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.
11:00 am start in Santa Cruz
drive for about 47 minutes
11:47 am Monterey
stay overnight at Mission Ranch Hotel
leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 47 minutes
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Mission Ranch Hotel
drive for about 2.5 hours
11:20 am San Luis Obispo
eat at Firestone Grill
stay for about 3 hours
and leave at 2:20 pm
drive for about 3 hours
5:15 pm Malibu
stay for about 1.5 hours
and leave at 6:45 pm
drive for about 39 minutes
7:24 pm arrive in Santa Monica
eat at Gjelina
stay at Shutters On the Beach
day 2 driving ≈ 6 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
hotels around Monterey:
Mission Ranch Hotel
Lodge at Pebble Beach
Seven Gables Inn
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
La Playa Hotel Carmel-By-The-Sea
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
San Luis Obispo (125 answers)
Bishop Peak (4 mentions)
San Luis Obispo Mission (3 mentions)
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (3 mentions)
Edna Valley (2 mentions)
F. McLintocks Saloon and Dining House (2 mentions)
restaurants around San Luis Obispo:
Firestone Grill
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
Bello Mundo
Splash Cafe
Avila Valley Barn
questions about San Luis Obispo:
What is your favorite restaurant in San Luis Obispo?
Lodging
Exploring SLO in March to scout moving there - what should I check out?
Where to stay outside of San Luis Obispo for Cal Poly graduation
Malibu (67 answers)
Malibu Beach (44 mentions)
Zuma Beach (22 mentions)
Point Dume State Beach (14 mentions)
Malibu Country Mart (12 mentions)
El Matador State Beach (12 mentions)
restaurants around Malibu:
Nobu Malibu
Paradise Cove Cafe
Malibu Seafood
Geoffrey's Malibu
Malibu Farm Cafe
questions about Malibu:
Places to eat in Malibu?
Lunch recommendations near Getty Villa - Views? Kid Friendly?
Wine tasting in Malibu?
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.
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!