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View Full Version : Hiring a car for fly drive holiday in California and things to do



Brian Deakin
05-27-2017, 4:27 AM
We are currently planning a fly-drive holiday in California

We will be flying out from the United Kingdom on 2nd July and spending 15 nights in California

Our current plans are to divide the time between

Los angles area 3 days

Sequoia 1 day

Yosemite 3 days

Las Vegas 3 days

Santiago 3 days

Can anyone please provide advice on best approach to hiring a car ,places to visit, things to do, where to eat

regards Brian

Matt Meiser
05-27-2017, 6:00 AM
We just did a 12 day trip in April. We flew into Orange County, drove down to San Diego the next mornng, worked our way up to Napa, then back into San Francisco and flew home from there.

We rented from National. Work has a contract with them and that was the best 1-way rate I found. It was actually dirt cheap for a 1-way, I suspect because it was at the end of Spring Break travel season and they needed to move cars out of the Anaheim area.

In the LA area we stayed a night in Santa Ana right across the street from the airport as we had a late arrival (very late figuring in the time change.) On the way north we spent a night in Irvine, then two nights in Santa Monica. Santa Monica was great as it was walking distance to a lot of stuff. In LA we did the Peterson Automotive Museum and spent a little time down in that area walking around then spent time in Santa Monica at the pier and some time in the shopping district. The next day We did a tour with a company called A Day In LA which ran out of Santa Monica. We got an overview of Venice, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, etc. We saw way more than we could have in a day driving ourselves. The next day we headed north on the 1 toward San Luis Obispo so we never went up to the San Fernando Valley.

For food, I recommend the TripAdvisor app. It will show you what's nearby and its proven to be be a great travel tool for us.

John K Jordan
05-27-2017, 8:35 AM
Brian,

I'm not familiar with coming from the UK and renting in the US, but coming from the US we have rented a car in several times in England, Scotland, and Italy. I asked my wife (who makes all the arrangements) and she said she researched the license and insurance requirements and tips (and local traffic regulations) on internet travel sites. Specifically, the Rick Steves web site was useful for us, but that was for going in your direction!

Italy required an international drivers license but the UK did not. My Lovely Bride thinks that license is required when going to a country that uses a different language. She verified the insurance coverage by calling both the car rental company and our insurance agent.

I assume you are familiar with driving on the other side of the road! My first experience was in the Cayman Islands, then a number of times in the UK. The big multi-lane roundabouts in London were the worst to get used to. At least in the UK the road signs were in English! (In Italy even the place names are different - the signs to Venice say Venezia!) In the Cayman Islands motor scooter rental was common - a local told me the "Black Spot" markers along the roads were where someone was killed, usually a tourist and usually on a motor bike. Yikes.

I suspect every rental car in the US has an automatic transmission since very few people here can drive a stick these days. Once (and once only) I rented a stick shift car in England and while I drive one here every day, the experience there was not good. The problem was acclimating to shifting with my left hand while negotiating the "wrong" side of the road on the narrow streets in crazy traffic. Good fun! I will pay more for the automatic next time...

Renting a GPS with the car might be expensive here, you might check ahead of time. If you have a GPS it might have maps for here or you might be able to buy them. It might be more economical in the long run to buy a cheap GPS when you get here and save it for the next trip or sell/give it to a friend planning a similar trip.

JKJ

Pat Barry
05-27-2017, 6:57 PM
Oh yeah, skip the GPS option and just use your smartphone and google maps. Be sure to invest in a car cell phone charger though.

Stan Calow
05-27-2017, 7:40 PM
Assuming you mean San Diego? Don't underestimate the driving time it takes to get from one of those places to other, including traffic jams, and waiting to get in parks, etc. You will be spending a lot of your holiday in the car.

John K Jordan
05-27-2017, 8:55 PM
Oh, I looked at your location list. We once planned to drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite in late spring or early summer, I can't remember. Our planned route was closed due to a late snow in the mountains and we had to take the long way around.

JKJ

glenn bradley
05-27-2017, 10:07 PM
Any woodworker who gets near Pasadena ought to try to see the Gamble House (http://gamblehouse.org/interior/).

