Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Vail to Big Sur. If you're planning a road trip to Big Sur, 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.
9:00 am start in Vail
drive for about 2.5 hours
11:18 am Grand Junction (Colorado)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:18 pm
drive for about 3.5 hours
3:53 pm Capitol Reef National Park
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:53 pm
drive for about 4.5 hours
9:13 pm Zion National Park
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 10 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Zion National Park
drive for about 2.5 hours
12:41 pm Las Vegas
eat at Giada
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 4:41 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
7:02 pm Barstow
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 5 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Barstow
drive for about 2 hours
11:04 am Bakersfield
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:04 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
2:19 pm San Luis Obispo
stay for about 3 hours
and leave at 5:19 pm
drive for about 3 hours
8:15 pm arrive in Big Sur
stay at Fernwood Resort
day 3 driving ≈ 7 hours
find more stops
Grand Junction (Colorado) (16 answers)
Capitol Reef National Park (11 mentions)
Zion National Park (83 mentions)
questions about Zion National Park:
When is the best time to visit/hike Zion national park?
Canyoneer boots, Keen sandals, or old tennis shoes for Narrows hike?
What's the best time of year to hike in Zion?
Poisonous plants/ Venomous animals in Zion Canyon
Are hiking boots necessary now if I hike Angels Landing
Las Vegas (324 answers)
Downtown Container Park (15 mentions)
Fremont Street Experience (15 mentions)
High Roller (10 mentions)
The Mob Museum (8 mentions)
Neon Museum (8 mentions)
restaurants around Las Vegas:
Giada
Mon Ami Gabi
Wicked Spoon
Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino
Lotus of Siam
questions about Las Vegas:
Best new restaurants in Vegas?
What time of year is the best for scoring a cheap deals in Las Vegas
Best tips and casinos for first time gambler?
Is it better to stay on or off the Las Vegas strip?
Top things to do in Las Vegas that don't include gambling?
Barstow (13 answers)
restaurants around Barstow:
Del Taco
questions about Barstow:
What's the best neighborhood in Barstow for a first time visitor?
Where to sleep RV trailer
Bakersfield (19 answers)
questions about Bakersfield:
Best free things to do in Bakersfield?
San Luis Obispo (122 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
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 Big Sur.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Fernwood Resort, which was mentioned 3 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Big Sur? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Nepenthe, which was mentioned 33 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Big Sur? 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 Big Sur. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Carolyn from Detroit asked:
Whats the best hike in Big Sur? Best beach? (4 answers)
Shawn from Presidio asked:
First-come, first-serve camping sites in Big Sur? (1 answer)
Jennifer from asked:
how far is the drive to sequoia national aprk (1 answer)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Big Sur.
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 Big Sur to Vail 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 Vail to Big Sur. Or get a full Vail to Big Sur 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 Vail well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Vail!
More info on this route: