Advise needed family from Mexico City

Hello all,

I am trevelling with my wife and my 1.5yr baby to SF and LA. I want to have your opinion on the itinerarie I have created (after reading a lot of posts in this forum)

Day 1: Get to SF from Mexico at 10.30pm go to Hotel Chancellor

Day 2: Staty in SF. Get in a tour to see most of SF. Q1: Any reccomendation I already got one that takes me to all the touristic places I have heard (dont remember the name though)

Day3: Stay in SF hire a tour to see the nappa valley.Q2 is this recommended with my baby? or should I hire a car and have it ready for the road trip next day? I have read it is very expensive to park in SF no?

Day 4: Get a rental car. Q3: any reccomendation if I am staying at the Chancellor about where to rent a car? Leave in the morning to LA via 1 first stop at Monterrey Q4: Is this a good stop? What is a must see with my baby? Then from Monterrey I keep on going to Big Sur to wher I stop for lunch at Pecante?? Q5: what should I see here? again with a baby? Then I leave to Cambria via 1 where we sleep at the Best Western Fireside INN Q6: overall is this doable? (coming from SF to Cambria in 1 day and with stops at Big sur and Monterrey?

Day 5: I go Hearst Castle. Q7 is this reccommended with a baby? it seems like a lot of stairs no? Then i leave via 1 and 101 to Santa Barbara where I stop to see downtown. Then keep on going to get to LA later that day. Q8: is Santa Barbara a good stop? should I see anything in special? I get to LA later that day (night?) to the Magic Csstle Hotel

Day 6: I hire a tour to see the LA touristic places? Q8: any special reccomendation here?

Day 7: Go to Disneyland wso my wife and baby are happy (they are really pushing for this!!)Q9: Do you think that I will have time to do something else this day?

Day 8: Leave LA 11 am for Mexico city.

I am sorry to bother you with all these questions, but I have seen a lot of expertise on this forum, and I have spent so much time planning this vacation that I want it to be as close as perfect. Thanks again for your time

Regards,

Juan F

Advise needed family from Mexico City

Don%26#39;t worry. You%26#39;re not bothering us. This is what this forum is good for. It%26#39;s nice to see you already did some research on your own. Your itinerary in general is pretty rushed, but it is what it is. You%26#39;ll see some of the highlights in each place for a short period of time and it will probably make you want to come back when your baby gets older to explore it in more depth.

Some suggestions/comments for you:

- The SF part of the trip looks ok. Taking an organized tour to Napa is probably best. That way you can drink wine without drinking and driving issues. :) There are also wineries in the Monterey/Carmel region. There are plenty of car rental companies. Just call your hotel and ask for the closest ones. Some companies like Enterprise will even come to pick you up.

- I don%26#39;t know if it%26#39;s necessary to stop for a long time in Monterey if you%26#39;re not going to the aquarium there. Do the 17-mile drive and then go to Big Sur. It%26#39;s going to be a lot of driving already. I think Hearst Castle will be worth it.

- Santa Barbara is a great stop. Plan on spending at least 3-4 hours there. It%26#39;s 1.5 hrs north of LA.

- You have a very short time in LA. I wouldn%26#39;t do a tour. Since you have a car already, I would recommend picking the spots that interest you most and do those yourself by car instead (read the FAQs here on things to do). I would also suggest for you to stay in Santa Monica. It%26#39;s a more upscale area than Hollywood and it%26#39;s at the beach, so you can walk around and push a stroller much easier in a much more pleasant environment with your baby, even along the beach. Check out Loew%26#39;s Hotel for example. It%26#39;s perfect for this type of stay. It%26#39;s also closer to LAX.

- Disneyland is 1 hr drive away from Los Angeles and it takes a full day to explore. You won%26#39;t have time for anything else that day.

Advise needed family from Mexico City

Yes, it definitely sounds like a busy itinerary. It may not be clear to you the distances involved on your trip.

