Planning a Family Trip Along the California Coast: What I’d See, Skip and Make Time For

California is one of those places that looks easy to plan until you actually start planning it.

You think, “We’ll fly into Los Angeles, drive Highway 1, see Big Sur and end in San Francisco.”

Then you start looking at everything along the way.

Should we add San Diego? What about Disneyland? Which beaches are actually worth stopping at? Do we need a full day in Big Sur? Is Hearst Castle worth it? How long does it really take to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco? And can we somehow squeeze Yosemite in too?

Having lived in California and explored so much of it with my own family, my answer is usually: you don’t need to do all of it.

The best California family vacation depends on what your family actually enjoys.

If your kids could spend every day at the beach, I’d plan one version. If you love hiking and being outdoors, I’d plan another. If you’d rather drive, stop at overlooks, eat somewhere good and keep moving, we can do that too.

And if your family loves Disney? We’re probably going to need a few more days.

First, Give California Enough Time

You can technically drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco in roughly a day if you take the faster inland route and traffic cooperates.

But that’s not the California coast trip I would recommend.

Highway 1 is meant to be experienced slowly. You want enough time to pull over when the view is incredible, spend a few hours at a beach, tour Hearst Castle, walk through a state park or stay an extra night somewhere you really want to explore.

For most families, I’d start with at least seven days for Los Angeles to San Francisco. If you’re adding San Diego or Disneyland, I’d start looking at nine, ten or even more days.

This is where I can help you decide what deserves those days—and what doesn’t.

If Your Family Loves Beaches

You could build almost your entire California road trip around beaches and never run out of places to see.

In Southern California, there’s La Jolla, which has always been one of our family’s favorites. You have the beautiful coastline, coves and sea lions, and it’s just a fun area to spend time outside.

Heading north, Orange County gives you places like Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach before you reach the Los Angeles area. Laguna has smaller coves and a completely different feel from the long, wide beaches you’ll find elsewhere. Huntington is classic Southern California surf culture.

Then you have Santa Monica, with the famous pier, and Malibu, where I especially like the idea of stopping at places like Zuma Beach or Point Dume instead of simply driving through.

Farther north, the beaches start to feel very different.

Pismo Beach is an easy Central Coast stop. Carmel Beach has beautiful pale sand backed by cypress trees, although the water is much colder than Southern California.

And then there’s one of my favorites: Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur.

Getting there is half the experience. You turn off Highway 1 and take a narrow, winding road toward the coast. Once you arrive, look closely at the sand—you’ll see purple mixed into it.

Then there’s Keyhole Rock. The waves crash through the opening in this massive rock formation, and at certain times of year the setting sun lines up with the keyhole. You’ll often see photographers waiting for the shot. As a photographer, I completely understand why. It’s stunning.

Just bring a jacket. It can be windy.

If Your Family Loves Hiking and Being Outside

I would give you more time around Big Sur.

Rather than trying to drive Highway 1 as quickly as possible, stay in Monterey or Carmel and get up early.

That’s what we loved doing.

We’d head into Big Sur bright and early before the crowds and stop at parks and overlooks along the way. Andrew Molera State Park was one of our favorites, and there are plenty of opportunities to get out of the car and experience the coastline instead of simply photographing it through the window.

If your family loves trees and hiking, I wouldn’t necessarily stop when you reach San Francisco.

You can cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head toward Muir Woods to experience California’s coastal redwoods. If you have more time, there are even more possibilities farther north.

That’s why I’d rather know what your family likes before I start mapping out your hotels.

If You’d Rather Sightsee Than Hike

That’s completely fine too.

California is an incredible state for a family who wants to drive, stop, look around and keep going.

Highway 1 has overlooks where you don’t have to hike miles to get an amazing view. You can see places like Bixby Creek Bridge, wander around Carmel-by-the-Sea, explore Monterey, stop in Cambria and spend an afternoon at Hearst Castle.

Hearst Castle is one of my favorite California stops.

