Drive from San Francisco to LA along the coast

G%26#39;day everyone. Boy am I finding this site useful. How did people previously travel without your help!!! The final leg of our Californian trip is from San Francisco to LA in late August. Our family of five (3 children 10,14.16) are keen surfers currently living near The Great Ocean Road in Victoria AUS. We are spending three days traveling down the coast after spending a few days in San Francisco. I thought we would overnight at Monterey and Santa Barbara (only a thought at this stage). I am open to any suggestions and advice on great surf beaches, cheap accommodation (we are on a tight budget and with five people), %26#39;not to be missed%26#39; sights, and cheap places to eat. I have done a lot of reading on this site but it is difficult to work out distances and travel times. We certainly don%26#39;t want to be in the car all day. Looking forward to your local knowledge. Mick from down under

Drive from San Francisco to LA along the coast

San Francisco to Santa Barbara is a 5.5 hour drive.

In the Santa Barbara area there are several popular surf spots but the most popular is probably the Rincon (in Ventura - 40 minutes south of Santa Barbara). There are lots of websites on santa Barbara surf locations (e.g. www.santabarbarasurfing.com/) so I would defer to their wisdom to get you information on good surf locations.

As for cheap places to stay, that is tough to come by during the summer months.

As far as cheap places to eat, I would try La Superrica here in Santa Barbara on Milpas Street (world famous and very inexpensive authentic mexican food) or SB Shellfish (affordable seafood out on Stern%26#39;s wharf).

Hope this helps.

Drive from San Francisco to LA along the coast

Big thanks to %26#39;TheKid%26#39;. I%26#39;ve seen your helpful advice elsewhere. It%26#39;s first class. When are you coming %26#39;down under%26#39; so I can buy you a beer??

I am not an expert at all about this, but I have heard tell that Half Moon Bay just outside of San Francisco draws surfers because of its amazing waves. Perhaps this would interest your surfer kids...but a local could help you more. Just a thought.

Hi Grizwalds,

If you are really looking for a ';cheap'; place to stay in Santa Barbara one suggestion would be our Motel 6 one block from the beach. (805) 564-1392. They get very busy in the summer months, so it might be good to reserve as soon as possible. For a nice tour of the city which will at least give you a glimpse of some of the more famous historical buildings, including The Santa Barbara Mission, I would recommend the red trolley that you can catch at the base of the Wharf, it really allows you to see quite a bit of Santa Barbara in a short period of time.

Thekid gave you some good suggestions for restaurants and I might add that we also have many chain fast food restaurants in town to choose from.

Hope you have a great time!

The Santa Cruz area is another popular surfing spot. It%26#39;s about a 2 hour drive from SF.

Monterey is about 45 minutes from Santa Cruz, so you could stop in Santa Cruz for a surf session mid-morning to early afternoon and still arrive Monterey in time to explore the area a little.

The drive down Hwy 1 through Big Sur will be slow, but rewarding. You%26#39;ll see some of California%26#39;s most dramatic coastline with excellent hiking opportunities at several state parks.

Morro Bay is a great surf location, as is Pismo Beach. Morro Bay from Monterey is about a 2.75 hour drive without stops. Pismo Beach is about 30 minutes south of Morro Bay.

Santa Barbara from Pismo Beach will take approx. 1 1/2 hours. After Pismo, you will not see ocea again for about 70 miles. You%26#39;ll be traveling through farm and ranch land.