Driving West Coast Highway

[LostPrincess]

Hi all!

I have never driven abroad before but for our honeymoon we'd love to drive down from San Fran to Disney. What is the drive like for a newbie to US roads? Is it particularly fast? I like to drive quite slowly, especially in new situations, would I be able to do so? Or are the speed limits quite high? Also, how long would you advise it takes?

Any other hints and tops would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you
Louise
xxx

[Guest]

We drove down from San Francisco to Santa Barbara in one day in july. It took us a good 9 hours with a few short photo stops. We were heading to Los Angeles but decided to have a few days of rest and relaxation after New YOrk and San Fran but before LA and Las Vegas.

If you are thinking of driving the Big Sur, then be aware that once you are on that stretch of the road, there is NO WAY of getting off until you reach the end. There are plenty of stops on the way down but it is mountains on one side and ocean on the other. The Big Sur takes upwards of 2 1/2 hours and it is the most amazing drive I have ever experienced, but after an hour it gets boring (or at least i found that). i am really glad i have done the Big Sur drive and have some unbelievable photos but i wouldn't do it again.

You will be fine driving - it takes a little to get used to driving on the other side etc. The main thing to remember is that you can turn right on a red light as long as it is safe and people overtake from both sides on the freeway.

If you have time then I, along with lots of other people on here, would say to spend a few days driving down. Places like Monteray, Carmel, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara etc are beautiful. Because we did it in one day we didnn't get the chance to really see much of these places but if i was to drive again, I would take a couple of days at least.

Los Angeles traffic is mental. It took us over 2 hours to drive from SB to Los Angeles and Anaheim is probably another good hour from there in easy traffic.

Have fun whatever you decide. We are heading back to California in a few weeks but going San Diego and Anaheim x

[georgemac]

No. It's a pretty easy and wonderful drive down the PCH, not fast at all. Then you get to LA, and it's either 10 mph full on congestion, or 5 to 6 lane madness with everyone breaking the speed limit! Honestly you will be fine.
Been on the West Coast last 2 years, loved it, and finding it hard to book for Florida.

We drove San Fran to Pismo then cut across to Vegas. I would do at least 2 stops between San Fran and LA. Take a picnic in the car from San Fran. So many stopping places with great views.

We drove back up from LA to Santa Barbara this year to do the bit we missed. Also loved it.
This year we were on our Silver Anniversary trip. Enjoy the honeymoon. West coast is fabulous.

Tips, read some trip reports for ideas. Enjoy.

[Sandraoh40]

We done it this year as well and I was a little scared when I read about 'hairpin' bends etc. It's nothing as bad as that. It is a bit twisty at times but there is plenty of space between the road and the side and barriers. As has been said there are loads of places to stop and it's a slow drive, there is no other option. It's absolutely stunning and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

[meboo]

We have just returned home & found it a really easy drive. Almost everyone on the Pacific highway is a tourist, so there is no hurry. The road is not anything like a European coastal road ! We thought it was a really good surface, and quite wide. There are tens of well signposted 'vista' points. We didn't tire of pulling up and just gazing at the wonderful coastline. Take snacks and drinks and be prepared to chill out on the way. We did the 17 mile drive Carmel/Monterey on our Monterey day, then the next day left around 11 and got to San Luis Obispo around 4.30, but we really did take our time. The next day we drove to Santa Monica (90 minutes away). We just stuck to the Freeway for that part of the journey.

We didn't find driving round LA that bad. Freeways & exits are clearly signposted. It is better to travel out of rush hour, and if you do travel in rush hour, be prepared to be patient ! Drivers are really courteous to pedestrians & definitely give way to them.

[Essex Benjy's!]

Done it, loved it and found it easy.
We arrived into LA git the car and spent three weeks driving.
Went to San Fran, down to Mexico, across to Vegas plus we went into Disney Land and Universal Studios.
Alcatraz too. Go for it!

[Celica190]

We drove it last Friday. I believe the maximum speed limit for the Big Sur portion is 45mph, but at some points, it's as low as 20mph. We started at Monterey about 9:30am and stopped at least 6 or 7 times, arriving at our overnight motel in Morro Bay around 4pm. Second day we drove to Hollywood. I have driven in the US on numerous occasions and I think the main issue you will encounter is your positioning on the road. I always start off a bit too close to the sidewalk. If you have a good "co-pilot", they can keep you right. We picked our car up at SFO on the day we left San Francisco.

[Forkbeard]

Originally Posted by LostPrincess

Hi all!

I have never driven abroad before but for our honeymoon we'd love to drive down from San Fran to Disney. What is the drive like for a newbie to US roads? Is it particularly fast? I like to drive quite slowly, especially in new situations, would I be able to do so? Or are the speed limits quite high? Also, how long would you advise it takes?

Any other hints and tops would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you
Louise
xxx

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Did it last year. It's easy but I have driven in the US many times, and that area quite a few times as well. Might be a little harder if you've never done the other side of the road before.

I speed all the time, so not a good person to comment on limits. I think they are reasonable on the PCH, and you can always pull in to let people pass at key points if you want to go very slow.

We stopped along the way, so I'm not sure about drive times. Use Google Maps to show routing. It's pretty accurate.

Use a Sat Nav. Four way stops... always stop (don't roll), last in, last out, just wait your turn. You can turn on red, but stop first (unless sign says otherwise). Always carry your driving licence. That's about it. Just be aware that beautiful scenery will take your eye from the road.

Oh one thing to check is if they operate the "move over law". They probably do. If you see a cop stopped, behind another vehicle perhaps, move over one lane, i.e. leave one lane clear. If you can't do that, then travel past them at very slow speed (check the rules online before you go).

Once you get to LA you hit serious traffic. People there don't measure distance in miles, but in time. Keep up with the traffic and you'll be fine. Again the Sat Nav will be the best thing, as you will know ahead of time when to start moving across the lanes.

Worth plugging in the Disney car parks in your Sat Nav too. They can be a little hard to find.

California is the only state that I know of that permits motorbikes to travel between lanes. The law is being ratified now, but beware of bikes when you are crossing lanes. You won't see many, but sod's law there will be one in your blind spot when you want to move out.

All the best,
James

[DIBBadmin]

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