Road trip in California

A road trip in California offers a diverse range of landscapes, from the rugged mountains of Yosemite National Park to the iconic coastline of Big Sur. 

When it comes to road-tripping in California, the possibilities are endless! You have the option to start your journey from either San Francisco and travel south or begin in San Diego or Los Angeles and head north. I highly recommend starting and finishing your trip in the same place to avoid additional fees from the rental company (if you're renting a van). Additionally, you can choose to explore the diverse national parks inland or stick to the breathtaking coastal route. Regardless of your direction, California is guaranteed to amaze you! 

Check out our itinerary and tips for some inspiration!

Van life hacks in California:

• You can fill up propane at any Walmart or gas station for around 6 USD a gallon (no need to pre-pay it with rental company, as it is normally expensive)

• Finding water can be more challenging, particularly on the West Coast. While gas stations typically provide a hose for customers to fill up their tanks with water, in this region, the hose may be smaller and unreliable, making it important to plan accordingly

• If you're looking for a place to shower while traveling, you may be able to use the facilities at a gym. Some gyms offer a free trial day, which would allow you to use their shower facilities. For example, we visited Golden Gyms in Monterrey. 

• If you are unable to find a designated campsite, you may be able to sleep in certain areas of Walmart's parking lot, but it's important to confirm with the security personnel in the area first. This can be a practical option because Walmart stores are often open 24/7, and they typically have restroom facilities available, which can be useful if you don't have a toilet in your van.

• If you plan to sleep in your van within a national park, it's essential to make a reservation in advance. Alternatively, in a national forest, you can use a practice known as 'dispersed camping', where you park your van in a designated area, but not at an official campsite. Keep in mind that if your van is shorter than 22 feet (6.7 meters), you can park in most parking lots, as long as they are not too close to the main road. However, the exact distance required may vary, so it's best to check with park officials or signage to ensure compliance with any regulations.

• In cities, parking spots are typically cleaned once a week, which means you can't park there during that time. Additionally, each parking spot may have a different time slot, even if they are located close to each other. Read the signs of each parking slot carefully too avoid getting a fine.

• Download Park4Night App to look for camping spots for your van! On the west coast, there are limited places where you can park, so I would recommend to stay in a campsite if you want to enjoy being close to the beach or rather stay in Walmart parkings.

• Last but not least, if you are staying long, I recommend renting a van where you can stand up, we appreciated that greatly! 

Renting a van 

During our summer trip to California, we rented a  KUGA Campervan from Autobarn Travellers, as they offered an affordable option (approx 120$/night) with all the amenities we needed. Autobarn Travellers is an Australian company with several locations renting vans around California and elsewhere in the US. Overall, the van was comfortable, however, we experienced a technical issue, which left us stranded without assistance from early afternoon until the next morning due to poor customer service. The plastic piece connecting the stick and the changing gears fell, causing us to lose a day of our trip. Fortunately, we were able to stay with locals who kindly offered their hospitality. We later learned from a French couple we met that they had a similar experience with this company. We advise future renters to be cautious and ensure proper maintenance of the van (by the nature of our technical issue, I don't think they do the maintenance often or thoroughly). In case of any issue, insist that they send someone to assist you promptly.

Grocery shopping in the US 

Shopping for groceries in the US was an exciting adventure for us - it might sound silly, but it was such a fun and different experience compared to Europe. We were thrilled to explore all the supermarkets, and here are our top recommendations!

• Walmart: The supermarket in Hayward, San Francisco had almost all of the items on our shopping list, but we were surprised by the lack of fresh veggies and meat at this specific supermarket. We later learned that each Walmart store in the US can be different depending on its location, unlike in Europe where stores of the same chain are often similar.

• Costco: massive supermarket that sells everything in large quantities. Still, they had some products that we could buy in normal quantities (e.g. single yogurts, 4.5L of juice (yes, 4.5L)...). In the different supermarket aisles there are different vendors promoting certain products and offering free food samples - we ended up having the equivalent of lunch there. I recommend coming to Costco at the beginning of your trip, for essentials or items that you will regularly consume. We didn't know, but you have to be a member to shop at Costco. 

Random things that caught my attention

• Rules are written citing the law, which makes people more prone to follow the rule and it's more scary to read. Example: in Europe, a sign would read to leave sits free to seniors or pregnant women, while in the US the equivalent will read something like: "Federal law requires these setas made available to seniors and people with disabilities" (no mention of pregnant woman, by the way ...)

• As I was driving, I observed that signs at construction sites indicate that the funds being used for the project were from taxes (maybe reminding taxpayers that their money is useful?)

• In California, there are several tools, which are paid electronically, and toll highways are not limited by gates (usually in Europe there is an option to go through the gate and pay directly). After going through a toll (some of them are shyly marked with a small sign), you have to check online how much you should pay, or manage and check it with your rental company. 

• Drivers can turn right even when the traffic light is red

• Turning lanes are indicated well in advance of intersections on roads, I guess to avoid congestion?

• Approx. 65mph on highways, approx. 35mph on city roads