The ultimate adventure from san francisco to san diego is the road trip on everybodys bucket list. The pacific coast highway on the west coast of the united states is known for being an absolutely stunning scenic driveperfect for road trips. Jun 23, 2014 if you didnt read part one usa road trips. It takes around 600 to reach las vegas to san francisco via pacific coast highway. This guide will provide you with the perfect route for a sevenday road trip through californiaso pack your bags, fill the car, and get driving. Drive the pacific coast highway in southern california. Get around via the famous san francisco tram and make sure to walk down crazy. The pacific coast highway, also called california state route 1, coast highway, or shortened by locals to be pch, is 650 miles of road. You can even stretch it out by spending a few extra days exploring some of the cities along the route if you want to.
In addition to the beauty, route 1 an alternative name for the. Theres actually relatively little difference in distance between the. Go ahead and do it that way if you hate fun, yourself, america, and. In this itinerary blog post, we will talk about all. Its continue reading itinerary for one week trip from san francisco. Heres a primer on the coastal route through big sur, which is the region you will be. Over km youll see stunning coastal views, seaside villages, untouched. Road trip itinerary from san francisco to monterey san.
Please check out the exact route on our various maps on this page. Starting from californias northern border with oregon and stretching all the way down to san diego the route takes round ten hours to complete at a leisurely pace with no stops. A road trip through the pacific northwest and northern california is equally epic, but with less traffic. If you have more time to drive the pch, this 10day itinerary is perfect. We often neglect our own backyard, chasing after those grandiose and super glamorous. Planning a pacific coast highway road trip from san francisco to. How to drive to san francisco via the northern california. Visitors can take the pch this is the name of highway. Highway 1 reopens californias highway 1 has officially reopened and motorists can now drive from monterey in the north to san luis obispo in the south for the first time in 18 months. Along this famous route, youll drive through big metropolitan cities and tiny. The pacific coast highway, aka california state route 1 or highway 1, is the most beautiful road trip in the us. Some of the most breathtaking scenery is found along the way, including the oceanside mountains of big sur, the redwood groves of. Depending on the vehicle you choose, you can also calculate the amount of co2 emissions from your vehicle and assess the environment impact. The classic pacific coast highway road trip road trip usa.
The pacific coast highway is one of the most iconic drives in the united states. San diego to san francisco on the pacific coast highwa y, you have some catching up to do. San diego to san francisco via the pacific coast highway. The pacific coast highway also called pch is one of americas most famous highways probably second only to route 66. Drive times and distances here are the rough drive times and distances between the main cities along the pacific coast highway. I am trying to figure out how long the drive is on a typical thursday so weekday traffic in july. Youll see some of the west coasts fastest growing cities, majestic.
Theres actually three routes, the fastest being i5, the middle being highway 101, and the scenic being highway 1 the pacific coast highway is a southern segment. The tour twists and turns its way over the steep cliffs towering over the pacific ocean far below, before cutting inland to monterey and on to san franciscos fishermans wharf. Stretching from the southern tip of baja california to the top of the olympic peninsula, the highway is 500 miles long. It is one of the most astoundingly scenic roads in the world, meant to be traversed slowly. The san francisco to san diego drive via the pacific coast highway can easily be called the road trip of a lifetime. Although longer 442 miles and more difficult, this route is one of the most scenic drives in the world that should be on any usa bucket list. Whether you take highway1 or highway101 south along the pacific coast, they both meet just north of the golden gate bridge to take you over that iconic landmark and into san francisco. We cover the quickest routes from seattle to san francisco, san francisco to. So rent a car, put the top down, and get ready for the drive of your life. If youre heading north instead of south, then a look back at the golden gate will be your abiding memory of that city by the bay. However, after reading a lot of these forums many people seem to strongly recommend against this.
