As a lover of road trips, driving the section of the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco, or vice versa, was a priority on my travel wish list. Although a very well-travelled route, it is popular for a reason, and a real winner with adults and teenagers alike – whether it’s the ocean views, wildlife experiences, magnificent trees or time in two iconic cities, everyone can find something to love on this trip. Here’s how to plan an amazing trip…
Table of Contents
Platinum Travel Planning Roadmap for a California Road Trip
Companions - Teenagers
Whilst this trip lends itself to a happy holiday for anyone who experiences it, in this blog I will specifically be writing about undertaking the trip with teenagers.
When we first suggested the idea of a California road trip to the teenagers, to be honest, they seemed most excited about spending time in the cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, probably because of having seen them in the movies, and their iconic status.
That said, once we started looking at stops along the Pacific Coast Highway, they quickly realised that there was plenty for them to get excited about across the the whole trip – sea otters, sea lions, walking in the magnificent trees of the Big Sur and driving dune buggies on the beach (to name but a few highlights).
A classic California road trip along the coast can therefore offer the perfect vacation sandwich for a road trip with teenagers – a big slice of nature and wildlife, sandwiched between two iconic cities!
Type of Travel - Road trip
The drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco along the coastal route is one of the most iconic road trips you can make.
Whilst you can drive between these two cities in just 5.5 hours on the Interstate 1-5, this route bypasses everything which is wonderful about the longer drive along the coastal route – the wildlife, natural beauty of the coastline and the glistening blue Pacific Ocean.
Good to know when planning your Coastal California road trip
- North to South – they say that it is best to drive from north to south along the Pacific Coast Highway, so from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This is so that you are driving on the side of the road closest to the ocean, with uninterrupted views of the beaches and the water. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get our flights to work this way round, so drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco, south to north, but it was still stunning!
- California State Route 1 – the Pacific Coast Highway is just one section of the California State Route 1 which is 656 miles (1,056 km) long, running from Leggett in the north to Dana Point in the South.
- Distance of this route – the drive between Los Angeles and San Francisco is 460 miles.
- Road closures – you should check for road closures along the route before setting off as it is not unusual for the roads, particularly around Big Sur, to close for maintenance and renovation after landslides, or wildfires along the route. If this is the case, you might need to work around certain sections.
- Road options – we drove most of our journey on two roads
- Highway 1 – from Venice Beach to just north of Santa Barbara, and from Morro Bay to Santa Cruz.
- Highway 101 – from just north of Santa Barbara to just north of Pismo Beach.
- Should coastal Highway 1 through Big Sur be closed, then you will likely be rerouted on the more inland Highway 101.
When to take a Coastal California road trip with teenagers?
If you’re travelling with teenagers, then the chances are they will still be at school. In which case, you’ll most likely be making the trip in the school holidays.
Although you will have more time in the Summer holidays for a longer trip, I understand that the route can get very busy in the summer months, and because the roads are single lane in parts, the traffic can be heavy along the route.
We took our coastal California road trip during the UK school Easter holidays in April, and enjoyed clear sunny days on each day of our trip, with a jumper or sweatshirt required for the evenings.
If your teenagers are at the start of their University years, then you also have a window to do the trip at the start of September which is also a very good option – the weather is still good and the crowds easing off.
How long do you need for a California road trip with teenagers?
We were limited to 10 days for our California road trip with teenagers – this fit in a two-week school holiday and allowed time for the long-haul travel to and from the UK.
Three weeks would have been perfect as it would have given us the opportunity for more time along the coastal section of the route. Alternatively, we could potentially have circled back to our entry airport via the inland route, visiting Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park along the way.
Where to stop on your Coastal California road trip?
Where you decide to stop really depends on how much time you have for your trip, and what you want to see. There are so many different options, which is one of the great things about planning a road trip along the coast in California. I know several people who have undertaken a California road trip, and we all seem to have taken slightly different routes and overnight stops.
The following stops on our Coastal California road trip with teenagers offered great variety and gave a good introduction to this beautiful part of the world:
- Los Angeles – 3 nights at the start
- Pitstops at Paradise Cove Beach, Malibu, and the Danish town of Solvang
- Pismo Beach – 1 night
- Ride dune buggies on the beach at Oceano Dunes
- Spot sea otters in Morro Bay and Elephant Seals at San Simeon
- Big Sur – 1 night
- Walk in the trees of Pfeiffer Falls State Park
- Find purple sand on Pfeiffer Falls Beach
- Visit Carmel-by-the-Sea and take the Pebble Beach 17-mile scenic drive
- Monterey – 1 night
- Pitstops at the Elkhorn Slough Estuary, and Santa Cruz
- Healdsburg – 1 night
- Visit a winery in the Sonoma region
- Pitstop at Muir Woods National Park Monument
- San Francisco – 3 nights at the end.
As there are so many potential destinations along the way, accept that you won’t be able to see everything. For example, we reluctantly bypassed Santa Barbara on this trip as we thought the teenagers would prefer to see other things, but would like to visit Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands another time.
