Have you always wanted to go on a West Coast USA road trip? What better time than now to start planning with my ultimate (tried and tested, for the most part) guide?
Although we can’t travel right now, I’ve found now is the perfect time to reminisce over past trips and plan future travels. Being stuck at home means we’ve got plenty of time to save money/earn extra cash on the side and research into future trips. One (brief) trip I took and would love to absolutely take again is an America West Coast road trip. In actual fact, I’d love to extend such a trip to a road trip across all of America too!
But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. My friend Briony and I visited America last year and spent two weeks travelling around Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and Tijuana, all concluding in an actual four-day road trip along the coast.
With this experience, I now know what places are worth visiting, what places I wish we’d made time for and what is actually doable for such a time frame. My ultimate dream would be to take a couple of months out and drive the traditional Route 66, stopping where I like for as long as I like – but for a west coast road trip which gives you just a taste of America, I think a couple of weeks is around about enough time.
TRANSPORT | GETTING AROUND
First of all, try and decide whether or not you want to take a traditional road trip or simply visit a few different states on your West Coast USA road trip. We had no issue using night buses and public transport to get between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and Tijuana, which I suppose was the more ‘tourist attraction’ part of our trip. If you’re willing to slum it and spend your nights sleeping on a bus, then it may be worth doing this. Alternatively, if its the road trip part that really appeals to you – and you want to get out into nature, do hikes or visit national parks, then I would definitely recommend getting a car. However, be aware that busy places like Vegas can be tough to park in. This is why we chose to do the first part of our trip via public transport and the second part with a car – which works just as well. I know that a road trip is all about taking your time and not having to plan ahead too much, but you’ll definitely avoid stress by making your first decision based on what kind of trip you want to take. A mixture of a road trip and public transport is absolutely fine.
In terms of renting a car, do plenty of research online beforehand – especially if you’re worried you won’t be comfortable with driving on the opposite side of the road. Our cheapest option was to pick the car up from LA airport and return it at the same place on the day we were due to fly home. I think overall this is the cheapest option too, so rather than taking one long road trip from A to B, you could also do two different routes.
Please note, this guide includes an overview of places – keep your eyes peeled for more in-depth guides on each place to follow soon!
WHERE TO VISIT | LOS ANGELES – 3 DAYS
You’ll more than likely fly into a big city like Los Angeles – and I believe this is probably the best starting point for a West Coast road trip. LA can be pretty laid back, so after a long flight, it’s the ideal place to chill and get used to your surroundings, without getting thrown into immediate ‘holiday mode’. Three days is just about enough to do the ‘must-do’ stuff, but if you want to indulge yourself in the city and spent some time just hanging out and enjoying the city, extend your trip by one or two days.
LA is filled with uber-cool bars and funky brunch spots, so it’s an ideal place to just explore – don’t plan ahead if you don’t want to and enjoy just walking around to see what places are best for drinks, dinner and dancing. On the other hand, there’s plenty to do attraction wise, if that’s your kind of thing. Don’t miss a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, nor the famous Griffith Park. There are a few other studio tours too (Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and Sony Pictures Studio Tour) but there’s no need to do both.
Can’t decide between the two? Warner Bro’s is good if you’re a big fan of Friends, Harry Potter, Gilmore Girls in particular etc as you’ll see sets, backlots and sound stages of top movies and TV shows on an actual working Hollywood set – so you may even spot some famous faces whilst driving around. Alternatively, I found Sony Pictures Studio Tour to be a little more hands-on in terms of learning about the industry in general, as we got to walk onto sets from TV shows and have photo opportunities with props like the original Breaking Bad RV! We also got to see (and learn about) how props are borrowed for movies. But both were super fun to visit.
In LA, I’d get the tourist bits out of the way first and relax afterwards with a day spent on the beach and chilling out on Santa Monica Pier.
TOP TIP: A Go LA card will save you lots of money – and give you ideas – if you plan to visit many tourist attractions.
MUST VISITS: Universal Studios Hollywood, a hike to the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier/Venice Beach.
WHERE TO STAY: For somewhere cheap, cheerful and central: Walk of Fame Hollywood Hostel – this hostel is perfect for if you want to be right in the heart of it all as it’s situated right along the walk of fame. Understandably, just outside is often busy (so sometimes you can hear the commotion inside, but it’s not in an overbearing way and dies down later in the night), but its central location makes up for it.
Read more: My visit to Los Angeles in 2019 and my thoughts on Universal Studios Hollywood.
