Al Jolson 2:00 Wed Sep 9
US West Coast tour
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Anyone booked a west coast tour of the US?
trying to decide whether to go with a tour company or do it myself?
Think I'd rather spend 3-4 days at each site than somewhere different every day constantly on a coach?
Los Angeles
San Diego
Las Vegas (Grand Canyon)
& San Francisco are the main attractions for me
Vegas would only be 2-3 days as I have a 16 & 13 year old with me
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
DukeofDevo
7:42 Thu Sep 10
Re: US West Coast tour
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Don't miss out Death Valley with a couple of nights at The Furnace Creek Inn! I'd personally give LA a swerve only Santa Monica worth seeing there, defo Yosemite and Sequoia maybe as far north as Tahao! Have a look at a coupl of tour operators and work out your own itinerary, better if you can do your own driving, get a copy of Fodors California as well!
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bloodclot
7:11 Thu Sep 10
Re: US West Coast tour
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Summer's over, we are closed now..
Ps. It is hot still though
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Texas Iron
6:12 Thu Sep 10
Re: US West Coast tour
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Got some great deals with Trivago...better than the other sites...
http://www.trivago.com/
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Texas Iron
6:12 Thu Sep 10
Re: US West Coast tour
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Got some great deals with Trivago...better than the other sites...
http://www.trivago.com/
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Capitol Man
3:52 Thu Sep 10
Re: US West Coast tour
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Great part of the world. As someone else said you may want to limit the scope of the trip or you could be spending some long long days on the road.
Sometimes it's difficult to imagine the scale. California is an amazing place, from the coastal redwoods and Bigfoot country around Shasta, to the coastal roads, the high Sierra in Yosemite and sequoia, Big Sur and Monterey through the Weird Joshua tree landscape on the Mahvae.
I'd skip Vegas for another trip tbh as you have to round off the bottom of the Sierra in all but the summer months and it's a long dreary route round, though the drive through Arizona and southern Utah to get to the Grand Canyon is amazing. If I had to pick I'd choose Zion over the Grand Canyon,
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Pop Robson
11:17 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Al
We drove not on a coach, hard work but worth it the family loved it
Would not do such a schedule again
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cuzoftheeast
10:44 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Flying into Vegas (wynne) 3 days onto Yosemite 4 days on to San Francisco 3 days onto to Santa Barbara 3 nights and back to Vegas for 4 nights - hired a Chevy - can't wait
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ILOVEPAOLODICANIO
5:35 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Hire a car and book the hotels as you go the drives are very far for people used to driving shorter distances.
Northern Sold is not leading you wrong with the suggestion to use Hotwire and Priceline for the hidden room rates they aren't as good as they used to be but its how you get the 5 and 4.5 star hotels for a good price.
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Kenny Powers
5:15 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Don't waste too much time in LA. The beach area is OK (Santa Monica, Venice etc) but the rest is a dump.
Hollywood is awful.
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Al Jolson
4:41 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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PR
I've seen a similar one but not sure I want to pay £8k for 4 people and be on a coach 20% of the time
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Pop Robson
4:10 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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We did a 3 week trip a couple of yrs ago
LA
Coast Rd
San Fran
Yosemite
Death Valley
Bryce NP
Zion NP
Monumental Valley
Grand Canyon
Las Vegas
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Hugh Jampton
3:08 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-maiden-publick-house-big-sur
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Westside
3:07 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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As Northern advises, book it all yourself. One tip though, avoid San Diego when Comecon is on, hotel prices triple. Unless you want to go to it, of course. It's usually around 20/21 July, lasts for 4 days or so.
It features at the start of the film "Paul"
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Northern Sold
2:57 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Mentor... you go onto Hotwire and put in what class of hotel you want... if you want a 5 star hotel in beverley Hills it will find you one and knock a load of dosh off... I paid £65-00 a night for Holiday Inn on Fisherman's Wharf... usual price is £130... it's not let me down yet
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Al Jolson
2:46 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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That's a great site NS will be a huge help
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mentor
2:39 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Cut price hotels in America? Fuck that. You'll end up in a scene from Dexter.
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Northern Sold
2:33 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Al... look of good info on here....
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=171
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Al Jolson
2:32 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Northern Sold 2:26 Wed Sep 9
Thanks
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Northern Sold
2:26 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Al... do it yourself... and don't be scared in using Hotwire for cut price hotels... always come up trumps for me in the more expensive places (San Fran, San Diego etc)... been twice (2008 and 2012) and looking to go back next year .... 5 best bits of advice re places to visit
1. Yosemite National Park (by a country mile the best place I have ever visited)
2. La Jolla (san Diego)
3. Huntington Beach (Seal & Dog Beach)
4. Monterey (Whale watching)
5. Mission Beach (San diego)
Don't forget to do the Pacific Coast Highway drive through Big Sur, Carmel etc... best driving road in the world... to be fair the only place I found shit was Hollywood... absolute sleaze hole of a place but still worth a half day visit... Oh and the ORIGINAL Universal Studios in my eyes is miles better than the Orlando ones...
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Al Jolson
2:22 Wed Sep 9
Re: US West Coast tour
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Internal flights appear to cheap enough just about choosing the best long haul start and return city
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