San Diego- San Fransisco- Los Angeles, Nevada- Las Vegas- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (San Jose: rental car)

[kratu]

I am going to visit California (Destinations: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fransisco) and while I'm there I also want to visit Cabo(Mexico) and Las Vegas(Nevada). In which order I should plan everything ..from where I should start and where should I end my trip..which way would be the most comfortable? Any tips?

[.highnlite]

Well, you could start in the south and move north, I suggest driving from Cabo to San Diego and taking two weeks to do it. Once you hit the states, you will need another month or two.

[Snort]

Taking a sailboat south to north would be more exciting. You'll be beating to windward the whole way. Oh heck! Sail to Hawaii and then catch the winds back from there to CA.

[MIKEETC]

Originally Posted by kratu

I am going to visit California (Destinations: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fransisco) and while I'm there I also want to visit Cabo(Mexico) and Las Vegas(Nevada). In which order I should plan everything ..from where I should start and where should I end my trip..which way would be the most comfortable? Any tips?

How much time do you have?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by kratu

I am going to visit California (Destinations: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fransisco) and while I'm there I also want to visit Cabo(Mexico) and Las Vegas(Nevada). In which order I should plan everything ..from where I should start and where should I end my trip..which way would be the most comfortable? Any tips?

I'd start in San Francisco because you won't need a car while you're there. That could save you money. Once you're ready to leave, rent a car and drive South. If you want to make it a nice road trip. Drive along HWY 1 or HWY 101, HWY 1 will take longer, but goes along the ocean, while HWY 101 is still more scenic than I-5 and passes through Santa Barbara, which is a beautiful city. Continue to LA to OC to San Diego. Then drive to Las Vegas. The major hotels on the trip offer free valet parking. From here you could fly to Cabo or drive to SF the fast route. The plane ticket will probably be cheaper if you book a round trip to/from San Francisco. Enjoy, you picked some good cities with some great places to see in between.

[cabolissa]

Wow, that sounds like a great trip! I hope you have a LOT of time to do it right!

I'm assuming you are familiar with the geography, distances, etc. If not, here are some land masses for perspective:

Estonia 17,413 square miles (28,023 km)
California: 163,707 square miles, almost 10x's the size of Estonia (263,460 km)
Finland (your neighbor to the north, for perspective) 131,000 square miles (210,824 km)

The Baja Penninsula is also large. It is comprised of two Mexican States: Baja California Norte & Sur and covers 56,017 square miles (90150 km), about 1/3 the size of the U.S. state of California for both.

Anyway, assuming you're up to the challenge, it would be a fabulous trip, and in my humble opinion, one definitely worth the time. I happen to have travelled all of these areas and it is some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Here's my proposed itinerary:
Fly to San Francisco, drive down HWY 1 (Pacific Coast Hightway, or PCH) to Los Angeles, then the 405/5 FWY South to San Diego. You will see some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.

Take a few days to do this rather than straight through. Stop at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, the Monterey Bay (Aquarium), Santa Barbara/Carpenteria State Beaches, Malibu, Santa Monica Pier & Marina Del Rey. Then take the 405 South to the 5 South to Orange County and take the 133 through Laguna Canyon and stop in Laguna Beach. Then make your way down HWY 1 (PCH) again to Dana Point and then take the 5 FWY South to San Diego.

I'd skip Las Vegas, or you could fly there pretty cheaply (under $100 each way) if you have to see it, but that's just me. It's a tourist trap in the middle of the desert, lots of casinos, etc. But driving will waste time - not much to see.

At that point, depending on your travel experience, budget and time-frame you could either drive or fly to Cabo San Lucas. Note: if you drive, make sure you rent a car IN MEXICO and not take a US rental car there as the insurance will not cover the car outside of the US. Otherwise, if driving is too daunting, you could take a 1.5-2 hour flight from San Diego International Airport for under $400 round-trip.

If you drive (which I have done), it will take you a good 2-3 days to get to Cabo in order to see the best points of interest (Side Trips of the Baja California Peninsula). I recommend checking out Loreto, Puerto Escondido, & CABO PULMO. Stay at Cabo Pulmo at least 1-2 nights if possible, if not longer. In fact, I like it better than Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo (otherwise known as Los Cabos - "the capes"). It is the northernmost coral reef in North America in the Sea of Cortez, and there is great SCUBA diving, snorkeling, etc - much better than Cabo. Here's a reasonably priced and WONDERFUL place to stay (Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort - Baja's Premier Dive Spot).
Once in Cabo, I recommend driving up the Pacific Side of the penninsula and stopping in the artist's colony of Todos Santos, through the surfing town of Pescadores, and to La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur.

I'm leaving tomorrow for a 1-week trip to Cabo San Lucas and am volunteering with a sea turtle hatchling release in Todos Santos (Tortugueros Las Playitas A.C.) with my kids. I also hope to get over to Cabo Pulmo for a day trip for snorkeling.

PM me if you want any more info. I was born/raised in Sothern California, and lived in Mexico for 5 years (Cabo for 2 years).

Good luck & happy travels!!!