US help.

[Shiny Things]

Many thanks again Hisa and Shiny. These are really helpful tips.


Another quick question. on the drive back from yosemite, should i stay 1N monterey and 1N san jose/cupertino? or just 2N at san jose/cupertino? reason being, accoms at monterey is very expensive, and staying 2N at san jose allows me to leave my baggage at the hotel while travelling out to visit Monterey

I think Hisashiburi is right: doing two nights somewhere between Monterey and San Jose might be the smart move. Santa Cruz is midway between the two, it's a very cute town, and it's probably a little cheaper. Here are some other places to check:
* The Springhill Suites in Marina is close to Monterey and might be a little cheaper;
* Look for hotels in Capitola (near Santa Cruz) or Santa Cruz itself;
* If you really want to go cheap, there might be some cheap motels in Watsonville, which is a farming town.

Don't do Hollister, it's nowhere near as nice.

 

[applelim]

Hi Anyone, fly to from L.A to Las Vegas recently, which airline and how to travel from Airport to Hotel?

 

[nats7798]

Hi Anyone, fly to from L.A to Las Vegas recently, which airline and how to travel from Airport to Hotel?

Take Uber or lyft

 

[Hisashiburi]

Hi Anyone, fly to from L.A to Las Vegas recently, which airline and how to travel from Airport to Hotel?

Southwest airlines main hub is Las Vegas i think.
They should have many flights daily.
Can find on expedia.com or similar.

Airport to hotel, as mentioned, can use uber or lyft.
Can also use hotel shuttle if available esp in LV.

LV hotels not far from airport n some hotels have free shuttles.

 

[Shiny Things]

Hi Anyone, fly to from L.A to Las Vegas recently, which airline and how to travel from Airport to Hotel?

Oh yeah. Here's the scoop:

Which airline: Frontier and Spirit are the cheapest. The service is terrible but it's only a one-hour flight each way. (If you want better service, United and Southwest also fly LAX-LAS multiple times a day.)

And don't forget to check out the other Los-Angeles-area airports - you might be able to save time or money flying from Burbank (BUR), John Wayne / Orange County (SNA), or Long Beach (LGB). If you're near Hollywood or Universal Studios, Burbank will be closer than LAX; if you're near Disneyland, SNA will be closer; and if you're near Newport Beach, SNA or LGB will both be closer than LAX.

How to get from the airport to the hotel: just use Uber or Lyft. Las Vegas taxis are notorious for ripping off visitors by taking the long way 'round from the airport to the hotels.

 

[WoShiPro]

Will I be able to survive without any cash? Planning to use my amaze card to get miles without withdrawing cash.

 

[Hisashiburi]

Will I be able to survive without any cash? Planning to use my amaze card to get miles without withdrawing cash.

Might need some cash for tips such as hotel shuttle bus drivers, restaurant wait staff, hotel bellhop and maybe occassionally food truck though all(?) take cards nowadays.

 

[WoShiPro]

Might need some cash for tips such as hotel shuttle bus drivers, restaurant wait staff, hotel bellhop and maybe occassionally food truck though all(?) take cards nowadays.

I'm staying in Airbnb and taking public transport/Uber. That shouldn't require tips? Airport shuttle need tips?

 

[Hisashiburi]

I'm staying in Airbnb and taking public transport/Uber. That shouldn't require tips? Airport shuttle need tips?

Ya uber n buses etc shouldnt require tips.

Sometimes people give tips to airport shuttle drivers esp if driver helped with luggage

 

[DriftKing]

Day 1: (Thursday) Land at SFO, head to SF Downtown (before 12pm) , Fisherman's wharf, Golden gate
Day 2: (Friday) : SF downtown free and easy (any other recommendation?)
Day 3: (Sat): Drive to silicon valley area look see look see
Day 4: (Sun): USS hornet, Livermore outlet, drive towards yosemite nearby towns
Day 5: (Mon): Yosemite
Day 6: (Tue): Sequioa see big tree
Day 7: (Wed): Drive out to Death Valley -> badwater -> Las Vegas
Day 8: (Thur): LV -> Hoover dam drive by -> Grand canyon south rim -> drive towards antelope canyon (Page/Lake powell)
Day 9: (Fri): Horshoe bend, Antelope canyon -> Back to LV
Day 10: (Sat): LV
Day 11: (Sun): Lv drive down to LA, Santa monica, stars avenue, TCL
Day 12: (Mon): Getty, USS Iowa, xxx
Day 13: (Tue): Disneyland
Day 14: (Wed): Universal / Warner
Day 15: (Thur): LAX flight back SIN

Hi shifus, currently planning something above for Mid-Oct, is this itinerary ok?