In general, as the father of three small children, I%26#39;d say renting a car is the preferred option. Children can be unpredictable and, I dare say, difficult on occasion. It really isn%26#39;t fair to other visitors to be on a tour bus and having your child act up. Of course, your child is an angel. But, the little devil will choose the most inconvenient moment to be problematic. So rent a car.

Understand, there isn%26#39;t really a single location where all the ';tourist places'; are conveniently located. You need to do some more research to determine what you%26#39;d like to see and what would be appropriate for your family. (By the by, you%26#39;ve got a good collapsible stroller, right?) If I was you, I%26#39;d pick some places for some family strolling.

Some suggestions:

1) Santa Monica Pier %26amp; Third Street Promenade - This place is quite congenial for exploring with young child in tow. The Palisades Park overlooking the Pacific is lovely. The Pier has a cheesy amusement park. The boardwalk goes south to Venice and all of its SoCal funkiness. There is some decent shopping at and near the Third Street Promenade. Then again, by this time, you may be tired of ocean views.

2) The Getty Center in Brentwood is a great place for you to spend a few hours. A morning visit is a good idea. Don%26#39;t worry, no one goes for museum exhibits. They are a mere back-drop to the phenomenal views of the city and the intriguing architecture.

3) The Farmer%26#39;s Market/The Grove at Fairfax %26amp; Third is a great family friendly venue. I as there this weekend with my wife and three children. This is a great place to have a casual meal with a young child. I like Patsy%26#39;s Pizzas and the place where they make crepes. But, there are oodles of places to choose from. Your child will enjoy the trolley. (This is where your collapsible stroller comes in handy.) Your wife will enjoy the shopping. Oh yeah, park on the roof of The Grove Parking structure. Nice views.

4) LACMA was recently renovated and the new Broad gallery opened this past week. The grounds surrounding the museum are playfully decorated. The La Brea Tar Pits are here. I%26#39;d also point out LACMA is near the Farmer%26#39;s Market.

5) You don%26#39;t say when you are arriving. In the unlikely event of rain, head over the the Natural History Museum at Exposition Park. There is a excellent exhibit of stuffed animals (huge actually) which will entrance your child. Way better than any zoo at this age because the animals are on display.

One last detail, you should realize this visit to L.A. is but the first of many. Trust me. You%26#39;ll be back.

HTH

Thanks a lot for the feedbcak. My wife and I decided to drop the Napa Valley tour as she thinks that 8-hour tour with our baby would be too much for her. So i am inclined to rent a car and visit just one winery. Which one would you reccomend to visit? We would do very little wine tasting(as I would be driving). It is more about seiing the scenery and, visit a good winery perhaps with good vineyard tour or something like that. I have read in this forum about Chateu Montelena and Beringers? any views? are these far from SF? Can i go there say have lucnh and come back for the afternoon to Sf?

As I refine my trip I might come bcak with more questions Thanks a lot...

Juan F

For rental car there is Avis.com at post street in San Francisco. Be sure to click that you are from MExico as rates are much higher if you are from USA. Also, be sure to check that you are returning the car to LAX airport.

7 day car rental is the same price as 5 or 6 day, so you might want to change hotel to ColumbusMotorInn.com where parking is free. You could pick up car at San Francisco airport if you have free parking at your hotel.

Thanks a lot. I already reserved my car at AVIS great website and not so bad rates.

Make sure the rate includes insurance. That usually almost doubles the cost.

I don%26#39;t know if going to Napa just for one winery is worth it. It%26#39;s up to you. You will have an opportunity to do this at Monterey and Santa Barbara, both gorgeous areas.

If it were me, I%26#39;d skip Napa to have another day in either SF or LA. What is your wife supposed to do during the day with a baby in a hotel, while you are off in Napa? It%26#39;s not a quick trip. You can catch a winery tour elsewhere on your drive down to LA.

Rest of trip sounds good.

Be sure to check the Disneyland board to find tips to get the most out of your day with a child.

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