Trying to organise itinery for Las Vegas and San Francisco

C

Choosey

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Hi all
I have put together an itinery for a holiday for later in the year but am afraid I am packing in too much into a short enough holiday considering flights etc. I have looked up previous posts but I would appreciate if anyone who has travelled a similar route could guide me on the following provisional itinery

Friday - Fly to LV (arrive afternoon US time)
Saturday - Grand Canyon
Sunday - LV (and allowing for any GAA matches)
Monday - Fly to San Fran(afternoon flight)
Tuesday - San Fran (Alcatraz etc.)
Wednesday - San Fran (Golden Gate etc.)
Thursday - Drive from SF to Napa / Sonoma (stay there)
Friday - Drive from Napa to Yosemite (stay there)
Saturday - Drive from Yosemite to Monterey (stay there)
Sunday - Fly home Sunday evening

It seems a bit packed - it is supposed to be a holiday and at the same time but I cannot extend beyond 11 days.

I suppose I will start with a few questions:
a. Who would be the best carrier to go with (I was recommended Delta)
b. Which airports would you recommend (I hate the thoughts of Heathrow) that would be pleasant, good value and yet not extend out journey unnecessarily - some people have said Gatwick and Atlanta was also mentioned.
c. I think 2 full days in LV will be enough. I want to do the Grand Canyon Helicopter trip - He is into the casino
d. We have 2 days then to mill around San Fran - is this enough?
e. Then a trip to Napa area as we love wine tasting (North) Yosemite (East) and the coast (south). I fear that this seems a lot of packing and travelling.

Would anyone recommend cutting out any of the above and do 1/2 things properly or extend SF. The problem is that i don't know how long it takes to get anywhere. Yosemite sounds lovely but if we go in September the waterfalls etc. may not be that spectacular or is it fab all year round?

Perhaps we should travel around when we land in SF and then we have the final few days stationary in SF?

Lot harder than I thought it would be. If anyone has been there any assistance would be very appreicated. I am really excited about this trip as we have been saving for it with ages and really don't want to regret not researching it enough and making major mistakes when our time is so short

Thanks a million
 
Firstly, throw this post up onto http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/index.php as there's loads of guys on there that know the art of road tripping and helped me get my honeymoon road trip sorted to a tee last year.

If you're doing the Vegas GC helicopter trip, it's a day thing I believe, so that's fine.
Leaving out the city parts, the drive from Napa to Yosemite will be long, not leaving anytime really to see the park, not that you can in a day anyway, and driving from the park to Monterey is another 5 hour drive, followed by another 3 or 4 hour drive up to SF from there. That part of your trip is not going to be fun, but almost just driving.
Napa isn't far from SF, that's fine. It's the Yosemite bit. Waterfalls in September are non-existant, except Bridalveil and the ones you really have to hike up to. You really want a few days to see the best of the park.

As for flying, go out of Dublin! Via Aerlingus or Delta. Whatever is easiest (direct) & cheapest. All carriers are the same these days, except maybe the Middle Eastern carriers & asian ones, they still try to care about you as a customer!
 
We did something similar in June of last year. You are overoptimistic on what you can see and do in this schedule.

LV to Grand Canyon is at least a 6 hours drive. If you want to spend one day, and IMHO this is not enough, in the Grand Canyon you need two nights and not one night accommodation there. Napa valley to Yosemite is at least a 5 hours drive. If you drive on Friday from Napa to Yosemite and then drive to Monterey on the next day you won’t see anything in Yosemite. In both Grand Canyon and Yosemite you need at least one full day, ideally two or more, depending on how much of a nature lover you are. Do the helicopter flight from Tusayan, the town just outside the Grand Canyon. You need to arrange accommodation in Yosemite and possibly at Grand Canyon in advance.

Yosemite to Monterey is about a 6 hour drive. If you are staying in Monterey I highly recommend the Jabberwock Inn http://www.jabberwockinn.com/index.html at Cannery Row. We stayed there last July. Crazy place. Also we flew with Virgin to SF and back from LV. (If the budget stretches you should go Premium Economy.)

