Plan for may 2020

[pzizzle]

So this may be a long post. Normally do Florida but after a lot of convincing got the Mrs to agree to California😀.
This is the plan so far
Fly into San Francisco for 4 nights staying in fisherman wharf area.
Pick up hire car on day 5,
Drive to Yosemite for 2 nights,
Monterey for 1 night ,
Pismo beach for 1 night,
Los Angeles ,4 nights. Hollywood area not interested in Disney.
Drive to Las Vegas drop off hire car . 4 nights
Then fly from Vegas home.

This pretty much covers the areas we want to see, just after suggestions in case I've missed anything .

[400ixl]

Some would suggest you take a day off of San Francisco and add another night to Monterrey. But it depends on what you like, if you want to do the aquarium, a whale watching tour, Pebble beach, 17 mile drive etc then its a worth doing that.

4 nights in San Francisco is 1 more than most do, so what do you have planned, it may easily fit in 3.

Not personally a fan of Pismo, but that area is a good logical place to stop, or you could head on a little and go to Santa Barbara.

What do you have planned for Los Angeles. Some will claim 4 nights is too many, personally not for us, but you can do a lot in a 2-3 days there. Maybe move a night to Death Valley on the way over to Las Vegas.

Overaal a decent schedule, maybe a few tweaks based on what you actually want to do.

[pzizzle]

Thanks for the reply,
In Monterey we only want to do the aquarium and a whale watching tour. Pismo is only a resting point from driving but will look into going on a bit further into SB.
Los Angeles we wanna do Universal studios, WB studios, walk of fame, rodeo drive , shopping, Venice beach .

[Sew109]

Just before you book check the hotel prices it ain’t Florida. We changed our route from SFO to LAX to DEN to LAX because of hotel costs. We have done both routes before

[jdouds]

Hi much the same as other advice, when you leave San Fran you won't be at yosemite until lunch time early afternoon . Suggest valley floor tour on arrival, 2 hours, this gives an overall view,gets your bearings and a little basic history. Tioga pass, glacier point, walk to el capitan and walk to vernal falls and back down john Muir trail. Is 2 nights enough as on your last day you are leaving to drive 4 hour to Monterey and again arriving early afternoon. Whale watching normally 3/4 hour, aquarium2 hours. Most and we would agree you need to do 17 mile dr and Carmel , the coast is stunning, again would suggest 2 nights and then get early start and have a long but relaxing day driving down the coast to Santa Barbara .
To allow this we would cut the days of LA. Massive city 100 miles across with crazy traffic and as you know with orlando no town centre as we know it in the uk.
We have been twice now after 12 visit to Florida so hope this is helpful. Just to add the main thing is the driving distances plus add in coffee , lunch stops.

[jdouds]

Hi again hotels, we didn't use any and used airbnb or bb.yosemite have a look at the blue butterfly at El portal which is very close to park entrance , or yosemite view lodge. Yosemite accomdation will be one of the first things you will need to book. Most people will book this 10/11 months in advance.
Shopping ? San Fran probably has a better town centre for this more like home.