Matt Meiser
05-27-2017, 10:43 PM
Yeah that's a lot more mileage than we did in not much shorter of a trip and we were constantly on the move from dawn til dusk. We pretty much kept our home schedule so we were going to bed by 8-9pm and I was up before dawn on days I ran. I'd get back, shower, and we'd get breakfast and be to our first stop by the time it opened. One long day we were on the road by 6:20am.

Shawn Pixley
05-28-2017, 10:18 AM
That is a lot of driving. California is big. Los Angeles to San Diego can be as little as 2-1/2 hours (without traffic) but often closer to 4 hours. It can take 2-1/2 hours for me to go into LA for a concert (from Ventura).

That said, your choices are interesting (with the exception of Las Vegas IMO). I hope you have you lodging arranged fot Sequoia and Yosemite. The campgrounds and cabins typically fill on the lottery day (the day at the start of the year when reservations can be made). Traffic getting in and out of there can be horrible.

As for food, California has many great restaurants. An App called Open Table allows for a lot of choice and is sensitive to driving time. Trip Advisor is good for Hotel / Motels. in my experience, GPS for a rental car does not cost any more these days (Hertz) other times it is a nominal fee.

Mike Hollingsworth
05-28-2017, 11:49 AM
don't miss this:

http://www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com/ (http://www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com/)

or this:

http://www.nethercuttcollection.org/ (http://www.nethercuttcollection.org/)

Dick Strauss
05-28-2017, 5:26 PM
If you have the time (closed on Tuesday) and interest, consider the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino (www.huntington.org) just east of LA. It is a hidden gem off the beaten path but might be worth the time depending on your interest. It is basically a great museum and garden all in the same spot.

Be aware that sections of the highway along the central coast are closed due to rock slides.

Nicholas Lawrence
05-29-2017, 8:21 AM
If it were me, I would cross Las Vegas and Los Angeles off the list, and spend those days in Yosemite. I think you could spend a month there without getting tired of it. Personally, I like the desert a lot as well (Joshua Tree, Mojave), but it is not an environment everyone would want to spend time in.

John K Jordan
05-29-2017, 9:01 AM
If it were me, I would cross Las Vegas and Los Angeles off the list, and spend those days in Yosemite. I think you could spend a month there without getting tired of it. Personally, I like the desert a lot as well (Joshua Tree, Mojave), but it is not an environment everyone would want to spend time in.

I didn't enjoy Las Vegas, even though it was a just stop-over for us. The big attraction was the cheap flights into Vegas and the inexpensive rooms - they REALLY want to get you into town. The casinos we saw were actually fun - lots of free entertainment for the kids (puppet shows and things) and good food. The sad thing was the looks of resignation and depression on the faces of the gamblers, especially those leaving the building. The poor casinos somehow failed to entice me to gamble even a dollar! We rented a car there and drive to Boulder (Hoover) Dam then Yosemite and San Francisco.

I've spent a lot of time over the years in and around San Francisco as well as Los Angeles and some in San Diego. Los Angeles is a horror (except for the architecture). My preference is strongly San Francisco and the surrounding area, both up and down the coast and inland. I enjoy the desert too.

JKJ

roger wiegand
05-30-2017, 7:50 AM
I'd ditch Vegas for sure (probably LA as well, except for the Gamble house) and go to the San Francisco area instead -- especially Muir Woods, but also Napa/Sonoma valleys. Getting to the biggest redwoods up north is a long trek, with not much along the way, but Muir woods is very accessible and wonderful. Lake Tahoe is also a nice area, and you can drop down to the south end f you need to gamble.

Be sure to go to the zoo in San Diego, the tours of some of the big ships are also quite interesting.

Yelp is my go-to app for finding good food, look for 4+ stars and over 100 reviews and you'll almost never go wrong.

A month is not too much time to spend in Yosemite!

John K Jordan
05-30-2017, 9:27 AM
If willing to drive from Las Vegas, and depending on whether you like civilization or wilderness, I'd head for Zion National Park then drive down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I get weary when people overuse the word "awesome" but it truly applies here. Amazing. Awesome. Well worth the time.

