The town is great for strolling. Fun fact: Carmel-by-the-Sea doesnt have any chain restaurants. If you are lucky enough to visit on a Thursday, you can enjoy the Oceanside Farmers Market in the morning and the Night Market in the evening. Oceanside is also a distinct foodie town. The former being all estate wines, ie: grown on the Rosenthal property in Malibu. Theres also a world-famous golf course here if youre into golfing! If you would like to spend a night camping in the park, reservations must be made six months in advance. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach, dining, drinks, shopping, overnight stay, Suggested Hotel: Kimpton Shorebreak Huntington Beach Resort, ~ 433 miles from San Francisco & ~ 65 miles from San Diego. As you enter San Francisco you drive along the esteemed Golden Gate Bridge. Take SR 1 again all the way to Monterey and SF. Carmel Beach offers a great surfing spot as well as some scenic routes to run or hike along the beach. From this bridge, you can overlook the beautiful sea and rolling valleys. Theres even a private tour (up to 6 people) that costs $1,000 per group. Cambria: the best overnight stop on Highway 101. If you want to add a bit of adventure, you can easily plan a multi-day camping trip on the islands as well. Book your perfect PCH car here. Now that were through with all 32 stops on this route, heres a week-long suggested itinerary for this epic adventure! Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: food, shopping, sightseeing, photography, entertainment, overnight stay, Suggested Hotel: $$$ The Ritz Carlton | $$ Hyatt Centric Fishermans Wharf, ~ 70 miles from San Francisco & ~ 487 miles from San Diego. Oh, and if youre looking for the best shots for the Gram or TikTok, be sure to hit the Chromatic Gate. Or even just dine here for a fine dining experience. Whatever you do, don't stay on US 101 all the way to SF! While youre here, check out all of the delicious Danish pastries, the adorable shops and boutiques, the Solvang trolley, and some of the best wine in the area! Also, if you love charming boutique shops, youll love stopping in Carmel on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. Thanks, Re: Best places to stop between San Fran and San Diego? Cambria is a 25 minute drive from herebeachcombing, art galleries, that kind of thing. Bobo & Chichi are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites., 2022 All Work is Owned by Bobo & ChiChi. This little spot is a paradise full of amazing outdoor activities perfect for a day trip or a weekend getaway! Just south of Cambria is California Highway 46, lined with lots of wineries: without venturing too far inland, you can still find several options for tastings. Visit the art galleries, golfing, shopping, relaxing spas and more! One of the best things about San Francisco to San Diego road trip is that the variety is endless. READ MORE: What to Know, Expect and Do Before Your . Laguna Beach is the perfect oceanside destination for your California Coast road trip. Its a fascinating place for hiking and one that simply begs to be explored! In addition to these nature adventures, SLO has much to offer when it comes to dining and wine tasting. Its 18 miles long, although you can hop on and off at various points very easily. I'm glad it is finally back open - after such a long delay due to road work. I live in the coastal town of Morro Bay (15 miles north of SLO) where you can get smoked oysters fresh cooked at the Embarcadero, rent kayaks to paddle around in the protected inner harbor, go out whale watching, hike Montana de Oro state park or watch the surfers and walk on the beach. Honestly, most of the year is great for this amazing road trip. For a more relaxing visit, check out the shopping or the spa scene! With a total length of 1942 feet, this wooden pier is the longest over-water pier on the West Coast. Encinitas offers one of the most beautiful drives down PCH, the transition from Carlsbad, California to this adorable little beach town is one of the most soothing drives in the country. Long Beach is famously the home of theR.M.S. Pebble Beach is located between Monterey and Carmel and offers out-of-this-world views of the ocean, legendary golf courses and 17 miles of amazing coastline. Heres a preview of the route and all the amazing stops along the way! I'm so glad you included it. Road Trip from San Diego to San Francisco via Highway 1. However, there are 4 trains per day to choose from. Solvang is actually known as the Danish Capitol of the US, and enjoying some delightful Danish food is one of the best ways to celebrate that. Sometimes there are even dolphins splashing in the distance. Theres also a statue of a seal harbor the kids will like to see. Amtrak Amtrak is the largest passenger railroad service in America, offering daily intercity trains to hundreds of destinations across the contiguous United States, as well as several cities in Canada. Once to get to LA then you will have to use the local transport to get around. La Jolla is also known for its upscale shopping and dining. Add this amazing central coast beach to your San Francisco to San Diego road trip itinerary. Thank you for supporting