Best Area/Places To Stay In California

California was one of our most memorable holidays - wish we had had more time there and would love to go back. Did a fly drive and only did max 2 nights in any one place, but could've done 3-4 nights in plenty!

Flew Heathrow to LA
2 nights in West Hollywood and just did some touristy stuff - bus tour, lunch in Beverley Hills, Rodeo drive etc
Drove to Pismo for 1 night
Up to Monterrey 1 night - stunning
Onto to San Fran 2 nights - visited Alcatraz
2 nights in Yosemite (incredible scenery)
1 night in Death Valley
2 in Vegas
2 in Palm Springs (loved it)
2 in San Diego (on the beach)
Flew back from SD.

Could've taken a month. Amazing trip.
 


When contemplating what you can do in 2 weeks just remember that California is roughly the same size as GB. Doing the standard list leaves so much else undone. in either place. But you can comeback, right?
 
Or you could buck the trend of going between the two big cities and drive north up the coast from San Francisco to Mendocino, beautiful coastline and coastal towns.

From there you could go further north up the coast or drop down through the Russian River and Sonoma Valley, very relaxing with great countryside.
 
Used to live in San Francisco. I spent Christmas day in the jacuzzi it was so warm. The cold sea hitting the war air can get a bit frisky sometimes, but it's a great city and its baking in the summer. Not a patch on New York but that's just my opinion and people's tastes differ.
 
Binternet said:
LA is a shit hole. San Diego really is America's finest city and flights there are generally cheaper than elsewhere. San Fransisco is nice with lots to do but it's bloody cold.

If you like wine then there are some tremendous vineyards all over the state. Hire a car and just drive around.
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Pretty much this. Travelled the length of California a few years back and San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Francisco were the best places to stay
Los Angeles is a shit hole
 
Stepover said:
California was one of our most memorable holidays - wish we had had more time there and would love to go back. Did a fly drive and only did max 2 nights in any one place, but could've done 3-4 nights in plenty!

Flew Heathrow to LA
2 nights in West Hollywood and just did some touristy stuff - bus tour, lunch in Beverley Hills, Rodeo drive etc
Drove to Pismo for 1 night
Up to Monterrey 1 night - stunning
Onto to San Fran 2 nights - visited Alcatraz
2 nights in Yosemite (incredible scenery)
1 night in Death Valley
2 in Vegas
2 in Palm Springs (loved it)
2 in San Diego (on the beach)
Flew back from SD.

Could've taken a month. Amazing trip.
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Who did you book with?
 
TopCat said:
Pretty much this. Travelled the length of California a few years back and San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Francisco were the best places to stay
Los Angeles is a shit hole
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To write the entire city off as a shit hole is mental. Aye there are some grim bits but it's a city the size of a county. Plenty of hidden gems great music scene and some great bars up and down the coast. I did alsorts from gigs in Hollywood (Arctic monkeys first us tour at the Henry fonda and dilated peoples at the house of blues), house parties in longbeach, fires on Huntington beach, breakfast burritos on seal beach (the skunks comes out at night), watching the crazies at Venice beach, a shit load of skateboarding. Love the place me. Granted you come away from the coast and things get rough but even a train ride through Compton was interesting. :lol:
 
houst69 said:
Who did you book with?
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We used trailfinders. We didn’t like a few of the hotels they suggested so did some hotel research ourselves; they then sorted the whole itinerary out for us with our preferred places. Were spot on.

My only tip would be to buy a sat nav with US or world maps on it; the sat nav rentals were scandalous!
 
Sgt Pepper said:
Market Street is dodgy as fuck like, and the streets just around it. Stayed in the Holiday Inn Civic Centre years ago with the family and we cut short our stay because the walk from there to Union Square and the other more touristy areas wasn’t pleasant, especially at night when it got dark and you were having to walk right past huge groups of homeless people. They didn’t bother us at all like, but it’s not what you want on holiday. Last went to San Fran in September just gone with my lass and I’d read up plenty beforehand this time and by all accounts it hadn’t changed so we made sure we didn’t venture down from our hotel near Union Square that way.

Love San Francisco apart from that though. We hired bikes and cycled from Fisherman’s Wharf along the bay front and over the Golden Gate Bridge, up the Marin Headlands to take in the views then back over towards the golden gate park. First time I’d seen it round there and it’s stunning, couldn’t help but think the people that lived on those streets between the Golden Gate Bridge and golden gate park were lucky as fuck. We then ditched the bikes near the golden gate park and had a walk round in the park then headed to Haight-Ashbury for a drink. Class day that and would do it again in a heartbeat.
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My mate loves in sausalito. f***ing charmed life that fucker.
 
monkeytassle said:
My mate loves in sausalito. f***ing charmed life that fucker.
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Looks beautiful there like and I bet the views of the bay with San Francisco in the background are unbelievable. Me Nanna and Granda went years ago and loved it so I wanted to try and get there when we had the bikes because it doesn’t look far from the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge on a map, but the reality when you’re there is a bit different. Google maps said it was about 40 mins cycling time from the Marin Headlands to there and we already had plans back over the bridge so there just wasn’t enough hours in the day. Gives us one of many reasons to go back though because there’s loads we still didn’t do or see.
 
Rusty said:
To write the entire city off as a shit hole is mental. Aye there are some grim bits but it's a city the size of a county. Plenty of hidden gems great music scene and some great bars up and down the coast. I did alsorts from gigs in Hollywood (Arctic monkeys first us tour at the Henry fonda and dilated peoples at the house of blues), house parties in longbeach, fires on Huntington beach, breakfast burritos on seal beach (the skunks comes out at night), watching the crazies at Venice beach, a shit load of skateboarding. Love the place me. Granted you come away from the coast and things get rough but even a train ride through Compton was interesting. :lol:
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Yeah, fair comment. I had a horrendous weekend there and wasn't a fan of the place either. you made very valid points
 
Dubai Si said:
No one fancy giving me some feedback on Manhattan Beach?

Is there anywhere to eat there? Will I get stabbed / shot / bummed?
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Manahttan Beach is lovely and a very expensive area. Probably all houses worth over a million dollars in that area. Plenty resteraunts etc. I prefer hermosa beach personally which is about 15-20 min walk depending on which end of mahattan beach your at.

Dubai Si said:
No one fancy giving me some feedback on Manhattan Beach?

Is there anywhere to eat there? Will I get stabbed / shot / bummed?
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Also if your going up to Venice Beach or santa monica see if you can hire a bike and ride up the coast. Can use the boardwalk (or whatever you call it) 90% of the way just have to cut in to cross the river. Easy ride all flat smooth paths and normally plenty of fanny out jogging etc.

Also quicker than driving most of the time believe it or not. :lol:
 
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I have to take time off at Xmas and can get flights for £370 to LA. I've been a couple of times before but kids were younger

So my question is - my lad will be 18 then and may tag along but how hot are they on fake ID?
 
Beery said:
I have to take time off at Xmas and can get flights for £370 to LA. I've been a couple of times before but kids were younger

So my question is - my lad will be 18 then and may tag along but how hot are they on fake ID?
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You'll struggle to get served in most places. They are shit hot on ID. I did manage to blag it once but I think it was cause we were out of the way in longbeach and they didn't really understand a UK DL or our date format. If your in Hollywood or somewhere I'd be amazed if he got served.
 
Rusty said:
You'll struggle to get served in most places. They are shit hot on ID. I did manage to blag it once but I think it was cause we were out of the way in longbeach and they didn't really understand a UK DL or our date format. If your in Hollywood or somewhere I'd be amazed if he got served.
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So a UK DL,saying 21 yo ,wouldn't work then?
 

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