LAILA’S TRIP TO CALIFORNIA
16 NIGHTS/8 STOPS
A Taste of Everything: from city to mountains
We wanted to discover the southern part of California during summer time. We were amazed by the variety of landscapes and the continuously deep blue sky that we experienced during the two and a half weeks. We could travel from high mountain landscapes to the desert in 3 hours, or experience the lively Venice beach in the morning and western atmosphere east of Los Angeles in the afternoon. We mixed lodging facilities from hotels to house & RV rentals. Yosemite, even though it is crowded, is a must-see. Our budget for the whole trip was around $ 1900 per person for 16 nights (excluded food and activities).
16 nights & 8 stops
$
1600 km
All year long
road trip & cultural discovery
Photo @lailabog ©
ABOUT LAILA: Laila and her husband have always taken advantage of travelling in and around the places where they lived. They have 3 boys, so you can imagine the challenges that come with keeping them boosted and active during the holidays. She actively seeks unique locations, thrilling activities and authentic hotels with charm and character. Her ingredients for a perfect trip: sporty activities, good food, charming locations, and local culture.
WHAT LAILA LOVED ABOUT THIS TRIP
A variety of scenery
Yosemite National Park
From desert to mountains in 3 h
LA and San Francisco city trip
Arrival airport - San Francisco
Sonoma Valley - Wine tasting
Yosemite NP
Mammoth Mountains
Red Rock Canyon
Pismo Dunes - Quad
Malibu beach
Venice Beach and Los Angeles
Norco - Horse city - Daytrip
NEW YORK – SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES-NEW YORK
5,5 hours direct flight
+
RENTAL RECREATIONAL VAN – UBER
1600 km in 18 days
23 hours on the road – 8 stops
Stop 1, 2 & 8: Uber and rental car – Stop 3 to 7: RV Rental
AVERAGE BUDGET PER PERSON
$1900 / pp for 16 nights excluded food and activities
$900 /pp for 16 nights (without breakfast)
$140 /pp for rental car & taxis
$400 for RV rental for 7 days /pp
$460 /pp
SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT 
SAN FRANCISCO TO
SAN FRANCISCO TO
YOSEMITE VALLEY TO
MAMMOTH LAKES TO
RED ROCK CANYON TO
OCEANO DUNES TO
MALIBU BEACH TO
GOOD TO KNOW
-
We rented a RV for one week through www.cruiseamerica.com, starting from San Francisco. We returned the RV in Los Angeles. An extra fee of 200$ was charged to pick up and drop off at a location.
-
The RV was basic. Don’t expect tons of kitchen utensil or comfortable bedding linen.
-
We rented a 30 feet RV for our family of 5. The size was perfect. I would not have taken a bigger one as most of the campsites accept
no RV bigger than 30 feet. -
If we had to rent a RV again we would probably use another company even though more expensive: Road Bear RV for example. Our RV was not the most comfortable or the best equipped.
-
California can also be cold. In August, San Francisco is foggy in the morning and at sunset. Don’t forget sweaters and jumpers. In Mammoth mountains the nights are really cold even though temperatures are high during the day. Venice beach has a perfect day temperature but the ocean can be cold. Plan to bring a wetsuit for water activities.
-
When you take the ferry from Sausalito to the Ferry Building in San Francisco: don’t arrive last minute for the ferry. The line was long
-
Foresee enough water when you are hiking in Yosemite NP. Bring good hiking shoes as well as a backpack. This is important to plan in your holiday luggage.
-
You should plan a one day trip to drive from Yosemite Valley to Mammoth Lake. There are many things to see on the way. Check “what we did section” for stop 4
-
Camping site: we preferred all state/national parks campgrounds vs private owned campgrounds. You will enjoy more natural surroundings, in the woods or the desert, not a RV parking on the asphalt, a real campsite!
-
In Malibu, we would have stayed at Point Mugu state Park campground. It is a very nice RV campground on road 1, straight on the beach. Much cheaper than the one we stayed in in Malibu
-
We would have stayed max 4 nights in Los Angeles. it is sufficient.
-
In San Francisco and Los Angeles, the best way to move around the city is to use Lyft or Uber
