Daily Costs
Budget:.less.than.$75
» Camping: $20–40
» Meals in roadside diners and
cafes: $10–20
» Graze farmers markets for
cheaper eats
» Hit the beach and find ‘free
days’ at museums
Midrange:.$75–200
» Two-star motel or hotel double
room: $75–150
» Meals in casual and midrange
restaurants: $20–40
» Theme-park admission:
$40–100
Top.end:.over.$200
» Three-star lodging: from $150
per night in high season, more
for ocean views
» Three-course meal in top
restaurant: $75 plus wine
Eating
Roadside diners & cafes
Cheap and simple; abundant
only outside cities.
Beach shacks Casual
burgers, shakes and seafood
meals with ocean views.
National, state & theme
parks Mostly so-so, overpriced
cafeteria-style or deli picnic fare.
Vegetarians Food restrictions
and allergies can usually be
catered for at restaurants.
Eating price indicators represent
the average cost of a main dish:
$ less than $10$$ $10–$20$$$ more than $20Sleeping
Motels & hotels Ubiquitous
along well-trafficked highways
and in major tourist areas.
Camping & cabins Ranging
from rustic campsites to luxury
‘glamping’ resorts.
B&Bs Quaint, romantic and
pricey inns, found in most
coastal and mountain towns.
Hostels Cheap and basic, but
almost exclusively in cities.
Sleeping price indicators
represent the average cost of
a double room with private
bathroom:$ less than $100$$ $100–$200
$$$ more than $200Arriving in California
Los.Angeles.
International.Airport
Rental cars Major companies
offer shuttles to off-airport lots.
Door-to-door shared-ride
shuttles $16 to $25 one-way
(reservations recommended).
Taxis $30 to $50 plus tip to
Santa Monica, Hollywood or
Downtown LA; 30 minutes to
one hour.
Buses Take Shuttle C (free) to
LAX City Bus Center or Metro
FlyAway bus ($7) to Downtown LA.San.Francisco.
International.Airport
Rental cars Take free AirTrain
blue line to SFO Rental Car Center.
Door-to-door shared-ride
shuttles $15 to $18 one-way
(reservations recommended).
Taxis $35 to $50 plus tip to most
San Francisco neighborhoods; 30
to 50 minutes.Train BART ($8.10, 30 minutes
to downtown SF) leaves every 20
minutes (take free AirTrain from
any terminal to BART station).Money
ATMs are widely available. Credit
cards are accepted almost
universally.Tipping
Tipping is expected, not optional.
Standard tips: 18% to 20% in
restaurants; 15% for taxis; $1
per drink in bars; $2 per bag for
porters.Opening Hours
Banks 8:30am–4:30pm
Mon–Fri, some to 5:30pm Fri,
9am–12:30pm Sat
Business hours (general)
9am–5pm Mon–Fri
Post offices 9am–5pm Mon–
Fri, some 9am–noon Sat
Restaurants 7am–10:30am,
11:30am–2:30pm & 5–9:30pm
daily, some later Fri & Sat
Shops 10am–6pm Mon-Sat,
noon–5pm Sun (malls open later)Useful Websites
Lonely Planet (www.
lonelyplanet.com/usa/california)
Destination info, hotel bookings,
travelers’ forums and more.
California Travel and
Tourism Commission (www.
visitcalifornia.com) Multilingual
trip-planning guides and an
events calendar.For more, see Driving in
California (p364).