I was a little worried about the driving part of our California road trip. After spending 4 days in San Francisco, it was time to rent our car from SFO airport and drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, visiting places places like Monterey, Big Sur and eventually Los Angeles.
I’d never driven in a foreign country, or the other side of the road, or in an automatic. However, I needn’t have worried, everything actually went very smoothly. These are some basics to cover if you are planning to rent a car and drive the Pacific Coast Highway.
- The United States Road System
- Navigation Tips For The Pacific Coast Highway
- What Car To Rent For the Pacific Coast Highway
- Which Car Company To Use In California
The Road System In The United States
Driving in the US is actually easier than in the UK. The roads are wider and the road systems simpler. There aren’t any roundabouts, only (mostly) traffic light controlled crossroads, which seems to simplify things.
One thing to remember is that you can turn right on a red light, as long as it’s clear!
Additionally the majority of cars are automatic. Driving an automatic feels like you have more time to focus on the road due to less time spent changing gear.
Your brain also gets used to being on the other side of the road very quickly. It was only when I got back to England I’d find myself momentarily second guessing what side I should be on when turning into a road!
Navigating The Pacific Coast Highway
If you are from the UK I’d recommend using the ‘offline maps‘ app on the google play store. It’s a great offline navigator and tells you what the max speed limit is.
This is useful when getting used to the traffic systems and the different speed limits. This really made our Pacific Coast Highway road trip a lot easier!
Once I’d managed to drive out of the airport and get onto route 1 everything seemed a doddle. Once out on the Pacific Coast Highway, it was a simple and picturesque drive.
What Car To Rent For The Pacific Coast Highway
If you are also from the UK, like us, you might worry about picking a large enough car. We chose the ‘compact’ car which was the smallest size and we were apprehensive about boot space.
We definitely didn’t need to worry, it was the equivalent of a UK medium-sized car, with plenty of boot space and a decent enough sized engine.
Holiday Autos
We usedHoliday Autosto book our Nissan Versa with the providerAlamo.This is a great comparison tool and was actually cheaper than using any of the car companies directly.
The car cost approximately £200 for 6 days. Pick up and drop off at both airports was very simple. The car itself was very comfortable and smooth to drive.
Final Thoughts
Like me, you might be tempted to opt for a Mustang. However, nearly everyone drives Big Sur in a Mustang. To avoid being a cliché and save yourself a lot of money, just opt for a compact or medium sized car!
You may be hesitant about renting a car in the United States. Maybe you are considering using public transport to visit California. However, you really don’t want to miss driving down the Pacific Coast Highway. The scenery in Big Sur is spectacular. You can read about my experience in Big Sur by clicking here.
If you have also driven down California’s Pacific Coast Highway I would love to exchange notes, so feel free to comment below. If you are currently planning your road trip, let me know if you want any further information, I will do my best help!
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