In LV we stayed in the New York New York hotel, which has a real 24 hour party atmosphere, but generally ended up eating in the Paris Hotel (better food). Unless you’re a gambler I couldn’t see the attractions of LV. You can see everything in 1 full day.

SF is small, so you could do it in 2 days easily or spend much longer just hanging out. You can see almost everything on the hop on hop off bus. This could take one day, hopping on and off, and then cruise the harbour, etc. on the second. Wherever you fly to, you will be jet lagged when you arrive so I’d spend a day or two there before driving off. We hired the car from Avis in SF, the second time I’ve done so with no problems.
 
Yosemite should still be good in September - especially this year as there's been extraordinarily heavy snowfall and late melting so there should still be decent flow in the falls in September ... I was there in I think October before and it was certainly excellent .. stunning place

I think you're trying to fit a lot in there ... maybe drop Monterrey ... and drive from Vegas - Yosemite ( it would be a long drive, but no longer than flying Vegas-SF and driving up to Yosemite .. can stop at Death Valley en route ) and then Yosemite- Napa ( about 4 hours ) and then Napa - SF ( 90 min drive) and relax a few days in SF at the end.

Alternatively I'd reduce the time in Vegas .. but then I hate the place and that's not I realise something that everyone would agree with :)
 
Thanks - Great information there

Myate, unfortunately I don't think you can fly out direct from Dublin direct to either LV or SF which really is a bummer - believe me I would pay extra for that.

Looks like I will scrap the Yosemite drive and just do Napa and the south coast, we need to have a bit of relaxing time too

Lot of food for thought there, thanks to you both - no doubt more questions will spring to mind
 
Hiya, we did a trip last November, flew into San Fran for 3 nights, drove to Sonoma for a night, drove to Yosemite from there for a night and then finished up 3 nights in the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
For San Fran I adored the city and didn't really get to see everything since we had only 2 full days, arrived late afternoon and left early for drive to Sonoma. Alcatraz took almost a full day and we also spent the best part of a day on Fishermans Wharf and cycling on bicycles over GG Bridge down to Sausilito for lunch / a drink there then ferry back to SF (I loved that activity it was amazing cycling over the iconic GG Bridge).
When you are driving to places you forget how it means much less time there, eg by time we arrived in Sonoma for our 1 night most vineyards were almost closed for the day so we saw one and had a meal out and then next morning had to leave very early for Yosemite.
Then we had the same situation in Yosemite. The park was closing as we arrived for our 1 night so we had to wait til next morning and then drove around it and then on to LV as it was a long drive and we wanted arrive at a decent enough hour. If you only do 1 night at the parks you visit it is not enough to go hiking so you really only drove around or briefly get out of car to look at it so I'm not sure it's worth the drive, although it was spectacular.
In LV we were not gamblers or party animals and 2 full days was plenty to see the sights. There is amazing shopping there so you would enjoy a day of that at least. I would never go back to Vegas, just not my thing but I liked the experience. I would adore another few days in San Fran.
BTW We flew British Airways from Heathrow, I would not recommend them. It was an American Holidays package and the BA flights came with it.
Our schedule was really packed as well, it's that kind of holiday really. You either relax more or you try to see more whatever you decide.
Hope this helps.
 
You can fly straight out of Dublin, but you'll have to transfer in the states, probably JFK, Chicago or Atlanta depending on carrier - easier than Heathrow transfer depends on how many times you've been to Heathrow! I've been there a lot so transferring there is no bother for me.

Hard to get a relaxing time on a trip this short, or at all all unless you're in the same place the whole time. It depends what you want. Try it this time, if you like some of the places, go back with either more time or a different area. We did 3 weeks last year, Salt Lake City to SF via 7 national parks. This year we're concentrating on Utah, finishing in Vegas....it all depends what you want to see/do!
 