The mansion sits high on a hill overlooking the coast, and the property itself is incredible. But I also loved learning the history of William Randolph Hearst, how he built it and seeing all the unusual art, architecture and décor throughout the estate.

It’s a great way to break up all the beaches and outdoor sightseeing, especially for families who enjoy history.

If Your Family Loves Disney, Add Disneyland

If you have big Disney fans in the family, I’d absolutely consider adding Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

But I wouldn’t take two days away from Big Sur or the Central Coast just to make it fit.

Add days to the vacation instead.

A Disney-loving family might fly into Southern California, spend a few days at Disneyland, then pick up a rental car and begin the coastal portion of the vacation.

Another family might skip Disney completely and use those days for Big Sur, San Diego or Yosemite.

Both are great California trips.

Don’t Forget About San Diego

If you have enough time, San Diego is another place I’d seriously consider adding.

But San Diego isn’t a quick little side trip. You could plan an entire vacation there.

La Jolla has always been a family favorite of ours. You can also tour the USS Midway, visit Coronado and the historic Hotel del Coronado, spend time on the beach and explore downtown.

San Diego can also be a wonderful place to add a whale-watching excursion. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but getting out on the water gives your family another perspective on the Southern California coast.

I also loved visiting the photography and art exhibits downtown. As a professional photographer, seeing those huge wall-sized images was right up my alley.

If you want San Diego and Disneyland and Highway 1 and San Francisco, we’re no longer talking about a seven-day California vacation. And that’s okay. I’d rather tell you that before you book your flights than have your family spend the entire vacation in the car.

One Thing You Can’t Plan: California’s Coastal Fog

This is something I think people underestimate when they see all those gorgeous photos of the California coast.

The marine layer is real.

You can wake up expecting blue skies and huge ocean views and have the fog roll in so heavily that you can barely see the coastline.

Sometimes it burns off. Sometimes it doesn’t.

That’s another reason I like building a little flexibility into a California road trip. If you’re staying in Monterey for a couple of nights instead of racing through, you have another opportunity to head into Big Sur if the weather wasn’t great the first day.

And One Thing You Can Plan For: Curvy Roads

If anyone in your family gets carsick, pack the Dramamine.

I’m serious.

There are stretches of Highway 1 with one curve after another. It’s beautiful, but the combination of winding roads and kids staring down at phones or tablets can go downhill quickly.

I’d also avoid planning your days based strictly on mileage.

Fifty miles on a California coastal road is not necessarily the same as fifty miles on an Iowa interstate.

You’ll have traffic, winding roads, beach stops, overlooks, bathroom breaks, hikes and plenty of moments where someone says, “Can we stop here?”

Leave room for those.

So, What Should Your California Family Trip Look Like?

This is the part I love about planning California.

There isn’t one perfect route.

• Beach family? Let’s spend more time in San Diego, La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Malibu, Pismo and Carmel.

• Hiking family? Let’s give you more time around Big Sur, the redwoods and possibly Yosemite.

• Disney family? Let’s add Anaheim and give you enough park days to actually enjoy Disneyland.

• History and sightseeing family? Hearst Castle, Monterey, San Francisco and Alcatraz are going higher on the list.

• You just want to drive the coast and see California? We’ll keep the itinerary moving but build in enough time for the spontaneous stops that make a Highway 1 road trip so much fun.

And if you want a little of everything, we can figure that out too.

That’s the advantage of having someone help you plan who has actually lived there, driven these roads, taken her own kids to these places and knows that what looks easy on a Google map doesn’t always work that way once you’re there.

California is a big state. You don’t need to see all of it in one vacation.

You just need to see the parts that are right for your family.

Ready to Plan Your California Family Vacation?

Good Trip Travel Co. can help you decide where to go, how long to stay, where to stop and how to put it all together—without spending your entire vacation racing from one place to another.

Start planning with me at https://www.goodtrip.biz/bookwithrachael or email rachael@goodtrip.biz.

One final planning note: Highway 1 conditions can change because of weather, landslides, wildfires and construction, especially around Big Sur. Always check current Caltrans road conditions when planning and again while you’re traveling.