West Coast holiday and not Florida for family?

[Loch Lomond]

Hi, probably been asked a hundred times before...

We love Florida, weather, food, parks, beach, sunsets etc etc done it 8 years solid.

Looking at a West Coast holiday but concerned we'll regret it. We always go 3 weeks. We'd like to do the parks but also enjoy the Pacific Coast, San Fransisco etc

I see great prices to fly into LA, same price as Florida.

Go for it? If so, from LA where to and for how long in a ideal 3 week trip for 2 kids 14,11 that know nothing but Florida

Thanks for looking in, like ordering a new meal from the Chinese when you know what you love! But £10ks worth !

[daytonababe]

Well you have plenty of parks in California, if you want them 2 Disney Parks, Knotts Berry , Universal, Seaworld,Legoland, Studio tours like Warner & Paramount.


How long in each place? Depends on what you want, We would rather just have 4/5 hotel changes and longer in each place , other people prefer less time in each place and more stops.

We've been going to the West Coast every year since 2011, my kids are now 17 & 14 and we all love the it. My one rule is we never do road trips longer than 6 hours and that works for us.

I would suggest reading through some trip reports to give you some ideas.

[Loch Lomond]

Originally Posted by daytonababe

Well you have plenty of parks in California, if you want them 2 Disney Parks, Knotts Berry , Universal, Seaworld,Legoland, Studio tours like Warner & Paramount.


How long in each place? Depends on what you want, We would rather just have 4/5 hotel changes and longer in each place , other people prefer less time in each place and more stops.

We've been going to the West Coast every year since 2011, my kids are now 17 & 14 and we all love the it. My one rule is we never do road trips longer than 6 hours and that works for us.

I would suggest reading through some trip reports to give you some ideas.

See more...

Thanks so much

[georgemac]

We have been to the West Coast the last 2 years, but as a couple after only really holidaying in Florida with the family.
We have loved both our road trips.
Downside of going with kids - accommodation can be very expensive compared to a Florida villa or hotel, particularly with 4, apart from really Palm Springs/Vegas, especially if you do not like the more budget type hotels.
You would also likely spend a fair bit of time in the car driving, but to be fair you can also do this in Florida, but the scenery in California is wonderful.

As Daytonna has said there are tons of theme parks and attractions.
Depending what you and your kids like, the National Parks and the beaches are amazing.
I also think trip reports are a good place to start.

Next year we are heading back to Florida - with our grandson - to Disney - but I am so tempted to go West Coast again, but 11 hr flight with him puts me off, and maybe at his age (5) DisneyWorld in Florida is the right place to be. He is too young for doing trail walks through National Parks.

[daytonababe]

Originally Posted by georgemac

We have been to the West Coast the last 2 years, but as a couple after only really holidaying in Florida with the family.
We have loved both our road trips.
Downside of going with kids - accommodation can be very expensive compared to a Florida villa or hotel, particularly with 4, apart from really Palm Springs/Vegas, especially if you do not like the more budget type hotels.
You would also likely spend a fair bit of time in the car driving, but to be fair you can also do this in Florida, but the scenery in California is wonderful.

As Daytonna has said there are tons of theme parks and attractions.
Depending what you and your kids like, the National Parks and the beaches are amazing.
I also think trip reports are a good place to start.

Next year we are heading back to Florida - with our grandson - to Disney - but I am so tempted to go West Coast again, but 11 hr flight with him puts me off, and maybe at his age (5) DisneyWorld in Florida is the right place to be. He is too young for doing trail walks through National Parks.

See more...

I agree about the national parks etc mine would have been bored to tears at 5 and I think universal in Hollywood is better for say 10+ .
but I wouldn't let the flight put you off . It's not that much longer than Florida . I took mine to Vegas at 18 mths and 4, then 3 and 7 and it was fine .

Think you could still have a lovely holiday in California though with him , Disney , knotts Berry , places like Long Beach and San Deigo .

How lucky is he too have grandparents to take him to Disney :-)

[georgemac]

Originally Posted by daytonababe

How lucky is he too have grandparents to take him to Disney :-)

See more...

How lucky we are to get him and to be able to take him. Even better our son and his girl friend are coming with us - only due to the wee man being there!
We just have to try and align our time off from work and the school holidays!

[tonymc]

You won't regret visiting the West Coast. We visited back in 2013 (via a 5 day stop in New York) and would really like to go back. In addition to NY, we flew over to LAX then drove a few hours down to San Diego where there was loads to do - our DD who was 15 at the time loved it. There is a Seaworld in San Diego, plenty of beaches, a zoo and a Safari Park to name a few things to do.

We then drove back up to Anaheim for 6 days - we had a three day hopper ticket for Disneyland, which was definitely enough days as the two parks are literally a minutes walk apart. On two of the other days, we visited Newport Beach, and a County Fair up at Ventura.

In hindsight, as we had been to NY a few years previously, we wished we had just flown straight over to the West Coast and fitted in San Francisco and a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.

[DIBBadmin]

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