This route is only about nine hours of drive time, so you’ll be able to make plenty of stops for sightseeing, hikes, and picnics at the beach. We recommend spending at least three to five days driving down the coast (sample itineraries below!) so that you can take in all of the beautiful coastal California views. When we did the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, we did it in about 10 days, with plenty of stops on the gorgeous California coast along the way. Definitely don’t do that unless you’re in the mood for barren landscapes, lots of big trucks, and the occasional whiff of cattle ranches. The fastest route driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles is straight down Interstate-5 (I-5), which only takes about six hours but is an incredibly boring drive and you miss out on all the best sights along the California coast. How Many Days to Spend Driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles? There are two smaller airports, Burbank (BUR) and John Wayne (SNA), which will be less of a hassle than super busy (and majorly trafficky) LAX but may not offer as many flight options. Plan on flying out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is going to be your best bet as far as finding flights for most cities. If you’re not already near the San Francisco area, you will want to fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland International Airport (OAK) and rent a car that you can comfortably drive down to Los Angeles. It goes without saying that I would never recommend something I wouldn’t use or do myself.ĥ The Best Stops on a San Francisco to Los Angeles Road Trip Where to Fly In and Out Of? Note: You can absolutely reverse this itinerary for a Los Angeles to San Francisco road trip.īefore we get to the best stops on your San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip, a few logistics you’ll need to plan the perfect road trip.ĭisclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one and purchase something, I make a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all of the best stops along the way, and give some of our picks for what to check out, eat, and drink in each spot. The drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles along Highway 1 is a road trip that should be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s a picturesque, exhilarating drive with jaw-dropping landscapes, world-class wine tasting, and more hikes than you could complete in a lifetime. On a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, you’ll encounter all of those things and more. From breathtaking beaches, to rolling hills lined with vineyards and groves of towering redwoods, coastal California has it all. California is known worldwide for its beauty. We made our way from San Francisco to Los Angeles, spending four weeks meandering through California, exploring our home state in a way that we hadn’t before. Our recent California road trip reminded us of just how incredible this state is. But there’s a reason it’s expensive to live in California – it’s a pretty amazing place with unbeatable weather.
California is our home, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.