Los Angeles to San Francisco on Pacific Coast Highway

[Guest]

Hi thinking of doing this now at the start of our trip - would you recommend from LAX airport trying to drive up to Santa Barbara or driving along the inland road and finding somewhere to stay the first night and then joining the coast road later up - like San Luis Obispo and continuing. Where is a good place to stop before reaching San Francisco - Pismo Beach or Cambria?
Thanks everyone

[84CJ]

We are doing the drive the other way round, from San Fran to Santa Monica. That way we are on the ocean side of the road.

We are planning to stop on the way down, but haven't decided where yet. May even not book anything and just wing it!

[miked1e]

We are also looking at doing this drive the other way, so we are on the ocean side.

looking at staying at Carmel and San Luis Obispo.

[Cloverlady]

We are also doing this next year albeit from San Fran down to LA,
We plan overnights at Pismo (for definite) and possibly a stay at Santa Monica too!
It does look amazing!

[Floridafan]

We are going to be doing it the "wrong" way too - in May next year. We fly in and out of SFO and our first 4 nights are in Fisherman's Wharf and then we are flying to Vegas with Virgin America and we are staying there for 4 nights. Now all we have to do is fill in the remaining 6 days and do some of the PCH south to north.

We are in the throes now of comparing Pismo and Cambria and San Simeon - and a lot of other places. We know we can't do it all but may never get to do it again so need to be careful where we stay. We are busy trawling through all the trip reports for that part of the world and the information is invaluable.

[AlexE]

We drove from Hearst Castle to Monterey this year. (See TractorBoy trip report) which in effect was the wrong way but the views were fantastic and there are loads of places to pull-in and stop and appreciate the views.

Next year we are visiting Santa Barbara, Disney and Universal and initially intended flying to SFO and return from LAX therefore doing the PCH the other way but the flights are more expensive. So we are flying into LAX and out of SFO.

I love the planning

[julie b]

we are doing this next may 2016.
flying into LA.driving to santa Barbara 3 nights
then san diego 5 nights
1 night route 66 motel
then on to vegas 3 nights.
fly back to LA for flight home.

[DIBBadmin]

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