Holiday help USA

Right anyone know the best way of organising a trip for my Boy and myself. What we want to take in is San Fransisco and the Grand Canyon, and hopefully Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Any help please !! is it possible to do all the above in 2 weeks ?

Right anyone know the best way of organising a trip for my Boy and myself. What we want to take in is San Fransisco and the Grand Canyon, and hopefully Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Any help please !! is it possible to do all the above in 2 weeks ?

Yes they are all on the west coast.

You can get multi centre packages with most leading tour operators ie so many days in SF, LA, Las Vegas.etc.

I've only ever done Florida myself, but a friend of mine flew to San Francisco a few years ago and drove to Las Vegas over the mountains. There are lots of organised trips from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Then you can drive to L A and Southern California from there.

A great way to see diverse parts of the US I believe. I wish I could afford to come with you.!

My mate did SF to LV to LA over 10 days so a fortnight should be even better - fly back from LA.

Using one of the American Airlines from Heathrow is usually cheaper than Virgin or BA and just as good.

A group of us did it a few years back. Flew to LA for a couple of nights, drove to SF via a night in Santa Barbara, 3 nights in SF. Drove via a night in Yosemite Park, through Death Valley and then on to Vegas for a week. Drove back to LA to fly home but can fly direct from vegas. TBH wished we had a couple a days less in Vegas and used in for more time elsewhere.

Top trip though and great places.

Steve, if you are going out that way have a look at a stop in Las Vegas and check out Maverick Helicopters for a trip into The Grand Canyon (highly recommended)

There is a hotel at the 'Rim' of the Canyon (ironically, called The Grand Canyon Hotel ) which is a superb experience

Not too sure about the organisation side in Califirnia etc (we stayed on The Strip but then did the Red Rock Mountains of Arizona rather than California itself) but I do know BA will create a package for your flights to land in one place and leave somewhere else if they operate from the city you end up in

Wherever you end up you'll both LOVE it and the people will surprise you (in a nice way) too

Steve, if you are going out that way have a look at a stop in Las Vegas and check out Maverick Helicopters for a trip into The Grand Canyon (highly recommended)

There is a hotel at the 'Rim' of the Canyon (ironically, called The Grand Canyon Hotel ) which is a superb experience

Not too sure about the organisation side in Califirnia etc (we stayed on The Strip but then did the Red Rock Mountains of Arizona rather than California itself) but I do know BA will create a package for your flights to land in one place and leave somewhere else if they operate from the city you end up in

Wherever you end up you'll both LOVE it and the people will surprise you (in a nice way) too

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If you go to San Fran, make sure you catch the Alcatraz tour as well fella, very interesting

Bristol airport fly to new york on American Airlines then get your internal flights from there, i done vegas with the boys for Calzaghe fight hotels are cheap to book

internal flights in the US are cheap as chips, but be warned they pack um in like easyjet

Steve these days you can customise a hols online, shag a fat bird in texas, walk ten miles down route sixy sixy, smoke a pipe in an indian wigwam with the chief if you want, all at a cost of course

Right anyone know the best way of organising a trip for my Boy and myself. What we want to take in is San Fransisco and the Grand Canyon, and hopefully Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Any help please !! is it possible to do all the above in 2 weeks ?

Me and the Mrs did some of the West coast last year and can’t recommend it enough. Best holiday we have been on.
Did the following route:

Vegas (including a trip to the grand canyon), drove to LA via Death Valley. From LA up the coast on route 1 to Santa Barbara, Monterey and then finished up in San Francisco. Did all that in 14 nights.

Could have easily done another 2 weeks as California is such a huge state, but you can’t do everything in 2 weeks. Next time would have liked to see San Diego, Yosemite and the Wine country, also the redwoods.

Here are my tips from the route that we did:

I would start with Vegas (which is in Nevada for record), as in a weird way, it’s nice to get out of there and have the rest of your trip to come. It is definitely worth visiting just to see it but unless you love gambling it becomes all a bit the same after a few days.

The best thing about Vegas is its a great place for a base camp to visit the grand canyon. Grand canyon is about an 8 hour round trip in the car from Vegas. If your budget can stretch it I would highly recommend a helicopter trip from vegas. It is pricy however well worth it. You fly over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and then land in the canyon. Once in a life time job so, in my opinion, worth the price.

We drove from vegas to LA via death valley. Unbelievable place and a drive I would highly recommend. You end up climbing up to the high desert and then descending in the valley. The heat is nuts and and it helps if you have a decent car. Our compact couldn’t get over 40 as we left the air con on. You then ascend out of the valley and the views are amazing. Our ears were popping with the change in altitude.