The main advantage (apart from direct flights which doesn't apply in this case) of flying to the US from Dublin or Shannon is the US pre-clearance ... but if you're flying straight to Vegas that mightn't be such a big deal ... Vegas gets relatively few international flights so immigration is unlikely to be as painfully slow as JFK on a bad day which can be brutal

Both BA and Virgin fly non-stop from London to Vegas (I think Virgin may do Manchester too) .. so that mightn't be too bad an option ... otherwise one of the US carriers like Continental or American direct from Dublin via their US hubs to Vegas
 
We went to San Fran last year its a great city and it would be nice to have a bit of time to soak up its atmoshere. We did a wine tasting trip but we only went to Sonoma as Napa is very far away. If you did that you would save a little time travelling. Where do you fly home from? We went with British Airways and though it was during their strike and things were very difficult for them due to staffing issues they could not have been more heplful or professional.
 
EvilDoctorK makes a very valid point. When we go to LV we always fly Virgin from Gatwick directly to LV as the immigration there is better than just about any where else in the US. They do have hundreds of international flights, but they are much more used to people coming on holiday and are much much nicer than any of the others I've gone through.

Not sure if Pre-clearance is better now with T2, but it used to be hell in T1!

If you haven't yet booked it, I'd seriously re-think that amount of road tripping. The drive from SF to Monterey is gorgeous in places, but you will be whacked and not able to get out and enjoy the incredible scenery in Monterey.
 
"In LV we stayed in the New York New York hotel, which has a real 24 hour party atmosphere, but generally ended up eating in the Paris Hotel (better food). Unless you’re a gambler I couldn’t see the attractions of LV. You can see everything in 1 full day."

Disagree, you could spend a day in 2 hotels alone without going to Fremont Street or the Malls/Outlets, day for Heli to Grand Canyon...................etc.

You are very ambitious, sit down with a pen and paper and a map and work it out.

Do Alcatraz at night (bring warm clothing), Golden Bridge by open Tram is good (again warm clothes id mist is down)

South GC much better, and the Glass bridge in North Side is over a side canyon.

Better to plan a few holidays around that area, San Diego, LA, Palm Springs, GC, LV, Santa Barbara, Monterey (Jazz in Sep) San Fran.........the rest I have not done yet.
 
Was in Vegas this time last year for 5 days, loved it, could easily have spent longer and I only passed through the casino on the way to my room. Did not gamble one penny, I thought it was very interesting and found lots to see, I would love to go back. At work today got fax in from gohop holiday crowd and they had a San Fran/Vegas trip for 899 for 14 days, mind you don't know what hotels that was for, seemed great value.
 
Las Vegas - 4 days and I will go back

wbbs said:
was in vegas this time last year for 5 days, loved it, could easily have spent longer and i only passed through the casino on the way to my room. Did not gamble one penny, i thought it was very interesting and found lots to see, i would love to go back. At work today got fax in from gohop holiday crowd and they had a san fran/vegas trip for 899 for 14 days, mind you don't know what hotels that was for, seemed great value.
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+1
 
fizzelina said:
For San Fran I adored the city and didn't really get to see everything since we had only 2 full days, arrived late afternoon and left early for drive to Sonoma. Alcatraz took almost a full day and we also spent the best part of a day on Fishermans Wharf and cycling on bicycles over GG Bridge down to Sausilito for lunch / a drink there then ferry back to SF (I loved that activity it was amazing cycling over the iconic GG Bridge).
When you are driving to places you forget how it means much less time there, eg by time we arrived in Sonoma for our 1 night most vineyards were almost closed for the day so we saw one and had a meal out and then next morning had to leave very early for Yosemite.
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I walked across the GG bridge and down to Sausilito and got the ferry back, excellent trip to make on foot or by bike and got some stunning photos. I wasn't mad on Fishermans Wharf but there are some great walking tours you can take, especially of Haight-Ashburry. I'd also recommend taking in a baseball game (San Franciso Giants, or at a push, the Oakland As), especially if you are into sport as I always think you get a good idea of what a country is like from watching them at play. Don't worry if you don't understand it, half the people there aren't watching the game but are stuffing their faces/drinking beer etc. Loved SF, one of my favourite places in the USA
 
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