WHERE TO VISIT | JOSHUA TREE – 2 DAYS
Joshua Tree is a vast and beautiful place, and it’s the ideal pit-stop to get lost in nature between the busier and buzzing LA and Las Vegas. Two days is just enough time to get a taster of the national park without getting too overwhelmed, but if you’re really big on hiking than definitely extend your time here if need be. Grab some snacks and lots of water from a supermarket and put some great tunes on whilst you drive. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know where to begin – driving from the entry point into the park to actual good hiking spots can take up to an hour because of how big Joshua Tree is, so feel free to enjoy it from the comfort of the car too.
WHERE TO STAY: Airbnb it. There are tons of affordable Airbnbs all around Joshua Tree, all with really great chic, boho desert vibes (nice description there, ha!). There are so many lovely places to choose from!
WHERE TO VISIT | LAS VEGAS – 4 DAYS
I found Vegas to be surprising and loved it so much more than I thought I would – I didn’t expect it to have much more on offer than gambling and partying. But I was wrong. It’s a stark contrast due to the more laid-back LA – certainly busier but the crowds draw you into the excitement of it all. It was never too crowded to the extent that it annoyed us whilst we were there.
A car certainly isn’t necessary for Vegas but once you conquer all the things to do in the heart of this adults paradise, there are tons of things to do in the surrounding areas which you will need transport for.
Alternatively, if you want only half your visit to consist of a road trip, get LA and Vegas done first. Vegas is quite inland compared to all the places you can visit along the coast. As mentioned above, it’s super easy to get via LA and Vegas without a car (one night bus will do), so you could choose to do your trip in the order of Vegas, LA and then really begin your west coast USA road trip with a visit to Joshua Tree/any national parks.
We stayed in Vegas for three days, which also included a day trip to the Grand Canyon. I think three days is a good starting point if you’re not sure what to expect, but ideally, I’d say four to five days should do it. Vegas is home to so much cool stuff to do from exploring Fremont Street to seeing a show. Of course, there’s lots of partying to be done too. You’ll never run out of stuff to do in Vegas and if the craziness of it all is too much, just spend a day sipping cocktails by the pool.
MUST VISITS: Welcome To Las Vegas sign and a day spent just walking the strip, an Eldorado Canyon Tour, Fremont Street and Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum (if that’s your thing).
FURTHER AFIELD: Though not ‘in’ Vegas, day trips to The Grand Canyon and Valley Of Fire State Park should absolutely not be missed. You can either book a tour to these or save it for when you begin your road trip. The nearby Death Valley National Park is also a good shout.
WHERE TO STAY: We picked a hotel just on the outskirts of the strip – I’ve mentioned beforehand that you don’t need to stay in a glitzy casino to reap the benefits in Vegas – you can still visit the majority of the restaurants, attractions and clubs inside casinos otherwise. So by slumming it and staying at a budget hotel, you won’t miss out on anything at all. However, I have heard great things about The Cosmopolitan, and it’s surprisingly affordable for what it offers. A random night in March 2021 could cost as little as £117, which, between two people, is very achievable. Even if you go all out and stay somewhere glam for just one night and a budget hotel for other nights, you’ll get the best of both worlds in Vegas.
Read more: 10 alternative things to do in (and around) Las Vegas
MINI STOPS ALONG YOUR WEST COAST USA ROAD TRIP
After spending some extended time in the major spots such as LA, Vegas and a national park, it’s worth taking a step back from the planning and just explore the coast – enjoying your road trip and seeing where you’d want to stay overnight. For reasons like this, it’s worth having some camping gear with you and doing some research beforehand into what sites are best for booking last-minute accommodation. You could also plan your trip based on three or four overnight stops along the coast – that’s essentially what we did, and divided our trip into three different days. The days we left free and decided to just see where we felt like visiting, but obviously within each stop to not overbear ourselves with driving.
Driving along the coast is also known as driving Route One and will see you visiting beautiful places such as Moro Bay, Big Sur and Salmon Creek Falls. We spent about three days driving along the coast, up to Big Sur, and then back again to catch our flight home from LA. This included lots of random stops along the way.
To avoid tiring yourself out, I’d allow at least four or five days for this part of your trip and, if you can, leave your car at the other end to fly home from San Francisco – if you can afford it. The alternative is doing what we did and taking a different route back.
The Ultimate West Coast USA Road Trip on RoadtrippersYou can see this entire West Coast USA road trip (including all the quirky stops along the way!) on Roadtrippers here!
VEGAS/LA TO MORRO BAY – 1 DAY
If you want to do the traditional Route One, head back towards the coast to begin your road trip. Where you stay along Route One is up to you – but I’ve included my suggestions based on driving time and cool stops on the way.
