Historic Route 66

Historic Route 66 America’s Main Street The spirit of Route 66, immortalised in Bobby Troup’s 1946 classic(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66′ is ingrained in the American psyche.

This sensational holiday is both an epic road trip and journey of discovery, taking in gems such as Oklahoma, Springfield, St Louis, Amarillo and Albuquerque, as well as the extraordinary expanse of the Grand Canyon. Covering a more than two thousand miles all the way, this tour is heaven for fans of retro Americana. Terms and conditions *Price include saving and applies to 03, 24 May, 14 June, 20 September and 04 October 2015 departure dates. Other dates are available. All offers are with limited availability. Prices are per person and will be confirmed upon enquiry.

San Diego, California

San Diego is one of my favourite places and has a fantastic year round climate.  Winters in Southern California are cool at the worst which makes it a go-anytime destination.  Those in search of some winter sun might well consider this destination although the flight is considerably longer than Dubai or Sharm.

Getting there

British Airways flies direct to San Diego on a daily basis but if you prefer to fly with another airline, you’ll need to make a change in Los Angeles.  Taking a flight into LA and driving to San Diego may be an option as the flights may be cheaper, strictly due to frequency…there are as many as 10 direct flights per day from Heathrow to LAX.  The drive to San Diego is about 2 1/2 hours and is quicker and more cost effective than taking the connecting flight.

Getting around

While a car is ideal, the public transit system will get you just about anywhere but If you wish to venture further abroad then the car will be a necessity and, quite honestly, will make your trip more enjoyable.  Driving is the norm in California and the roads, while they seem intimidating, are easy to negotiate and are well marked.  A lot of travellers will use San Diego as their base and take day trips to Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Mexico (Tijuana is just a few miles down the road).  If you do choose to venture into Mexico, you can park the car at San Isidro and walk across to Tijuana or the more adventurous may consider a day trip to Ensenada.  Please, check your rental car’s insurance as many car companies won’t cover a trip across the border…give me a ring to discuss the pros and cons.

What to do

San Diego has so much to see that it’s worth spending more than just a couple of nights.  Shamu, the killer whale, is a big attraction and all the rest of Seaworld is fantastic as well and deserves an entire day to appreciate it.  The San Diego zoo is one of the world’s best and one of the few places you can see giant pandas…this is truly a day out for all ages. Laguna Beach is just a short drive up the coast where the main attraction is the art galleries and amazing craft displays.  

The dining options are incredible, as well, and some may like to spend a night here at the Surf ‘n Sand hotel…it’s built right on the beach.  As I mentioned, before, Tijuana is right across the border and while it isn’t the ‘real Mexico’ it’s worth a trip to shop for trinkets, eat some tacos, and maybe wash it down with a cerveza or a licuado.  One of the best things about San Diego is the beaches; numerous and clean, it’s a sunbather’s paradise

Where to stay

The hotel options in San Diego are very diverse and your choice will depend on what you want to do.  Those whom don’t wish to drive will probably opt for downtown which will give full access to shopping and public transit while the drivers should consider something in the area of hotel circle at the north end. 

This location will give easy access to the freeway (I5) and enable you to get off and going without too many twists and turns.  Coronado Island is the third option and while it’s easy to get out and about (with a car), it’s more laid back and is the ideal location for those looking for more activities such as tennis and surfing.

So let’s go

San Diego should be a stop on everybody’s fly drive trip and should also be a consideration for single centre holidays, as well.  If you’d to know more about San Diego or why I love it so much, please, drop me a line or give me a ring

Western fly drive

Many of my friends and clients have experienced the classic West Coast fly drive but most tend to overlook my absolute favourite San Diego. I always recommend taking as much time as possible to see as much as you can and, when possible, include Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. I’ll get to more about the individual locations on separate blogs but let’s just get the itinerary for now.

The glitz of Vegas is always worth a look for at least four nights and, also, to allow for a trip out to the Grand Canyon. Die hard gamblers will want to stretch this out a bit but there is always enough to see as not to move on right away. Exotic shows and bright lights are the normal attractions, but golfers will be spoilt for choice, as well.

