If you had to choose only one of the 50 states for an iconic road trip, California would be it. Known for road tripping, California’s byways and highways wind through dramatic scenery and connect some of the biggest cultural hubs in the United States.
From untouched and untamed nature to the concrete jungle of LA, California is a perfect summary of the best of the USA. As always, you’ll need strategic overnight bases during your trip. Book hotels in the following cities along your way.
San Diego
There’s no better place to start a California road trip than San Diego, where you can start at the southern end of the state and work your way north. With its beautiful parklands and beaches, affordable hotels, and near-perfect weather all year round, San Diego is the sum of what travelers expect from California.
Be sure to visit the seals at La Jolla Cove and take in the view at the Cabrillo National Monument. With the city’s 17 miles of coastline, you should dedicate at least one day for the beach. If you have extra time, Balboa Park is America’s biggest urban cultural park.
Related: Things to Do in San Diego
Anaheim
An hour and a half from San Diego, Anaheim is home to the happiest place on earth. This is one of the most visited destinations in California, with Disneyland as the city’s crown jewel.
There are trendy outdoor shopping malls, themed hotels, and a very busy convention center. If you’re traveling on a budget, you should consider traveling during less busy times of year and avoid school holidays and international breaks.
Los Angeles
It’s a very quick drive to Los Angeles from Anaheim. It’s just half an hour depending on traffic and the time of day, and it wouldn’t be a visit to California without including LA.
Hollywood is one of the main draws, with its iconic Walk of Fame. You can pose with wax celebs at Madame Tussauds or hike to the Hollywood Sign. Sunset Boulevard is central to the LA cultural experience, and it’s where travelers will find restaurants, clubs, shops, and famous hotels.
If you’re looking to catch a TV crew in action, head to Downtown LA. You should also consider taking in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Malibu, along with a sporting game.
San Jose
The quickest route to San Jose takes four hours, but we highly recommend taking the scenic highway along the coast, which will extend the drive to 5.5 hours.
There’s a lot to see along the way, including Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Pfeiffer Big Sur National Park, and the elephant seals at Monterey. Stop here before proceeding further north through Palo Alto and San Francisco. San Jose is a hub for high-tech businesses, though the town is a great overnight stop with historic charm, a thriving arts and music scene, theatres, galleries, chic restaurants, and cheap hotels.
California is a fantastic option for those considering an American road trip. Base yourself in the above cities and enjoy your stay!
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- From untamed nature to the concrete jungle of LA, California is a perfect summary of the USA. Book hotels in the following cities along your way.
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- From untamed nature to the concrete jungle of LA, California is a perfect summary of the USA. Book hotels in the following cities along your way.
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Photo credits: San Diego CC by Bill Gracey.
13 Comments
I don’t know much about San Jose, but looks like an awesome stop I have to make on our route one trip!
Great list of places to halt during the road trip. I have faced this problem of choosing stay places during road trips in Europe. Good to have one handy when I plan a trip through these places… hopefully some day in future.
Very helpful list for a newbie traveler like me. I’ll be sure this will be helpful when i wander around California soon.
That’s cool, so far I have only seen Highway Number 1 in California but not been south of L.A. Thanks for sharing, will add it to my never-ending road trip list :)
You have me convinced California is for sure the best place for a road trip. Actually my brother did a road trip with his girlfriend there last year and I must admit I was so jealous of it!
Great post but very touristy spots! I personally would prefer more nature and outdoors for road trips but Anaheim hasn’t Disney and I couldn’t pass that up either!
We did the PCH road trip the other way, San Francisco down to San Diego. We loved it especially San Diego. Would love to go back and spend more time exploring the places we quickly passed through.
I spent much time in these places as a student, except Los Angeles, and loved them, including San Jose :)
San Diego is my favourite and guess what I was introduced to Hipmunk by a friend there. Such serendipity…
Good road trip. I have driven up and down mostly between LA and San Diego. Need to go further north.
There’s nothing like a California road trip! I’m from California and have done the drive up and down the coast dozens of times. The cities you suggested stopping in are great! I would also suggest going even further north to San Francisco!
One of the best place in the world
I live in Sweden and I dream of visiting California during the summer (that might be all year, I’m not sure). There is so much I’d like to see: The architecture, theme parks, LA and much, much more. I’m thinking of renting a car and drive along the coast and see where I land. Great post btw ?
Thank you for helping me appreciate more the state I live in.