12 Awesome Stops on a San Francisco to Los Angeles Road Trip
Let me show you where to stop on a San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip – so good, I’ve done the route twice!
The San Francisco to Los Angeles drive is still one of my absolute favourite I’ve ever done. In fact, it’s so good I’ve done the Pacific Coast Highway road trip twice. Wouldn’t mind driving the California coast again TBH.
The San Francisco to LA drive is well known as one of the prettiest and most scenic routes in the world, never mind America. It’s the ultimate California coastal road trip.
Highway 1, as it’s also known, actually starts as soon as you arrive in California. It begins at the northern border with Oregon and stretches all the way down to finish in San Diego. If you steamed ahead the whole route would take ten hours to do, but then you’d miss out on all the joys of the 1000km of impressive roads, views, and cool places to stop along the way.
Road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles and you’ll enjoy stunning coastal views, Californian sunshine villages, epic forests, cool towns and a wine making district or two, too. I wouldn’t really recommend a rental car for the start and finish cities, but to rely on a professional car service in Los Angeles to navigate the city’s bustling streets, and to use public transport in San Fran. In between? Enjoy the freedom of your own wheels!
Of course you can do Highway 1 the other way, and drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on a road trip, but this way is generally considered the best. And it’s the only way I’ve ever done it!
Where to stop on the San Francisco to Los Angeles drive
Drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles and you’re in for an incredible trip!
1. San Francisco
San Francisco is a great city, and an excellent place to start your trip driving the California Coast. There’s a good reason why it’s used in so many films as a backdrop, and why it’s on the dream list for so many people to visit.
The Golden Gate Park is an absolute must do while you’re in the city. Have a few days to explore Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island and just relaxing with a coffee in Union Square. Get around via the famous San Francisco tram and make sure to walk down crazy Lombard Street too – don’t attempt to drive it!
