California Travel
It’s hard not to love California. Whether you’re looking to hike and bike in national parks, shop in Los Angeles, surf in SoCal or ride a cable car in San Francisco, there are endless opportunities for fun in California. This guide introduces you to California’s array of attractions through feature articles from online newspapers and magazines, guides created by real travelers, and official tourism resources. You’ll also find California hotels, learn how to get around in California and find cheap flights to your California destination. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsWhere to Go in California
This section presents California’s varied travel opportunities. Official tourism resources and feature articles introduce California’s most appealing cities and attractions, while guides created by real travelers help you plan an itinerary. You’ll also learn about California’s unique road trips, beaches and adventure sports.
Dulcinea's Insight
- California’s famous attractions are great, but there are some lesser-known places to visit that offer fewer crowds and just as memorable an experience. For example, Scenic Highway 395 runs along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains offering great scenery and skiing.
- Traditional beach towns are hard to come by in California, as many have grown into cities. However, you can still find that laid-back beach vibe in Cayucos and Pismo, both about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an official tourism guide …
VisitCalifornia.com
, the official site of the California Travel & Tourism Commission, provides thorough information for travelers heading anywhere in California. Explore different locales like the Bay Area and Central Coast, unique California qualities including diversity and eco-awareness, and ideas for things to do in California, such as spas, beaches and museum visits.
For traveler-created California guides …
RealTravel
features content from Frommer’s, and it allows travelers to post their own guides and photos to destinations around California. Click a city name to access related content, written in blog-like, diary form, and embedded with personal photos and insights.
TripAdvisor
guides are great if you want traveler advice on a variety of things: hotels, restaurants and things to do. Each section contains well-organized tips and insights from travelers who’ve done it before. There are also a few longer essay-type pieces in the “Know Before You Go” section, with information on California culture and history, written by travelers.
For feature articles in newspapers and magazines …
Travel+Leisure
is a sophisticated magazine with several guides to cities and areas of California, including San Francisco and the Napa and Sonoma wine regions. Select a destination from the list to explore editors’ favorite hotels and restaurants, as well as a selection of feature articles from T+L’s print version.
The New York Times Travel
section can help you plan a California trip from start to finish, or get inspiration for a specific leg of your journey. Find feature articles on distinctly Californian topics, whether you’re interested in the next great wine region, want to spend a weekend exploring a laid-back city, or want to try out an innovative coffee shop.
The Los Angeles Times
lends a local edge to its guides on California cities. Get the scoop on “hidden dining gems” in San Francisco, browse surprisingly high quality user-submitted photos or check out the feature articles in each guide.
For day trips and attractions …
71Miles
provides ideas for weekend trips from metropolitan areas in Northern California. Scroll down to browse options by type of excursion (for example, “Arts & Culture” or “Road Trips.”) Or choose a location in the destinations sidebar for a mini-guide introducing what to see and do, along with a few photos and videos.
Fodor’s
has lighthearted but informative guides to several cities and attractions of interest in California. Explore California’s Wine Country, then scroll down to read about “Related Destinations” in the right sidebar, including Oakland and Berkeley, Los Angeles, Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. Each location is described in detail with insider tips on when to go, neighborhoods and quirky notables for each place.
For road trips and adventure travel …
GORP.com
, part of the Away Network, is an online portal for active and outdoor travel, providing a variety of resources for adventurous pursuits in California. Use the interactive map to zoom in on California cities and natural features offering adventure travel opportunities. For more in-depth articles on different locations, browse the list of “The Best of California,” including camping near L.A. and hiking near San Francisco.
National Geographic Adventure
has a feature article on a five-day road trip in California that involves adventurous pursuits: rafting, trekking, camping, climbing and hiking. Essential gear is also recommended, and detailed instructions are provided for how best to experience each stop on the trip, including Darwin Falls, the Kern River and Kings Canyon.
Family Travel Forum
is a comprehensive resource for traveling families that presents insightful articles, many written by real parents. This piece presents a family road trip from San Francisco to Yosemite, with photos, practical information and details of what to expect from each stop along the way, including an evening in Chinatown.
California Hotels
A beach bungalow or a luxury hotel room can be yours in California with a bit of help from the Web. Peruse the hotel search tools and unique accommodation Web sites in this section to find a place to stay in California meeting your specific budget and taste.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The findingDulcinea Travel Web Guide has an accommodations section with the best hotel search tools and tips to help you find a good deal on a room.
- If you want to experience California’s stunning natural features in a cozy setting, consider staying in a bed and breakfast. The California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns lists properties in the mountains, along the coast and in scenic Northern California.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a hotel search …
TripAdvisor
provides a great combination of practical information, and advice and reviews from real travelers. Hotels are organized by city in a simple format, and listings include photos, ratings, reviews and a booking tool.
For luxury hotels …
Directory of Hotels
seeks out luxury boutique hotels around the world that have unique personalities and qualities. Browse the list of California properties for detailed, professional reviews and amenity information.
For vacation rentals …
VacationHomes.com
provides listings of rental properties throughout California, allowing users to search based on location, size, price and more. The site serves as a connection between rental property owners and guests; e-mail owners for availability and complete online reservation request forms.
For hostels …
Hostelz.com
has professional and user-submitted reviews of many hostels in California. View photos, learn about the amenities available at each property, get prices and book a room online. Also take a look at the “California Comments” made by real travelers and listed below the box of hostel locations.
California Transportation
With so much space between California’s cities and attractions, there’s plenty of room for spontaneous exploring. This section includes Web sites to help you get around in California, as well as flight search tools to help you arrive as inexpensively and easily as possible.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The best way to get around is by car. For a memorable drive, cruise up and down California State Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. The National Scenic Byways Program has a guide to the highway with itineraries, maps and photos of the route.
- If you’ll be traveling between major cities on opposite ends of the state (for example, from L.A. to San Francisco), you can always hop on a plane. California flights are frequent and can be inexpensive.
Dulcinea's Picks
For flights …
Southwest Airlines
has cheap flights between Los Angeles and several California cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and San Jose. Click on “Book Travel” to plan your trip from start to finish.
For intercity rail …
Amtrak California
lines run through the Central Valley, up the Pacific Coast and between the Sierra Foothills. These trains augment Amtrak’s interstate trains, which connect California to the rest of the United States. Get route maps, station information and learn what you’ll see along the way on the Amtrak California Routes page.
For commuter rail …
Metrolink
is a commuter rail service that runs throughout Southern California. Get interactive and printable maps of rail lines and learn where stations are located. The “Trip Planner” tool (in the “Schedules” pull-down menu) is temporarily unavailable.
Caltrain
is a commuter rail service connecting 30 stations between San Francisco and Gilroy, just south of San Jose. Get schedules and maps, and use the "Trip Planner” tool for easy routing.
For San Francisco and Los Angeles transportation …
BART
is the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system, connecting the San Francisco Peninsula with cities in the East Bay, including Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Walnut Creek and Dublin/Pleasanton. Even if you’re a newcomer, you should have no problem navigating this well-organized site and planning your route around the Bay area.
Muni
(San Francisco Municipal Railway) operates San Francisco’s historic streetcars, buses, cable cars and an inner city light rail system. Visit the “Routes & Schedules” page for schedules and trip planners.
Metro
(Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) provides maps, schedules and general information about the city’s subway system. Use the “Metro Trip Planner” for easy navigating.
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