us in this small way to help us continue bringing helpful travel guides to our readers. Pro tip: if tacos is your thing, be sure to eat at La Super-Rica Taqueria. It might be a good idea to plan ahead before driving into Los Angeles. Routing options: There are many different variants to the coastal drive. Or head to Pacific City for some popular retailers, local shops and tons of great restaurants, like Old Crow Smokehouse and Philz Coffee. I travelled with Amtrak from SD to SF last year. Was going to book Yosemite National Park with the hostel as they organise it. The State Park has 3.2 miles of beach, 2,400 acres of wilderness, and an offshore water area. Enjoy the galleries, the shopping, and definitely the food! Then spend the first night of your road trip at the iconic Hotel del Coronado, a historic oceanfront resort where Hollywood stars and presidents have stayed. Recommended by Jackie & Justin of Life Of Doing follow on Facebookif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'inspiredroutes_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_0',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-inspiredroutes_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Not many people have heard of Lompoc, California, but it is a seriously underrated stop on a PCH road trip! Oh how awesome, Gloria! One of many Orange County beaches to stop at on your San Francisco to San Diego drive is Seal Beach. So if youd like to visit it by getting out of your car, park elsewhere and take public transportation or a ride share to the bridge. Youll also find small surfing waves for surf amateurs and amazing sea creatures to look for in the tide pools like sea urchins, starfish, sea anemones and so on. These items will make your experience way better! Get up close to the areas marine life on a harbor cruise. San Francisco. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: hiking, exercise, photography, and the best viewpoints in Los Angeles, ~ 381 miles from San Francisco & ~ 135 miles from San Diego. One of the most scenic places to visit in California is along the central coast. Its a search engine for the top rental car companies and its free! Dont miss the famous Crystal Cove Shake Shack either for one of their amazing milkshakes, their date shake is the most famous! Recommended by Emilie of Love Life Abroad follow on Instagram. Check off everything that Santa Barbara has to offer or just kick your feet up and relax on the gorgeous beaches! Road Trip: California Pacific Coast Highway Road Numbers: CA-1 and US-101. The sunsets are pretty great along Ocean Beach, too! These spots are perfect for surfing and even shell finding! From beaches to tacos, iconic Spanish-style architecture and water activities, Santa Barbara is a must-see. You will spend the day in Santa Cruz and . Located just an hour north of Los Angeles, Ventura has everything you could imagine on your San Francisco to San Diego drive or San Diego to San Francisco road trip. San Francisco is full of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries and coffeehouses. If youre traveling in an RV or have camping equipment, look into planning a night of beach camping in Newport Beach! Eeek! Best places to stop between San Diego and San Francisco. What feels like a testament to Americas Gilded Age, Hearst Castle certainly shines in that periods glittering overindulgence. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-15945938', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Monterey, for example, you'd be able to see the most scenic stretches of the coast at a more leisurely pace. One of the most popular things to do in Lompoc is to go wine tasting. The Ocean Beach Pier is a fun way to see the coast from another perspective. Following his inheritance and wealth from publishing, William Hearst began construction in 1919. Another iconic spot to see in Big Sur is the Bixby Bridge! You can spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and admiring the gorgeous views or head back to North Manhattan Beach to return your bike. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and McWay Falls San Francisco to San Simeon drive, stop #11. Postcard TRAIN SCENE Between Los Angeles & San Francisco California CA AK8914 . Its a short 10-15 minute ride south to Manhattan Beach Pier, where you can walk around and check out the cute shops. Stop by the harbor for Fish and Chips in Oceanside (where I live), visit LEGOLAND, go to SeaWorld, stop by the zoo, experience the tide pools . Heres another opportunity to visit a central coast beach, and if youre driving along PCH on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip, this beach will be a tough one to resist. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach trip, sightseeing, wine tasting, and overnight stay, ~ 241 miles from San Francisco & ~ 304 miles from San Diego. The quickest way from San Diego is flying to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which takes about 1.5 hours at a cost of $93 and up. A quick stop at the Bixby Creek Bridge, one of Big Surs most iconic stops, will give you some great views and a great photo op. 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