Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from National City to Carmel By the Sea. If you're planning a road trip to Carmel By the Sea, 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 National City
drive for about 1.5 hours
12:20 pm Laguna Beach
eat at Javier's Restaurant - Newport Beach
stay for about 1.5 hours
and leave at 1:50 pm
drive for about 1 hour
2:53 pm Manhattan Beach
stay overnight at Hotel Erwin
leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 2.5 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Hotel Erwin
drive for about 2 hours
10:49 am Santa Barbara
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 2:49 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
5:11 pm Cambria
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 6:11 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
8:40 pm arrive in Carmel By the Sea
stay at Mission Ranch Hotel
day 2 driving ≈ 6.5 hours
find more stops
Laguna Beach (61 answers)
Crystal Cove State Park (10 mentions)
Balboa Island (8 mentions)
Balboa Island (3 mentions)
Victoria Beach (3 mentions)
Dana Point Harbor (2 mentions)
restaurants around Laguna Beach:
Javier's Restaurant - Newport Beach
Las Brisas
Cafe Zoolu
The Beachcomber Cafe
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
questions about Laguna Beach:
Where to stay and non-surfing things to do in Laguna Beach
What is your favorite restaurant in Laguna Beach?
Manhattan Beach (125 answers)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Manhattan Beach Pier (22 mentions)
Trilogy Spa (12 mentions)
Hermosa Beach Pier (9 mentions)
restaurants around Manhattan Beach:
Gjelina
MB Post
Simmzy's
Fishing with Dynamite
North End Caffe
hotels around Manhattan Beach:
Hotel Erwin
Shade Hotel
Beach House Hotel Hermosa Beach
Sea View Inn At the Beach
Hilton Garden Inn
questions about Manhattan Beach:
Favorite restaurants in Manhattan Beach?
Where's the best dessert in Manhattan Beach?
What's the best neighborhood in Manhattan Beach for a first time visitor?
Santa Barbara (192 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
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?
Cambria (58 answers)
Hearst Castle (86 mentions)
Moonstone Beach Dr (3 mentions)
Burton Inn (3 mentions)
San Simeon State Beach (2 mentions)
Ball & Skein & More (2 mentions)
restaurants around Cambria:
Lombardi's Pasta Familia
Sebastian's General Store
Wild Ginger Cafe
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 Carmel By the Sea.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Mission Ranch Hotel, which was mentioned 4 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Carmel By the Sea? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Passionfish, which was mentioned 7 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Carmel By the Sea? 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 Carmel By the Sea. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Tandy from Miami asked:
Romantic restaurant and hotel in Carmel (5 answers)
Hayden from Cleveland asked:
Things to do that'll interest 17-year-old brother (4 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Carmel By the Sea.
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 Carmel By the Sea to National City 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 National City to Carmel By the Sea. Or get a full National City to Carmel By the Sea 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 National City well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about National City!