Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Santa Monica to San Luis Obispo. If you're planning a road trip to San Luis Obispo, 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 Monica
drive for about 1 hour
12:05 pm Oxnard
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:05 pm
drive for about 2 hours
3:12 pm Pismo Beach (California)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:12 pm
drive for about 18 minutes
4:30 pm arrive in San Luis Obispo
stay at The Madonna Inn
driving ≈ 3.5 hours
Oxnard (12 answers)
Downtown Ventura (2 mentions)
C Street (2 mentions)
questions about Oxnard:
What is your favorite restaurant in Oxnard?
Pismo Beach (California) (50 answers)
Laetitia Vineyard & Winery (3 mentions)
San Luis Obispo Mission (3 mentions)
Edna Valley (2 mentions)
F. McLintocks Saloon and Dining House (2 mentions)
restaurants around Pismo Beach (California):
Splash Cafe
Avila Valley Barn
hotels around Pismo Beach (California):
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort
Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa
Seacrest Beach Resort
questions about Pismo Beach (California):
Places to visit / Things to see
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 San Luis Obispo.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out The Madonna Inn, which was mentioned 12 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in San Luis Obispo? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Firestone Grill, which was mentioned 7 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in San Luis Obispo? 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 San Luis Obispo. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Katie from Los Angeles asked:
What is your favorite restaurant in San Luis Obispo? (5 answers)
Bharat from Dallas, Texas asked:
Lodging (5 answers)
Tracy from Portland, Oregon asked:
Exploring SLO in March to scout moving there - what should I check out? (5 answers)
Debbie from San Francisco asked:
Where to stay outside of San Luis Obispo for Cal Poly graduation (3 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to San Luis Obispo.
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 San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica 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 Monica to San Luis Obispo. Or get a full Santa Monica to San Luis Obispo 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 Monica well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Santa Monica!