LA is okay, similar to Vegas, nice to see, but not the best of city’s in my opinion. The towns up route 1 are stunning and route 1 / the big sur coastline is awesome. The marine life is entertaining too.

San Fran is a great city and one which I could probably happily live. Hire bikes and ride over the golden gate bridge and also the Alcatraz tour is cracking.

I found driving on the west coast a much more pleasant experience than the east. Apart from when you get close to LA and San Fran we did our route on their equivalent of A roads. Very easy to hire a car (Alamo are good) and navigate. I wouldn’t bother doing a formal tour; you can do it cheaper by doing it yourself with a bit of planning and sat nav.

We spent quite a few days in the coastal towns so as long as you don’t mind driving every other day you could probably cover Yosemite as well. Start in vegas and when you leave death valley take a right towards the Sierra Nevada (you can’t miss them) instead of left to LA. You could then do Yosemite – San Fran and down the coast to LA.

Do it pal, amazing place for a holiday. PM me if you want more info.

Thanks everyone. Lots to take on board here

book alcatraz before you go to the usa,

In Laws just did Vegas, Canyon etc then hired Harleys and did the west Coast, i can find out more if you want.

Thanks everyone. Lots to take on board here

Me and the Mrs did this trip a couple of years ago, we did fly/drive. Flew to San Fran, stayed 3 nights, great City lots to see and do,drove down to LA along the coast, about 6 hours, spent 2 nights there, LA compared to San Fran is a culture shock, there aint any! but its cool to do Hollywood, the studio tours and Venice Beach, then onto Las Vegas, another 6 hour drive, try and arrive at night as its spectacular when you see the lights appear in the wilderness of the desert. spent 3 nights there, loads to do, shows, casinos, pool parties if your there in the summer, 3 days is more than enough though! Drive onto the Grand Canyon, another 6 hour drive, over the Hoover dam and different time zone! Spend the night at the Canyon, get a hotel within the park, then you can wake up before the sun rises make your way to the Canyon, 5 minute drive and watch the sun come up, spectacular! then take a hellicopter tour over the Canyon, which gives you the true perspective of the size. then drove back to San Fran, via Bakersfield, which is 6 hour drive, stayed overnight, nothing there of any note, just a town to crash in overnight, then next day drive 6 hours to San Fran, we spent another 2 nights there, as we had a New Years eve boat cruise around the bay booked, which was excellent fun. You could easily take a detour into the wine region for a couple of days, which is supposedly excellent. PM me if you want any more info

The Boy really wants the road trip from Los Angeles to San Fransisco taking in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Vosnimite, ETC before doing his favorite Alcatraz. A Motor Home is appealing so we can do it at our own pace to an extent. He is buzzing at this and to be fair its all about what the Lad wants.
He will have finished his exams and it has been a very tough trip for him but what we have been told by his teachers he has always given 100% and that is all any parent can ask. He has not given us a jot of trouble not once, so its a Father and Son Holiday and I am so looking forward to this.
What a road trip this is gonna be. Nothing deffo yet but this is the plan

The Boy really wants the road trip from Los Angeles to San Fransisco taking in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Vosnimite, ETC before doing his favorite Alcatraz. A Motor Home is appealing so we can do it at our own pace to an extent. He is buzzing at this and to be fair its all about what the Lad wants.
He will have finished his exams and it has been a very tough trip for him but what we have been told by his teachers he has always given 100% and that is all any parent can ask. He has not given us a jot of trouble not once, so its a Father and Son Holiday and I am so looking forward to this.
What a road trip this is gonna be. Nothing deffo yet but this is the plan

Fair play you and your family deserve a good break. How is your Mrs doing?

The Boy really wants the road trip from Los Angeles to San Fransisco taking in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Vosnimite, ETC before doing his favorite Alcatraz. A Motor Home is appealing so we can do it at our own pace to an extent. He is buzzing at this and to be fair its all about what the Lad wants.
He will have finished his exams and it has been a very tough trip for him but what we have been told by his teachers he has always given 100% and that is all any parent can ask. He has not given us a jot of trouble not once, so its a Father and Son Holiday and I am so looking forward to this.
What a road trip this is gonna be. Nothing deffo yet but this is the plan

Fair play you and your family deserve a good break. How is your Mrs doing?

Hi Gareth Cath very much the same, but hopefully will be starting a new treatment next Month. But as it stands she is not up to going to America or on any holiday at the moment but she does not want Regan to miss out. Her disease affects her much much worse when the weather is hot so over there would half kill her