I did this drive last year using the central valley highway 5. It took about 7 hrs. with stops for gas and a quick stop to eat. If I remember right it is around 500 miles at the most direct route.

Are you planning this way or taking the longer route along the ocean>?

It would be cool to cut across at Los Banos to Watsonville and have food near Capitola or Santa Cruz. And from there take highway 1 North.

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Halfway between the two would be San Luis Obispo, this town is a 15 mile drive to the nearest beach You can go south of there 15 miles to Pismo Beach. I lived in San Luis Obispo for 16 years, never had to stay in any of the hotels or motels there. Spyglass Inn sticks in my mind as being in a very good location. I'd recommend posting on the San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach forums for more lodging information.

If you can arrange to make your stay fall on a Thursday, there is a Farmers Market in San Luis Obispo that is a lot of fun and many of the restaurants offer great BBQ food.

The scenic route along the coast on rte 1 and 101 can take 10hrs., 3 days, or as long as you like. It is a very well traveled route. Many people stop along the way and make it a real part of their vacation.

The fast route down the central valley on Interstate 5 takes about 8hrs+depending on traffic through LA and WHERE in SanDiego you are headed.

You could take the slow route and stop in Pismo Beach.

IF you are not planning on taking your time to enjoy the drive then maybe flying down would make more sense.

Both Southwest Airlines and Virgin America have reasonably priced flights. I use Southwest.

The last time I did this driving down I-5, it took about 10 hours. Much of that time was spent creeping through Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

We were planning on doing the coastline drive then finding a place mid way to get a room. We are headed to The Town and Country Resort in San Diego. Thank you so much for the info. We are hoping for no more than six or seven hours a day in the car. someone mentioned driving down Pacific Coast highway from San Francisco then going back to San Francisco and catching a flight does this make sense? I am not sure as I am hearing there is nothing but traffic jams.

You can make a very nice drive from SF to SD (except for the section through LA) in 2 days. Many people make San Luis area a stopping place; Cambria is very popular.

I'm a little confused by your last post when you say "driving down Pacific Coast highway from San Francisco then going back to San Francisco and catching a flight does this make sense? I am not sure as I am hearing there is nothing but traffic jams."

Yes there are traffic jams in the LA area but to see the coast along Big Sur means driving from NorCal to SoCal.

If you're short on time you can sample the coast road (Hiway 1) in Northern California (Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz) and then fly to SD without spending the night along the way. But the really dramatic part of the drive is between Carmel and San Luis.

The quickest route is I-5, but it takes you no where near coastline and leads you into a very congested Southern California. Unfortunately, all roads leading into So Cal will most likely be congested.

The second quickest route is the 280 south to the 85 to the 101 southbound. You'll reach the Pismo Beach area in approx. 4 hours this way. Some lodging options include:

Kon Tiki Inn, Best Western Shelter Cove Lodge, Cottage Inn, Pismo Lighthouse Suites, Dolphin Bay Inn, The Cliffs Hotel. All these are on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

For beach front options: Sea Venture Resort, Sand Castle Inn.

It's 3 hours to LA from Pismo Beach. Not sure of the time frame to San Diego from the LA area. Count on traffic slowing you down through So Cal.

The slowest, but most beautiful route is Highway 1 south from the city through Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur. The reason it's slow is that the highway between Carmel and San Simeon has many hairpin curves, is narrow in several areas and those incredible views that force you off the road to take it all in. SF to Pismo Beach this route can take a minimum of 6 1/2 hours without stops or as long as it takes to get through the stops along the way.

However, you could choose to overnight in the lovely coastal town of Cambria, which is an hour north of Pismo Beach. This quaint town is nestled in pine trees next to the sea and strikes the fancy of many visitors to the coast. Great lodging choices here, as well: Best Western Fireside Inn, Fog Catcher Inn, Pelican Cove Inn, Sand Pebbles Inn, Blue Whale Inn.

Personally, this drive really deserves at least 2 overnights along the coast, the first being Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove. This area is absolutely some of California's most gorgeous coastline! The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Lobos, Carmel's quaint shopping district and beautiful white sand beach. Plus all the wonderful sights along the Big Sur coast deserves some time.

If you can't make the time for the coastal drive, then the second option is your best option. Pismo Beach is your last coastal option until Santa Barbara, which is about 1 1/2 - 2 hours away.

After reading the reply's we will take the slow route and spend two nights en route. Thank you all for your help! I will start to find lodging thanks for the recommendations too!