 

[Hisashiburi]

Day 1: (Thursday) Land at SFO, head to SF Downtown (before 12pm) , Fisherman's wharf, Golden gate
Day 2: (Friday) : SF downtown free and easy (any other recommendation?)
Day 3: (Sat): Drive to silicon valley area look see look see
Day 4: (Sun): USS hornet, Livermore outlet, drive towards yosemite nearby towns
Day 5: (Mon): Yosemite
Day 6: (Tue): Sequioa see big tree
Day 7: (Wed): Drive out to Death Valley -> badwater -> Las Vegas
Day 8: (Thur): LV -> Hoover dam drive by -> Grand canyon south rim -> drive towards antelope canyon (Page/Lake powell)
Day 9: (Fri): Horshoe bend, Antelope canyon -> Back to LV
Day 10: (Sat): LV
Day 11: (Sun): Lv drive down to LA, Santa monica, stars avenue, TCL
Day 12: (Mon): Getty, USS Iowa, xxx
Day 13: (Tue): Disneyland
Day 14: (Wed): Universal / Warner
Day 15: (Thur): LAX flight back SIN

Hi shifus, currently planning something above for Mid-Oct, is this itinerary ok?

Itinerary looks good

In SF, day 2 can consider Coit Tower, Embarcadero area, Lombard st, Alcatraz island

Day 3, not much really to see in Silicon Valley...if want to see nature, the coastal drive down to Monterey and Carmel are much nicer.
Napa valley is ok too if u like wine

Day 7 to 9
Seems like a lot of driving.
Didnt note the distance but it might get very tiring.

 

[Shiny Things]

Day 1: (Thursday) Land at SFO, head to SF Downtown (before 12pm) , Fisherman's wharf, Golden gate
Day 2: (Friday) : SF downtown free and easy (any other recommendation?)

Don't plan anything for this day - you'll be jetlagged to hell.

Day 3: (Sat): Drive to silicon valley area look see look see
Day 4: (Sun): USS hornet, Livermore outlet, drive towards yosemite nearby towns

Hisa's right, there's not a lot to see in Silly Valley (and I say that as someone who lives there). Filoli's nice if you like gardens, and the shopping at Stanford Shopping Center is phenomenal, but other than that... I'd personally delete day 3, and drive to Yosemite a day earlier, to free up a day later in the trip.

Day 4 seems great, though. You've done good planning; you're not bouncing all over the Bay Area, those are all in the same general direction.

Day 7: (Wed): Drive out to Death Valley -> badwater -> Las Vegas
Day 8: (Thur): LV -> Hoover dam drive by -> Grand canyon south rim -> drive towards antelope canyon (Page/Lake powell)
Day 9: (Fri): Horshoe bend, Antelope canyon -> Back to LV

This is a lot of driving, and I say that as someone who LOVES road trips. You're planning about seven hours of drive time each of those days.

I'd stuff an extra day in here (if you delete day 3, here's where to put it back in), and split it up like this:
* Day 6: Sequoia to Death Valley; sleep at Furnace Creek
* Day 7: Drive day, Furnace Creek to Flagstaff. (You can tack Meteor Crater on in the afternoon here if you leave Furnace Creek early!)
* Day 8: Grand Canyon South Rim; Antelope Canyon; sleep in Page (or, if you're feeling ambitious, keep driving west toward St George and push as far as you can)
* Day 9: back to Vegas
* Day 10: no travel; spend time in Vegas.