One of these days, id drive the whole length of pacific coast highway although itll definitely be more than a weekend getaway trip. How to drive the pacific coast highway like a champion. Feast and drink your way through endless restaurants and bars. How to drive to san francisco via the northern california coast route. Over the past five years, i was very lucky to have the opportunity to visit many of the towns and citys along the golden coast. So for the purpose of this pacific coast highway road trip itinerary, im going to focus on that stretch of road. Big sur is the 90 mile stretch of california coast, nestled between monterey and san luis obispo that is as breathtakingly beautiful and unreal as a dream, with the waves of the pacific ocean crashing along its rugged shores, simply begging for a visit. The legendary pacific coast highway pch was first started in the 1930s, and remains a marvel of human effort that hugs over 900 kilometers 600 miles of californias rugged and beautiful coastlines. It connects the beautiful harbor town of dana point in southern californias orange county to leggett, california, in mendocino county, home to some of the largest trees in. This drive follows the scenic pacific coast highway pch, also called highway 1. Apr 12, 2020 planning a california pacific coast highway road trip.
A two week drive from san diego to the redwood national forest in northern california is a great trip. To find the driving direction from las vegas to san francisco via pacific coast highway which is 1093 by road, click on show directions after entering start and end locations in the calculator control. Alright, so we are heading out to visit relatives late friday night, 9 and plan to rise early, then start trudging north up the pch toward san fran. Planning a pacific coast highway road trip from san francisco.
After taking this exhilarating 10hour drive from san francisco to san diego, youll see why the pacific coast highway is one of the most scenic drives in the world. The town of carmel is quite charming to walk through and there are a. How to complete an epic pacific coast highway road trip. Driving along the california pacific coast highway is perhaps one of the greatest road trips in the world. A winding path that hugs a brilliant, undeveloped coast, endless lookout points, and vistas for days you will find all this and much more on the pch. The tour twists and turns its way over the steep cliffs towering over the pacific ocean far below, before cutting inland to monterey and on to san francisco s fishermans wharf. One hundred and twentynine miles 207 km of highway one, from monterey through big sur and down to san luis obispo, has. Sep 11, 2014 follow my adventure up ze coast of california, and consider taking this drive yourself. Heres where to sleep, what to eat, and what to see en route from san francisco to. If youre coming straight from san francisco along the pacific coast highway youll pass. While you can drive between the two cities along the i5 highway in just under 6 hours, taking your time and driving along the coast provides travellers with some amazing sites and.
Id also devote an entire day to big sur you wont regret it. Route 101 existed 1934present tourist routes route one, big sur coast highway and route one, san luis obispo north coast byway portions of the cabrillo highway in santa barbara and. The pacific coast highway is well known as one of the most scenic drives in the world. There is no regularly scheduled through bus service along the coast. It connects the beautiful harbor town of dana point in southern californias orange county to leggett, california, in mendocino county, home to some of the largest trees in the world. Superlatives dont do justice to the views youll see while twisting and turning, climbing and descending along pacific coast highway hwy. Californias pacific coast highway is a classic american road trip that should be on everyones bucket list. State route 1 map of california with sr 1 highlighted in red route information defined by streets and highways code 301 maintained by caltrans length 655. In washington, oregon, and at the northern end of california, the pacific coast route follows us highway 101. Pacific coast highway from san francisco to san diego. A big sur road trip means driving along highway 1 the only accessible road as it skirts. Directions from las vegas to san francisco via pacific coast.
Heres a pacific coast highway map and schedule for 10 days. Follow my adventure up ze coast of california, and consider taking this drive yourself. Planning a california pacific coast highway road trip. While you can drive between the two cities along the i5 highway in just under 6 hours, taking your time and driving along the coast provides travellers with some amazing sites and stops to see. Experience the laid back culture of california by stopping in small surf towns and artistrun villages. After years of dreaming about it, i finally checked this off my bucket list. Named as one of the most scenic drives in america, californias state highway 1 or the pacific coast highway road trip is well worth the hype. Jun 17, 2016 the pacific coast highway, aka california state route 1 or highway 1, is the most beautiful road trip in the us. Drive south along highway 1 from huntington and then next town you will hit is the ultra swanky newport beach. Driving along the california pacific coast highway is perhaps one of the. Californias travel and tourism industry is thrilled that highway 1 will reopen in late july, months earlier than original estimates, according to. Whether you take highway 1 or highway 101 south along the pacific coast, they both meet just north of the golden gate bridge to take you over that iconic landmark and into san francisco. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular of all train routes.
1414 373 1428 1468 854 669 1165 152 539 404 1327 517 1127 1586 647 471 1023 994 1486 725 779 177 44 813 612 918 575 1109 608 1535 930 493 1598 1114 1336 472 972 1318 1431 15 126 1016 717 226 1295