who has lived in Folsom for over 20 years and regularly plays golf around the greater Sacramento area. Also didn't mention my wife's cousins have lived in Sacramento their whole lives, and my sister's in laws lived there for 15 years, as well as a number of my law school friends still live there

Juat a note about driving times/distances. From Yosemite Valley - you certainly don't have to go through Gold Country/49 - if you don't have the time. You could just drive from Yosemite to say Napa/Sonoma - or from Yosemite into SF - and do a day trip to Napa from SF if you want to do that - maybe even riding the ferry across the bay and hooking up with a tour. Just google away.

Here is a pdf/page for suggested driving times/routes - and the 2nd page of the file has a map: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/mileages9-2007.pdf