Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Santa Cruz to Santa Monica. If you're planning a road trip to Santa Monica, 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.
10:00 am start in Santa Cruz
drive for about 47 minutes
10:47 am Monterey
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 2:47 pm
drive for about 1.5 hours
4:19 pm Pinnacles National Park
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 5:19 pm
drive for about 1.5 hours
6:54 pm Paso Robles
eat at Niner Wine Estates
stay overnight at Summerwood Winery and Inn
leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 4 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Summerwood Winery and Inn
drive for about 1 hour
11:02 am Lost Hills
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:02 pm
drive for about 49 minutes
12:51 pm Bakersfield
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:51 pm
drive for about 2 hours
3:50 pm Universal Studios Hollywood
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:50 pm
drive for about 22 minutes
5:12 pm arrive in Santa Monica
eat at Gjelina
stay at Shutters On the Beach
day 2 driving ≈ 4 hours
find more stops
Monterey (170 answers)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (41 mentions)
Pebble Beach (21 mentions)
Point Lobos (9 mentions)
Point Lobos State Reserve (8 mentions)
17-Mile Drive (6 mentions)
restaurants around Monterey:
Passionfish
Katy's Place
Epsilon Fine Greek Restaurant
Flaherty's Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar
Sunset Lounge
questions about Monterey:
Restaurant recommendations for a large group dinner?
What to do for a family outing in Monterey?
Things to do with the kiddos besides the aquarium
hotels in Monterey, CA
Pinnacles National Park (2 mentions)
questions about Pinnacles National Park:
Best hikes in Pinnacles National Park?
Paso Robles (51 answers)
Firestone Walker Brewing Company (6 mentions)
Villicana Winery (5 mentions)
Terry Hoage Vineyards (3 mentions)
Summerwood Winery & Inn (3 mentions)
DAOU Vineyards & Winery (3 mentions)
restaurants around Paso Robles:
Niner Wine Estates
Ecluse Wines
Pier 46 Seafood Market
Brecon Estate
ONX
hotels around Paso Robles:
Summerwood Winery and Inn
questions about Paso Robles:
Good wineries in Paso Robles
Where should I eat in Paso Robles?
Casual eats near Paso Robles?
Favorite Wineries Near Paso Robles
Lost Hills
Bakersfield (23 answers)
questions about Bakersfield:
Best free things to do in Bakersfield?
Universal Studios Hollywood (52 mentions)
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 Santa Monica.
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 Santa Monica? 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 Santa Monica? 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 Santa Monica. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Courtney from Los Angeles asked:
Drinks in SM? (4 answers)
Allie from Portland asked:
Fun things to do in Santa Monica? (3 answers)
Andrea from Rockville Centre asked:
Fun Santa Monica hotels under $400/night? (3 answers)
Brew from Manhattan Beach asked:
Good breakfast spot for a business meeting? (3 answers)
Pat from Cambria asked:
Avoiding sticker shock in Santa Monica (3 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Santa Monica.
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 Santa Monica to Santa Cruz drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Santa Cruz? Try searching for places within 5 hours of Santa Cruz.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Santa Cruz to Santa Monica. Or get a full Santa Cruz to Santa Monica 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 Santa Cruz well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Santa Cruz!