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Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from San Francisco to Tampa. If you're planning a road trip to Tampa, you can research locations to stop along the way. Traveling with a dog or cat? View pet-friendly stops between San Francisco and Tampa. Camping along the way? View RV campgrounds between San Francisco and Tampa. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
11:00 am start in San Francisco
drive for about 5.5 hours
4:34 pm Los Angeles
stay overnight at Shutters On the Beach
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 5.5 hours
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10:00 am leave from Shutters On the Beach
drive for about 6.5 hours
4:22 pm Phoenix
stay overnight at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 6.5 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
drive for about 6 hours
4:03 pm El Paso
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 3 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from El Paso
drive for about 7.5 hours
5:32 pm San Antonio
eat at Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia
stay overnight at Hilton Palacio del Rio
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 4 driving ≈ 7.5 hours
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10:00 am leave from Hilton Palacio del Rio
drive for about 9.5 hours
7:38 pm Biloxi
stay overnight at Beau Rivage
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 5 driving ≈ 9.5 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Beau Rivage
drive for about 8.5 hours
6:41 pm arrive in Tampa
eat at Ulele
stay at Columbia Restaurant
day 6 driving ≈ 8.5 hours
find more stops
Your starting point is San Francisco, California.
You can enter an exact street address if you want to get precise directions, but this is optional.
Since there are only 2 travelers, we assume you're driving 1 car. You can adjust the number of people traveling at the top. We assume a maximum of 4 passengers per car, but you can change the number of cars to fit your situation.
Los Angeles (598 answers)
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Griffith Observatory (63 mentions)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Third Street Promenade (55 mentions)
restaurants around Los Angeles:
Gjelina
Perch
Bottega Louie
Grand Central Market
Bestia
hotels around Los Angeles:
Shutters On the Beach
Hotel Erwin
The Standard Downtown LA
Ace Hotel Los Angeles
The Huntley Hotel
questions about Los Angeles:
Where are the top 5 places to see a celebrity in L.A.?
What's your favorite burger in L.A?
Free things to do in Los Angeles?
What are the top 3 beaches in Los Angeles?
Area an hour away from LAX airport
Phoenix (115 answers)
Piestewa Peak (3 mentions)
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area (2 mentions)
Phoenix Art Museum (2 mentions)
Bunky Boutique (2 mentions)
Frances (2 mentions)
restaurants around Phoenix:
Chelsea's Kitchen
SunUp Brewing Co
The Parlor Pizzeria
The Clever Koi
Crudo
hotels around Phoenix:
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort
The Clarendon Hotel and Spa
questions about Phoenix:
What is your favorite restaurant in Phoenix?
Food and things to see in Phoenix and Tucson
Best restaurants in Phoenix?
Popular neighborhoods to stay in Phoenix?
Where are the best free things to do in Phoenix?
El Paso (31 answers)
questions about El Paso:
Best free things to do in El Paso?
Must-see spots & fun things to do for 4 guys in their mid twenties?
El Paso, TX
San Antonio (74 answers)
Riverwalk (12 mentions)
The San Antonio River Walk (9 mentions)
The Alamo (8 mentions)
The Alamo (5 mentions)
Pearl Brewery (5 mentions)
restaurants around San Antonio:
Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia
Acenar
Bliss
Luke
The Guenther House
hotels around San Antonio:
Hilton Palacio del Rio
Embassy Suites
Hotel Valencia Riverwalk
Mokara Hotel & Spa
San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk
questions about San Antonio:
What is your favorite restaurant in San Antonio?
Must do in SA; and nearest fishing port?
Best free things to do in San Antonio?
Top 3 Must Visit Places in San Antonio?
What are all the local favorite spots in San Antonio?
Biloxi (26 answers)
hotels around Biloxi:
Beau Rivage
questions about Biloxi:
Hotel for Biloxi MS
Your final destination is Tampa, Florida.
You can enter the exact street address of your destination, but this is optional.
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 Tampa.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Columbia Restaurant, which was mentioned 4 times on Trippy.
Want to research more popular hotels in Tampa? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Ulele, which was mentioned 4 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Tampa? 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 Tampa. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Catherine from Chapel Hill asked:
Best new restaurants in Tampa? (7 answers)
Jennifer from Culver City asked:
Popular areas in Tampa for shopping? (7 answers)
Avery from Berkeley asked:
Beaches around Tampa (5 answers)
Katie from Los Angeles asked:
Best free things to do in Tampa? (5 answers)
Katie from Columbus asked:
Weekend ideas for a first timer in Tampa (5 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Tampa.
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 Tampa to San Francisco 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 San Francisco to Tampa. Or get a full San Francisco to Tampa 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 San Francisco well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about San Francisco!
This is the most common route that Trippy members have taken, but you can also explore alternate routes from San Francisco to Tampa, or check the current road conditions from San Francisco to Tampa.