Budget and Bookings - flights, car hire & accommodation
Flights to California
There are lots of flight options for Los Angeles and San Francisco as these are popular flight routes, so you should easily be able to find something to suit your travel dates and budget.
We booked two one-way flights with British Airways from:
- London Heathrow to Los Angeles, and
- San Francisco to London Heathrow.
You can drive the route in either direction (see above) depending on the flights which suit you best.
Car hire and driving documentation
If you book your flights through British Airways, and book your hire care at the same time, then it counts as a BA Holiday and gives you good reward points with the BA Loyalty Scheme.
As you don’t need your rental car during your city stays, you can start the car rental period on the day you leave Los Angeles and finish it on the day you arrive in San Francisco. Then use taxis and public transport with the money you save on the days without your rental car.
Don’t forget to pack your driving licence and to have it on your person each time you drive the hire car in the States as this is a legal requirement.
Accommodation options
There is a good range of accommodation options to suit your budget along the route, but book early for the Big Sur as there are fewer options due to its more remote geographical position.
Whilst we often book AirBnBs when we travel with our kids as it is usually more economical, this time we only booked hotels on our Coastal California road trip as it was easier.
As members of the Loyalty Scheme with the IHG Hotel chain we used points to stay at several hotels in this group – Kimpton Everly in Los Angeles, Kimpton Alton Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, and the InterContinental Monterey.
Be aware of added taxes in some parts of California. When we checked out of our San Francisco hotel, we were surprised by the long list of additional costs added to our bill under the name of taxes – city tax, state tax, tourist tax, tax for the hotel being in the Fisherman’s Wharf area!
Travel in Confidence
Correct documentation
Passports – before booking your California road trip, check the entry requirements for the USA related to your nationality and the length of your stay. Also make sure there is enough time left to run on your passport before it expires, in line with entry requirements.
Visas and Visa Waivers – check whether you require a visa to enter the USA. In some cases of short-term travel, an exemption might be in place allowing you to buy a visa waiver.
As a British Citizen travelling with a current valid passport, on a short trip to the USA, we each needed to buy an ESTA (visa waiver) on-line before travelling. They came through within hours, but I would advise not leaving it until the last minute, just in case of any processing delays.
Travel insurance – take out good travel insurance which covers you well in case of travel disruption, and accident or injury on your trip. You need to ensure that you can access the health system in the United States in the event of an emergency.
Driving documentation – as mentioned above, make sure you have your current Driver’s Licence and ID with you at all times.
Driving in California
What are the roads like on the Pacific Coast Highway?
We enjoyed driving on the Pacific Coast Highway and California State Route 1, and found the roads to be very good.
The hardest section of the journey was driving on the steep, windy roads of the Big Sur where you need to be extra careful not get distracted by the spectacular views and dramatic drops by the side of the road.
Potential driving hazards
Landslides – we found the roads to be in good condition when we visited, with no sign of landslides or disruption on the route at the time of visiting. You should however check the route conditions for the Pacific Coast Highway before setting off as landslides are not uncommon.
Wildfires – there is a real risk of wildfires, which can come down as far as the ocean road in places depending on wind conditions. Make Keep your eye on the news before travelling, and whilst you are in California, in case of road closures due to fire. This applies year-round and not just in the hot summer months.
Other drivers – as in your own country, there is always the risk from other drivers on the roads, so be extra vigilant and take your time, making sure that you know the rules of the road in the country you are visiting.
Other considerations
FCDO
Check the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) website before travelling as a routine measure, just to see if there is anything that you should be aware of. I would advise doing this for every country when you are planning to visit.
Drugs / Crime / Homelessness
Unfortunately, one of the downsides of visiting California is the scale of the current homelessness crisis in the State. It was very visible in the centre of Los Angeles and also Venice Beach. We saw less homelessness in San Francisco, but probably because we actively avoided certain areas of the city, such as, the Tenderloin.
It’s just something to prepare your teenagers for, particularly if they are not used to seeing it where they live. It made us more careful about exploring on foot at night in the cities, and making sure our belongings weren’t on show (as we would also do in many UK cities).
Health considerations
At the time of writing there were no specific health concerns to be aware of in relation to travelling to the States – just to have good health insurance in case you become ill when you are travelling.
Mother Nature
Earthquakes – there is a small chance of earthquakes in the region due to its position on the San Andreas Fault, so when you are in California, be aware of any publicised evacuation routes or advertised procedures.
Packing for a Coastal California road trip
Casual is king – the good news is that packing for your Coastal California road trip with teenagers couldn’t be easier – everywhere is very casual, even in Los Angeles! Jeans, shorts, sweatshirts and trainers are all fine, unless of course you book a high end restaurant.
Pack layers – check the weather forecast before you leave and pack accordingly with a cardigan, sweatshirt or jumper for cooler evenings, and a cagoule in case of rain.
After your trip
After your Coastal California road trip, you’ll want to hang on to the memory of those fantastic views for as long as possible. Make a trip photo album when you get home, whilst you’re getting over jet lag. I use the Journi App for this purpose.
Also, don’t forget to leave reviews for the places you’ve stayed and visited as this helps other travellers.
Also write your list of where to go next time. For me, Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands are on the list for next time!
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