Day 11: (Sun): Lv drive down to LA, Santa monica, stars avenue, TCL
Day 12: (Mon): Getty, USS Iowa, xxx
Day 13: (Tue): Disneyland
Day 14: (Wed): Universal / Warner
Day 15: (Thur): LAX flight back SIN

You've accidentally created a loop here. If you're driving from Vegas to LA, you should do Disneyland first - it'll save you a few hours driving back and forth across Los Angeles. Something like:
* Day 11: Las Vegas, drive to Anaheim
* Day 12: Disneyland; drive to the west side late night; sleep in Beverly Hills
* Day 13: Warner studio tour (Universal's only worth it if you have theme-park fans, I reckon)
* Day 14: the Getty, Santa Monica, maybe the USS Iowa if you have time? It sounds like you might be a naval fan, so I'd do the Iowa over the Getty.
* Day 15: fly back.

 

[DriftKing]

If skipping the whole Death valley drive, where's a good place to hop on a flight towards LV?

 

[Shiny Things]

If skipping the whole Death valley drive, where's a good place to hop on a flight towards LV?

TL;DR: you're probably still better off driving.

Fresno airport (FAT) has nonstops to Las Vegas on Southwest and Allegiant, but they may not work very well with your schedule, because it looks like they only run once a day. And by the time you drive back to Fresno airport, check your bags, hang round the airport, fly to Vegas, pick up your bags, etc etc etc, it'll be almost the same time as driving anyway.

If you're skipping Death Valley, that drive is a leisurely six-hour blat: down to Bakersfield, up the picturesque Tehachapi Pass to Barstow (passing the Mojave Spaceport!), then brrrrr up Interstate 15 to Vegas. (Or, if you're headed to Flagstaff, brrrr along Interstate 40 eastbound - and if you want to stop for the night on the way, you can get a room in the Golden Nugget in Laughlin with an amazing view of the Colorado River for less than a hundred bucks.)

 

[DriftKing]

TL;DR: you're probably still better off driving.

Fresno airport (FAT) has nonstops to Las Vegas on Southwest and Allegiant, but they may not work very well with your schedule, because it looks like they only run once a day. And by the time you drive back to Fresno airport, check your bags, hang round the airport, fly to Vegas, pick up your bags, etc etc etc, it'll be almost the same time as driving anyway.

If you're skipping Death Valley, that drive is a leisurely six-hour blat: down to Bakersfield, up the picturesque Tehachapi Pass to Barstow (passing the Mojave Spaceport!), then brrrrr up Interstate 15 to Vegas. (Or, if you're headed to Flagstaff, brrrr along Interstate 40 eastbound - and if you want to stop for the night on the way, you can get a room in the Golden Nugget in Laughlin with an amazing view of the Colorado River for less than a hundred bucks.)

Thank you, I'll be skipping Death Valley and make my way back to Oakland to visit fam, and probably fly out from there. 6+ hours is doable (gotta plan more stops) but I'm risk averse as I'm the only driver, so I'd guess I'll keep death valley another time.

Seems southwest still give the better fare (with luggage) since the last time I took, not sure what other airlines that you would recommend? Tempted to try JSX but its double the costs.

What's a good place/area to stay near yosemite to base ? I'm thinking of Merced with reasonable prices so far.

 

[Shiny Things]

Seems southwest still give the better fare (with luggage) since the last time I took, not sure what other airlines that you would recommend? Tempted to try JSX but its double the costs.

Southwest is fine, yep. They're a good choice.

What's a good place/area to stay near yosemite to base ? I'm thinking of Merced with reasonable prices so far.

Yep, Modesto or Merced is the right answer. Mariposa might also be an option if you want to be closer to the action.

 

[DriftKing]

Southwest is fine, yep. They're a good choice.

Yep, Modesto or Merced is the right answer. Mariposa might also be an option if you want to be closer to the action.

Any recommendation for a short Napa valley(or nearby) sight seeing run, can't drink much as Im the only one driving and my wife doesnt drink, just to see if it's worth to sight see?

 

[vsvs24]

Hi, anyone can advise how long it takes for ESTA to be approved ?

Thanks.

 

[Hisashiburi]

Any recommendation for a short Napa valley(or nearby) sight seeing run, can't drink much as Im the only one driving and my wife doesnt drink, just to see if it's worth to sight see?

Then maybe not worth going to napa valley if both arent really drinkers.

Will u be in the SF area that time and looking for a daytrip?

 

[Hisashiburi]

Hi, anyone can advise how long it takes for ESTA to be approved ?

Thanks.

Some people got 1 day or instant approval.
So maybe it depends