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Going on holiday at the start of the year is completely new to me and planning our Californian road-trip over Christmas was so much fun. Steve and I researched non-stop, swapped hotels and changed cars so much that at one point I was beginning to feel like we’d never be able to finalise it all. But, we eventually we got our act together and made some firm decisions meaning we ended up with the best itinerary and plans firmly set.
Every time I go away I always start by taking tips and ideas of what to do from other travel bloggers. I get so much inspiration from other blogs because I find that real experiences and original photos are far more genuine than the standard trip advisor type reviews. So if you want to read some great posts about California, here are a few of my favourites:
I also researched online and stalked location tags on Instagram…not once did it feel stressful or like a chore. Planning a road trip around California was so much fun.
Whilst I have been to California before, in 2014, I didn’t get to do everything I’d hoped to do. Coachella took up so much time and whilst it was an experience I’ll never forget, I knew this trip was going to be SO MUCH BETTER and I was keen to make lots of happy new memories.
We had eight days altogether which is quite short for a road trip and it’s clearly impossible to see ALL of California in that time, so we chose stops depending on what we both wanted to see and what we thought would be the most fun. I’m not the kind of traveller who likes to whizz through cities and locations just for the sake of saying I’ve been so aside from Vegas we stayed more than one day at most our stops.
San Francisco didn’t make it on our itinerary as I’d like to spend more than a couple of days there, it looks incredible. It also gives us good reason to go back to California another time
January is an incredibly budget-conscious time to visit which is hugely welcome after Christmas. Flights, hotels and car-hire were all cheaper than peak summer time.
San Diego (two nights) > Las Vegas (one night) > Route 66 (one night) > Newport Beach (two nights) > Los Angeles (two nights).
Planning for a Californian road trip is made far easier by the simple fact that there are so many options of things to do, California is huge! We marked out places to stop on the five-hour drive to Vegas and same for the four-hour drive back down Route 66. We also had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do when in LA…Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu etc.
I knew that in San Diego I wanted to ride a bike up the beach, spot the seals at La Jolla, wander around the food markets, explore Balbao Park and watch the sunset whilst sat with some delicious food. I’d also picked up that San Diego has the most beautiful weather all year round which guarantees you’ll most likely have some nice sunny days no matter what time of year you visit.
Whilst I am a planner and like to have some idea of what we’ll be doing I also like to wing it a bit so do allow for you route to change and try to not be so rigid with the plan you make. I received some tips and recommendations on this post via Instagram which, after a quick search online, all looked like places we really shouldn’t miss. I just didn’t want to be dashing around not really being able to take it all in and enjoy it.
Sometimes we’re so keen to see and do as much as possible we forgot that living in the moment is equally just as important.
Steve was out in America a week before for me for work so I flew out on my own and met him at LAX. Our flights (he flew in from Salt Lake City) landed within an hour of each other, which was really handy.
I booked my flights in November last year (three months in advance) with Virgin Atlantic and managed to bag a Premium Economy seat for £380 return. I found this by searching on Skyscanner* with a 3-day flexibility option from all London airports but I also spotted some Basic Economy flights on there with Delta at £220 return. There are so many good deals to be had on flights to California and if you can be a little flexible on dates and times then you’ll definitely find a good one.
Also, don’t forget you’ll need an ESTA to visit the USA. Mine was still valid from my trip to New York last February half-term but they usually cost £15.
Now this is where you can get a real bargain but do be careful about booking with a reputable company. I’m also against taking car hire with a company that wants to hold a £2k deposit on your credit card, it’s just unnecessary and sets off alarm bells for me. I’ve driven in so many places now including our holiday to Sicily, our road-trip around Andalusia, Tuscany, and Cyprus and always on insist on taking the extra insurance. PS: if you decide to drive in Sicily or any other country with mad drivers, lots of hills and tight roads, get an automatic…trust me! It’s also pretty standard to drive an automatic in California.
Anyway, the extra insurance for our California roadtrip cost us £4.85 a day and whilst I know it feels like they’re usually just trying to sell you something extra that you don’t need, it’s totally worth paying for.
I’ve always booked through Europcar* or Opodo* and found them be incredibly helpful, reliable and safe.
If we’d just needed something to get us from A-B and weren’t that fussed about mod cons or total comfort I’d go for a budget, small car option. But, as we we’re on a road trip and would be spending quite a bit of time in the car we decided it was quite important to have something nice… something a bit more ‘California’. We managed to find a deal on a Mustang Convertible through Opodo for £282 all in! For comparison the cheapest car, a Ford SUV, was costing £152 for the full week.
In San Diego we stayed at Abpopa Hillcrest (press stay), a boutique hotel which is independently owned and situated just outside Balboa Park and close to lots of shops and restaurants. I actually came across the hotel on Instagram and fell in love with it’s unique micro-loft style suites and bright rooms with huge windows and amazing views. As this was a gifted stay I’m obliged to share a full review, that’ll be coming soon!
In Vegas there really was no question about the fact we needed to stay in an iconic casino hotel. One night at The Bellagio* sorted that! I had no idea how I was going to feel about Vegas but I do think one night is plenty enough time to figure that one out! The Bellagio is super impressive but please note – do not buy a bottle of water from the mini-bar if you’re not willing to pay $22 for the privilege! I didn’t realise and was outraged for days after! I certainly savoured every mouthful 😉
On the drive to Newport Beach we stopped off lots along Route 66 which also included staying in a tipi at the Wigwam hotel* for one night. Another quirky stay I can’t wait to show more of and will be doing a full review of our stay here too.
In Newport Beach we’re stayed in a suite at the Bay Shores Peninsula*. Nothing fancy here but the views and location appeared to be just what we were after! If you enjoy being close to the sea, taking beach walks and a having a little bit of downtime, here is where you need to stay. This hotel was probably one of the most friendliest hotels I’ve ever stayed at. Freshly baked cookies greeted us on arrival, there’s complimentary beach towels to use along with beach chairs and equipment. When we got home the owner had even sent us a cute little postcard!
And for our final two nights in LA we booked City Lights Apartment* which has amazing reviews, is in a great part of Downtown LA and has two pools so we could go for a dip after a long day on our feet exploring this enormous city.
Update: I wrote this planning post before we went to California and I’m updating it now that we’re back. This apartment wasn’t great, it was hugely exaggerated on photos and whilst it was clean and perfectly fine, I don’t think I’d book it again. I’ve previously stayed at Mr C Beverley Hills* and Sunset Marquis and both were iconic, luxury and in hindsight I wish we’d gone back to either of these.
Does our trip sound like something you’d like to do? I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun creating a travel itinerary and I can’t wait to share more about what we did including writing some more about the places we stayed, the things we saw and all the gorgeous food we ate.
If you go to California have an amazing time. If you’ve been already and have any tips or recommendations share them below in the comments. 🙂
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