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.