JKJ

Nicholas Lawrence
05-30-2017, 9:37 AM
If willing to drive from Las Vegas, and depending on whether you like civilization or wilderness, I'd head for Zion National Park then drive down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I get weary when people overuse the word "awesome" but it truly applies here. Amazing. Awesome. Well worth the time.

JKJ

I did this in reverse once (Grand Canyon up to Zion). Absolutely worth it. Only regret is that I did not have more time. But if the OP has Yosemite and the Sequoias on his list, I think the trip will be worth it.

I just cannot imagine anyone on their deathbed wishing they spent more time in LA or Vegas.

Andy Giddings
05-31-2017, 12:37 AM
Brian,



Italy required an international drivers license but the UK did not. My Lovely Bride thinks that license is required when going to a country that uses a different language. She verified the insurance coverage by calling both the car rental company and our insurance agent.


JKJ
I've always rented cars in Italy just using my regular Texas driver's license - never needed an International License with any of the regular vendors (Hertz, National or Avis). Same in Germany so not sure where the International License requirement is coming from

John K Jordan
05-31-2017, 8:34 AM
I've always rented cars in Italy just using my regular Texas driver's license - never needed an International License with any of the regular vendors (Hertz, National or Avis). Same in Germany so not sure where the International License requirement is coming from

Our experience was different. Maybe Texans get special treatment. :) My travel agent (my wonderful wife) followed recommendations from the Rick Steves travel site and elsewhere and verified this with the rental car agencies we used. Perhaps it was not strictly a "requirement" but a suggestion to make things easier.

This web site has some comments:
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/safety/road.html

International Driving Permits
It is illegal to drive without a valid license and insurance in most countries. You should check with the embassy of the country you plan to visit or live in to find specific driver's license requirements. Many countries do not recognize a U.S. driver's license, but most accept an International Driving Permit (IDP). IDPs may not be valid the whole time you stay abroad and may only be valid with a U.S. or local license.

In any event the license/permit was quick and painless to obtain at the local AAA office. Each time we rented a car the rental agent (most recently Hertz and Europcar) asked for the document along with my US driver's license and passport. Perhaps requirements differ with some agents or locations or perhaps it could reduce the hassle in some cases. Or maybe requirements change over time. I'd certainly check directly with the specific rental agency - it would be a shame to be denied a car rental over some technicality. Insurance requirements are also important to check.

JKJ

Stan Calow
05-31-2017, 10:06 AM
Its the law in many countries that you have a valid drivers license and a translation of it into languages that a local cop can use to verify its valid. Thats what a International Drivers Permit is - notarized verification by a third party that your license is valid in multiple languages. Not every cop everywhere reads or understands perfect English, or recognizes every US states license to know its real or fake. Its not the rental agencies' issue, its the law in many countries, and no one may ask until the cop pulls you over or you have an accident.

Brian Deakin
05-31-2017, 5:14 PM
A huge thank yo to everyone for your ideas and suggestions

Las Vegas does not really appeal to me but the children enjoyed it when we last visited the United States 3 years ago We did have a wonderful meal at the Wynn hotel and I took my son to see Penn and Teller
Further we did visit the Grand Canyon and San Francisco in 2014 and have decided on balance to not include them this time Visiting Zion National park is a destination I not considered we did visit it 25 years ago but my memory of the trip has faded
I would like to spend more time in Yosemite but the cost of hotels is prohibitive the hotel we have looked at Rush Creek lodge is $500 per night for the 4 of us so two nights is all the time we will spend in the park

Does anyone know if the have a promo code

regards Brian

Matt Meiser
06-01-2017, 9:40 AM
Some day I'd like to do western/northern CA, OR, and WA--never been further north than Napa or further west than Yellowstone other than a conference in downtown Seattle last fall--but I have absolutely no regrets about the time we spent in southern/central CA. I always enjoy seeing new places and being able to personally relate to an area when I hear or read about it.

