If you want to explore and enjoy California to the full, you'll need a car . A city such as Los Angeles couldn't exist without the automobile, and in any case to drive down the coastal freeways invites irresistible mental images of Beach Boys-style cruising. Car rental in California is among the cheapest in the country and the savings made by easy access to campgrounds and chain motels can easily offset the initial cost.

Frequent Amtrak trains connect LA and San Diego , with a stop at Fullerton for buses to Disneyland, and one daily service runs up the coast from LA, stopping at Oakland and Emeryville , the nearest stations to San Francisco, and continuing via Sacramento to Seattle. Another line from Oakland runs along the Central Valley, but only connects with LA by bus. Cross-country routes leave LA for Florida (the Sunset Limited via Tucson, Houston and New Orleans) and for Chicago (the Southwest Chief daily via Flagstaff, Albuquerque and Kansas City). Oakland has its own direct service to Chicago. Foreign visitors can cut fares greatly by using the Rail Pass program. Greyhound and Green Tortoise buses link all the main cities.

For quick hops between the major cities - especially LA and San Francisco - you can't beat flying . Services are extremely frequent, and prices competitive - if your plans are flexible enough to take advantage of off-peak deals. Regular scheduled fares are high.

If you plan to do any long-distance cycling , traveling from north to south can make all the difference - the wind blows this way in the summer, and besides, you're on the right side of the road for the best views. Be careful if you cycle along the coast on Hwy-1: despite its stunning views, it has heavy traffic, tight curves and is prone to fog.

California city guides

AnaheimPacific Grove
BakersfieldPalm Springs
BerkeleyPalo Alto
BishopRedding and Shasta
BurbankSacramento
CarmelSan Diego
ChicoSan Francisco
Grass Valley, Nevada City and DownievilleSan Jose
Lone PineSan Luis Obispo
Long BeachSanta Barbara
Los AngelesSanta Cruz
MalibuSanta Monica
Mammoth LakesSausalito
Mill ValleySonora, Columbia, Jamestown and Mariposa
MontereySouth Lake Tahoe
Mount Shasta CityTahoe City
OaklandVenice

California

California
History
• Getting around California
Best Of California

Explore California

Central Valley
Central coast
Gold Country
Los Angeles
Northern California
San Diego
San Francisco
San Francisco's Bay Area
Southern California's deserts

California cities


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