Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Monterey to Los Angeles. If you're planning a road trip to Los Angeles, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
11:00 am start in Monterey
drive for about 3.5 hours
2:31 pm Solvang
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:31 pm
drive for about 43 minutes
4:13 pm Santa Barbara
stay overnight at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 4 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
drive for about 1.5 hours
11:36 am Santa Monica
eat at Gjelina
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 3:36 pm
drive for about 26 minutes
4:01 pm arrive in Los Angeles
stay at Shutters On the Beach
day 2 driving ≈ 2 hours
find more stops
Solvang (46 answers)
Firestone Vineyard (3 mentions)
Fess Parker Winery (3 mentions)
R Country Market (2 mentions)
Blackjack Ranch (2 mentions)
Saarloos And Sons Tasting Room (2 mentions)
restaurants around Solvang:
Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe
Olsen's Danish Village Bakery & Coffee Shop
Industrial Eats
Panino
Petros
questions about Solvang:
What to do in Solvang... good places to stay, eat, etc.
Santa Barbara (189 answers)
Butterfly Beach (7 mentions)
Bacara Resort & Spa (6 mentions)
Hendry's Beach (4 mentions)
Stearns Wharf (4 mentions)
The Funk Zone (4 mentions)
restaurants around Santa Barbara:
McConnell's Fine Ice Creams
La Super-Rica Taqueria
The Lark - Santa Barbara
Boathouse at Hendry's Beach
The Palace Grill
hotels around Santa Barbara:
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
Isla Vista
San Ysidro Ranch
El Encanto Hotel
questions about Santa Barbara:
Favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara?
Bachelorette Weekend Getaway in Santa Barbara
Best Beach in Santa Barbara?
24 hours in Santa Barbara, what do I have to see/eat/do?
How far from santa barbara to palm springs and PS to Phoenix?
Santa Monica (225 answers)
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Third Street Promenade (55 mentions)
LACMA (50 mentions)
restaurants around Santa Monica:
Gjelina
Urth Caffe
The Apple Pan
Joan's on Third Cafe
Gracias Madre
questions about Santa Monica:
Drinks in SM?
Fun things to do in Santa Monica?
Fun Santa Monica hotels under $400/night?
Good breakfast spot for a business meeting?
Avoiding sticker shock in Santa Monica
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Los Angeles.
You can also see most people recommend as the best amount of time to visit. Find out how many days in Los Angeles to stay.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Shutters On the Beach, which was mentioned 36 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Los Angeles? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Gjelina, which was mentioned 44 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Los Angeles? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Los Angeles. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Michelle from Mesa asked:
Where are the top 5 places to see a celebrity in L.A.? (27 answers)
Maxime from Los Angeles asked:
What's your favorite burger in L.A? (26 answers)
Clement from Singapore asked:
Free things to do in Los Angeles? (24 answers)
Bianca from Miami asked:
What are the top 3 beaches in Los Angeles? (20 answers)
Steph from asked:
Area an hour away from LAX airport (19 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Los Angeles.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Los Angeles to Monterey drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Monterey to Los Angeles. Or get a full Monterey to Los Angeles flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Monterey well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Monterey!