Jim Becker
06-03-2017, 2:16 PM
If you just happen to be a member of Costco (they are in the UK and elsewhere in the world, too), they are my go-to place for personal auto rentals and I generally get better deals than I can get as a "member" of their frequent renter programs.

Harold Balzonia
06-04-2017, 11:21 AM
I'm born and raised in Southern California and my wife was born and raised in Las Vegas. Almost all of our time is spent in these two spots. Both can cater to nearly anything you want to do. If you care to share some of your general interests, I can be a bit more specific, i.e. city life vs wilderness, off-the-beaten-path type places, architectural/historical locations, local foods or types of food you like, Hollywood/entertainment, family friendly stuff, etc.

i will offer that anyone who ever comes to Southern California MUST work out some time to spend in Santa Barbara. Even if only a day trip, it is a remarkable place. Some of the best restaurants in the world and scenery/weather/location that will melt your mind. I can't imagine a better location on earth.

If you choose to go to one of the huge tourists attractions (San Diego zoo, Disneyland, Magic Mountain) those places really require a full day's commitment. They are enormous. And in the middle of summer they can be unbearably hot. It's not uncommon to be well over 100 degrees in July. Be prepared...

And be aware that many of the freeways in Southern California are undergoing repairs. Traffic is at an all time level of frustration. If you plan to travel on a weekday morning or evening during rush hour, add hours to your travel time. It can routinely take 2-3 hours to drive 40 miles depending on the freeway and time you choose to travel.

if you give an idea of what you enjoy, I can help with some specifics. Be safe!

Rich Enders
06-04-2017, 9:01 PM
Brian,

In my opinion you are planning too much for such a short visit. Scenery is good, but you mentioned your kids, and to me that means entertainment, and that means Southern California. Depending on their ages Venice Beach for a day may be the highlight.

I just wrote down 28 family type venues. I then did a search and found 100 additional from the first three hits. Stay at a major hotel (perhaps on the Queen Mary) and let the tour bus drivers deal with the traffic, plus you won't need to rent a car.

Brian Deakin
06-06-2017, 4:14 PM
Again A huge thank you to everyone for their advice and suggestions

Harold this is the 5th time during their life that we have taken the children to the USA.My daughter is 22 and my son is 17 The children have no interest in architectural/ historical locations and we will not visit Disneyland or Magic Mountain

Currently this is our provisional plan
3 days LA area ( Day one possible Hollywood trip (not my choice ) day 2 beach, day 3 Santa Barbara

Day 4 Sequoia
Day 5 drive to edge of Yosemite stay in hotel outside park
day 6 and 7 stay in Yosemite (This hotel has been booked)
Day 8 drive to halfway point on way to Las Vegas stay at hotel ( undecided on location and route )
Day 9,10,11 (three nights ) Stay in Las Vegas
My sons 18 th birthday will be on day 10 and we plan to take him for a meal at the Wynn hotel ( please note Las Vegas was a favorite of the children last time we visited in 2014)

Then 3 days in Santiago with possibly a one day stop off on the way ( destination undecided )

We will not be visiting the Grand Canyon or the Hoover Dam we saw both on our last visit

In terms of food the children prefer American /Italian

Any further help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated

regards Brian

Rich Enders
06-06-2017, 6:59 PM
Brian,

The Blue Man Group in Las Vegas.

Harold Balzonia
06-06-2017, 7:47 PM
Ok... I can help you a bit here... keep in mind I don't know your budget so I'll try to let you know what to expect price wise...

if you take a trip to Hollywood, arguably the best Italian restaurant in California is not far away. Osteria Mozza is a high end Italian joint owned and operated by Mario Batali. It is quite expensive for us normal folks (~$50-60 US per person) but it's a meal you won't soon forget. And you'll probably see a celebrity or two in there...

if you're interested in why the terrorists hate us, take a trip to a restaurant called the Cheesecake Factory. It's a chain of restaurants that has an enormous menu and very generous portions. They are all around Southern California and also in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas location is the highest grossing restaurant in the USA per square foot. Be prepared for a wait and be prepared to laugh at how rotund and gluttonous we are over here... it's quite good food (for a chain restaurant) and an entertaining spot no matter which location you choose.