San Francisco is the next stop, and you can get there either by road or by air…I’d suggest just getting there by plane and picking up your car on the other end as the 9 hour drive may be too much for some or, alternatively, stopping along the way but this is a wasted night. After about 4 nights in ‘Frisco’, it’s down the coast to Los Angeles and this time it is worth a stop in the Pismo Beach area just to enjoy the scenery.

Los Angeles has a love-hate relationship with tourists; it’s big and smoggy, but there’s a ton of stuff to do, as well. It’s important to consider exactly what appeals to you so a decision can be made as to the length of stay.If you want to explore you’ll need a week but if there are just a couple of points of interest then 3 days will be sufficient.

A short drive down I-5 brings you to San Diego and, arguably, one of the best climates in the world. It’s a busy city with a lot to see but, at the same time, San Diego invites you just to relax. I always recommend at least 4 days but would gladly stay for weeks. Your time constraints may limit you to a couple of days, but at least you’ll get a taste.

In between these major centres, there are other popular options for side trips or stays. The coastline itself has many towns and events to visit, and there are more out of the way choices such as Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and the giant redwoods in northern California. The more adventurous could consider travelling into Oregon and Washington to explore the Pacific Northwest, but you will need to allow more time.

There are numerous other considerations to be had; available time, school holidays when travelling as a family, budget and, ultimately, what you want to see. As I mentioned, I’ll put more detail into individual blogs but this will get you thinking about where to start planning.

If you’d like to discuss a fly drive (or any other holiday), or have these details e-mailed to you, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Los Angeles

The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles is thought of as America’s second city, behind New York of course.  Whilst famed for its movie industry, Los Angeles is also a multi-faceted creative city, home as well to fashion, art, music, literature and theatre.  It’s thought that almost 20% of the city’s residents have a job in a creative industry.  “The City of Angels” is also home to many fine museums and admirable art galleries with a cutting edge, and is a gastronomic paradise.

Los Angeles is not just a 44-mile wide metropolis; it is the ideal base to use to explore the natural surroundings of California and in which to relax along its golden beaches.

Just to complete your experience, you are less than a few miles drive from some of the most exclusive vineyards in the world, a hike in the High Mojave desert or even ski-ing at Big Bear.

LA is a wonderful place to visit, no matter the time of year.  It’s only really January and February when the temperature dips below warm, especially in the evening.  Summer is hot but seldom oppressive.  All year fog comes off the ocean onto the beaches, so don’t expect to catch much sun in the early part of the morning.

The city is mainly served by Los Angeles International Airport.  The city is so large that a hire car is the only purposeful way by which to get around – driving is LA is not too difficult as traffic is generally packed and hence slow moving.  Don’t forget, as with all travel into the US these days, make sure you’ve filled in an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) online before you travel.  If you really don’t fancy driving in the US, then LA does have an effective and affordable public transportation system.  Accommodation, as with all major US cities, is plentiful and you will easily be able to find somewhere to suit your budget.

Places to visit in LA include the Griffin Observatory, a modern building to see the skies and with a breath-taking view over the city and an excellent planetarium.  Nearby are the LA Zoo and the Museum of the American West.  If you are art-lover the city has a number of exceptional galleries – the main ones to check out are the Getty Center which houses antiquities that date as far back as Ancient Greece, and MOCA where you’ll find pieces that are right up to date.

For the fun-seekers, there’s Universal Studios, the sister to the site in Florida, with its thrilling rides based on movies such as King Kong, Shrek and The Mummy, as well as TV shows such as The Simpsons.  For your night-life LA has many bars and restaurants situated downtown, although don’t expect to be partying until the smallest hours.  LA likes to rise early and most places are shut by two in the morning.

Los Angeles is a proud place that takes its fun and heritage seriously, and enjoys its status as one of the most creative places on Earth.  Book your holiday to Los Angeles today for a varied, exhilarating and fun-soaked experience you’ll have a hard time ever topping.