California road trip - pacific coast highway

[mummarunner]

Looking to hear from anyone who has done the drive from San Francisco to LA via the Pacific Coast highway and can share their experience of what it is really like from a motion sickness, ability to stop and danger point of view!

We are lucky enough to be going on the holiday of a lifetime, starting in San Fran and driving over 2 weeks to LA via stopovers at Yosemite, Monterey and Pismo Beach. From Monterey to LA we are following the coastal highway and I was really looking forward to this until I started to hear horror stories of how bad it is for motion sickness. Is it really that bad? Should we all just pop a Kwells before getting in the car just in case? We have a 10 and 8 yo with us who are not normally prone to car sickness, but I have visions of us all feeling poorly and not able to enjoy the ride. What's the reality?

And is it true that once you're on the highway there are limited points to stop and get out the car? I also keep hearing how close to the cliff edge the road is. Are people generally careful and considerate drivers, or is there pressure from tailgaters?

I know we are so fortunate to be going on this trip and this feels very "first world problems" but it is making me anxious so I just want to know what to expect from someone who has done it before so that I can be prepared and we can all enjoy ourselves.

Thank you!

Yes but it's a good one!
Much better accommodation just outside Yosemite. And we need booked anything like a year in advance.

Oh yes, sorry if I wasn’t clear but we have already booked everything. This has been in the planning for well over a year! So accommodation all booked. We’re staying at Tenaya Lodge for Yosemite, seems to suit our needs better than the accommodation in the valley itself. A massive detour yes but it’s been on the bucket list for years so we’re going for it 😁

@mummarunner we are doing a similar road trip at a similar time! We fly out to SF on 29 July.

We did a West Coast road trip in October 2019 and it was the best holiday we have ever done, hands down. We started in SF then stayed in Santa Cruz (Lost Boys fan). Then down the PCH and peeled off towards Sedona and the Grand Canyon as LA doesn’t interest us. Then off to Vegas, Monterey and finished at SF for a few days.

The PCH was lovely but definitely no sickness. Very similar to Italian coastal roads where I am right now so I am used to them.

We did it many moons ago. Johnny Cash on loud. Carmel, Monterey, St Louis Osbispo all great places.

No sickness or problems stopping, lots of opportunities to get out and admire the views. We loved the motels we stayed at along the way.

We didn't make it to LA as we were advised it was a shithole and a disappointment.

On the way back we detoured and found the most amazing vintage car rally.

I also remember thinking about stopping at San Hose just for the sake of it but there were no clear signs on the Highway 😂

We have done it more times than I can care to remember. Husband’s family live at one end and we live just beyond the other end. His stepfather lives conveniently in the middle. We have done it by ourselves, with 1, 2 and 3 dogs, by car and also by truck. Never had any issues with us or the dogs.

We did this a few years ago in a red Mustang convertible. It was amazing, felt like we were in a movie. No concerns about motion sickness or the road either. It’s completely fine, and nothing like the scary coastal roads around the Mediterranean at all. My tip is to drive it North to south, that way you are closest to the ocean with the best views as you drive.

Not much to add but I'm totally jealous. We were meant to go in May 2020. Now the price has gone up so much we can't afford to rebook it. Bloody covid
Have a fabulous time.