while in Santa Barbara, I insist that you have a meal at The Palace Grill. It is right downtown near the beach and has maybe the most outstanding Cajun food you'll find west of the Mississippi River. Make a reservation, as wait times for a walk up party can exceed 2 hours...

for your beach trip, I recommend Santa Monica. You can walk out on the pier and catch a glimpse of every walk of life in a 20 minute walk. From the most downtrodden homeless, to the billionaires with their servants carrying small "therapy dogs" in their purses. If your beach day is a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, make the trek to Venice Beach and watch the kooks. Venice on a weekday is not nearly as interesting and I'd stick to Santa Monica. Malibu is tempting for many folks, but it's a bit of a drive and in my opinion kind of boring as a destination. Not much to do...

Italian food in Las Vegas is ubiquitous but our favorite spot is actually in the Red Rock Casino. It's called Salute. It's very impressive cuisine... ($40 or so per person).... but if you just follow the mobsters, you'll find plenty of hole-in-the-wall Italiano joints...

One spot not enough people visit, in my opinion, is the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. It's a valuable experience....

in Vegas, if you are into shows, penn and teller are my favorites. They change their show all the time so you could go a couple times a year and not see the same trick. Another recommendation is the water based shows like "O" or "Le Reve"... both are spectacular.

There is no easy drive from Yosemite to Vegas. It will be long and boring! But if you want to take the extra long route on the smaller highways (as opposed to the interstates) you'll see small sections of America that very few take the time to see... if you take the longer northern route around highway 95, walker lake is an interesting piece of geography. But it is a LONG drive.... the southern route can take you through DEATH VALLEY if you choose a bit of a detour.... appropriately named place.... it's the hottest place on the planet (it once hit 134 degrees!) and a spot everyone should visit once just to say you've been there... it's a detour I would probably take if I was looking for something uniquely American. Bring water....

Ill probably come come up with another idea or two but I hope this helps a bit.

Matt Meiser
06-06-2017, 9:30 PM
For LA, based on what you want to do I can make some recommendations.

We stayed in Santa Monica at the Doubletree. It a nice hotel a short walk to the beach and Santa Monica pier. There's numerous good food options within walking distance. If you have people in your party who want to shop there's essentially a mall in downtown Santa Monica. That location you can park the car (valet only) and not get it again until you leave--a great thing in LA! I can look up the places we ate if you want.

For the tour, we did A Day in LA Tours and I highly recommend them. I was not looking forward to it and had a good time. https://www.adayinlatours.com/ Stops are in Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, lunch at the Farmers Market at The Grove, Griffith Park, and Hollywood Blvd. Plus drive-bys of a lot with a TON of info on the area. Pickup and drop off are a short walk from the Doubletree.

Santa Barbara is a nice 2 hour drive north on the 1/101. We drove from Santa Monica to San Luis Obispo in a day including a number of short stops and a longer stop in Santa Barbara. That said, if you decide to head to Sequoia via SLO I cannot recommend staying in SLO. We stayed at an Embassy Suites there and it was kind of a dump despite being almost finished with a remodel. It was in the middle of a shopping center that's about 1/3 vacant and there weren't very good food options nearby.

Matt Meiser
06-12-2017, 1:17 PM
Brian, I just got an email for a promo at the Santa Monica Doubletree. http://h1.hilton.com/a/hBZPsiUAjsXyoB9ckk9Nud$ZBa4/j12

Larry Whitlow
06-15-2017, 5:03 PM
Been away for awhile. Stopped by just to see what was going on and saw this thread. Wanted to toss out that there is a Sam Maloof museum in Southern California. Google for more details.

Been away for at least 3 years. Nice to see many familiar names. Take care.

Rich Enders
07-05-2017, 6:12 PM
Brian,

Have you completed your trip? When you do, it would be interesting to see a recap and rating (from both the younger and older participants).

Brian Deakin
07-05-2017, 8:48 PM
Brian,

Have you completed your trip? When you do, it would be interesting to see a recap and rating (from both the younger and older participants).


We will finish the trip on 16th July and I promise to post a recap of the holiday

regards Brian