Morro Bay is a sweet little coastal town that offers lots in terms of hikes, beautiful sea views and pretty nature trails. Even if you just use this place as somewhere to rest your head at night, the drive in and out of Morro Bay is worth the views. You can also spot lots of Otter’s in their natural habitats along the beaches!
COOL & QUIRKY STOPS ALONG THE WAY: Pacific View Mall Bus Stop in Ventura, ‘Little Denmark’ Solvang (I’m gutted I didn’t get any decent photos here!) and a mooch around ‘Riviera of the West’, Santa Barbara. Also: Six Flags Magic Mountain is worth adding on an extra day for.
MORRO BAY TO SANTA CRUZ – 1 DAY
It’s just a three-hour drive between Morro Bay and Santa Cruz, so you’ve got plenty of leeway for quirky roadside attractions – perfect for a road trip!
As well as the stunning State Beach, there’s also a Marine Discovery Center and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. If you make it to Santa Cruz, do not miss the world-famous Mystery Spot. What is it? I don’t know. No one knows until they visit..but it sounds awesome and quirky af.
COOL & QUIRKY STOPS ALONG THE WAY: The luxurious Hearst Castle, and, in true American road-trip style, the world’s largest Artichoke.
TOP TIP: Roadtrippers is the perfect nifty little app for a road trip. It can be used offline and provides navigation, but it also shows you lots of cool roadside and nearby attractions to visit during your road trip – from photo ops, quirky stops and classic roadside attractions. I relied on it so much during my trip. I talked about it a little more here, in a blog post I did about five apps I found super useful when travelling America’s West Coast.
SANTA CRUZ TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – 2/3 DAYS
Yosemite National Park is even bigger than Joshua Tree and boasts the Sierra Nevada mountains among its wonderful views. It does involve driving in-land, but it’s well worth going out of your way – it’s only a fourish hour drive in-land. I would also say it’s worth extending your time here to a couple of nights minimum.
Because Yosemite is so large and beautiful, this is the perfect place to really get a feel of your road trip – long winding roads through beautiful scenery and set to a fun soundtrack is the ideal way to enjoy a road trip, no? As well as the Sierra Nevada Mountains, you’ll also find waterfalls and deep valleys, plus a plethora of lodging, restaurants and shops around the national park too. Three days is more than enough time for a worthwhile visit, however, if you genuinely want to stay and relax, add on an extra day.
COOL & QUIRKY STOPS ALONG THE WAY: Bigfoot Discovery Museum and Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs. There are not too many quirky stops along this route, so feel free to focus on the drive to allow more time at the wonderful park upon arrival.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TO SAN FRANCISCO – 2/3 DAYS
After a few days spent at one with nature, head back towards the coast to San Francisco for the final part of your trip. Here, you can choose to indulge yourself in the city or spend a final few days exploring its coast. There are a few other quirky stops you would have missed by driving in-land – I’ll reference them in a moment – so you could continue your road trip by spending a further day driving along the coast (either by heading from Yosemite back to Santa Cruz and from SC to San Francisco, or direct to SF then along the coast and back) – followed by one or two days in the city before your flight home.
Obviously San Francisco has tons to offer – The Golden Gate Bridge, The Painted Ladies, San Francisco Zoo etc. I think two days is an ideal amount of time to re-group here before heading home! Alcatraz Island is also a good shout, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
COOL & QUIRKY STOPS ALONG THE WAY: Ansel Adams Gallery, Oakdale Cowboy Museum and Jamestown Railtown Historic Park.
COOL & QUIRKY STOPS WORTH DRIVING BACK FOR: Court of Mysteries, Japanese Friendship Garden and Winchester Mystery House (Winchester Mystery House is WELL worth a visit – definitely read into this beforehand to find out all about its weird history..!).
I don’t know about you but as much as I love America and travelling, after a last stop in San Francisco, I’d be ready to fly home! However, this is, of course, only my advice. I’ve focused on a mix between wonderful nature in national parks, some must-visit tourist attractions and lots of quirky road trip stops of course! But your interests may differ. I know I would also like to take an extended trip just at a national park like Yosemite or Joshua Tree, and one day I’d also like to visit Seattle and Portland for example. But that’s another blog post for another time!
So there you have it: the ultimate West Coast USA Road Trip, consisting of extended time spent in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park and Las Vegas, followed by a road trip along Morro Bay, Santa Cruz, Yosemite National Park and San Francisco – with plenty of cool stops along the way.
What would YOUR ultimate 2 week itinerary USA West Coast look like? Let me know!
*Please note, this guide may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission when you click on or book using my links. This is at no extra cost to you.
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