One of the best things about living in Los Angeles on a furnished lease is that you're sitting at the starting line of some of the most iconic drives in America. You don't need to plan months ahead or book complicated vacations. You just need a free weekend, or better yet, a few days off strung together, and a tank of gas.
These five road trips range from quick overnighters to 4-5 day adventures. Each one starts from LA, and each one will remind you why people move to California in the first place.
Your starting point: Los Angeles, with the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop.
Relocating to Los Angeles?
Find your perfect furnished apartment as a base for exploring all of California.
Browse ApartmentsAt a Glance
| Route | Drive Time | Best Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Coast Highway North | 6-8 hrs to Big Sur | 3-4 days |
| LA to Yosemite | 4-5 hrs via CA-99 | 3-4 days |
| Eastern Sierra (395) | 3-5 hrs to Lone Pine | 3-5 days |
| LA to San Francisco | 5-6 hrs via I-5 or PCH | 4-5 days |
| Desert Loop | 2-3 hrs to Palm Springs | 2-3 days |
1. The Pacific Coast Highway North
LA → Malibu → Santa Barbara → Big Sur → Carmel
The California coast from above: golden hills meeting the Pacific.
This is the drive that defines California. Head north from Santa Monica on PCH and you'll pass Malibu's surf breaks, the cliffs above Ventura, and the red-tile roofs of Santa Barbara within the first two hours. Push further and you'll hit San Luis Obispo, then Big Sur, where the mountains drop straight into the ocean and cell service disappears completely.
The sweet spot: Leave Friday morning, spend a night in Santa Barbara, then cruise through Big Sur on Saturday when the light hits the cliffs in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Carmel or Monterey and drive back Sunday via the faster 101.
Don't skip: McWay Falls in Big Sur (a waterfall that drops directly onto a beach), Hearst Castle if you like over-the-top architecture, and Deetjen's Big Sur Inn for a meal that feels like a secret.
Pro tip for LA renters: If you're in Venice or Santa Monica, you can be on PCH in five minutes. That's a real advantage over living further east.
2. LA to Yosemite
LA → Bakersfield → Fresno → Yosemite Valley
The road to Half Dome: Yosemite's most iconic curve.
Yosemite is one of those places that genuinely lives up to its reputation. The valley floor is about 4.5 hours from LA if you take CA-99 through the Central Valley, and the first time you see El Capitan rising 3,000 feet above the Merced River, you'll understand why people get emotional about it.
Golden hour at Glacier Point: Half Dome catches the last light of the day.
The sweet spot: Three days minimum. Day one is the drive plus a sunset at Tunnel View. Day two is the valley: hike to the base of Yosemite Falls, rent bikes along the valley loop, or take the bus to Glacier Point for that famous Half Dome view. Day three, hit Mariposa Grove's giant sequoias on the way out.
Winter transforms Yosemite into something quieter and completely different.
Seasonal note: Summer is crowded but beautiful. Winter is magical if you don't mind chains on your tires. Tioga Pass (the eastern entrance via 395) closes November through May, so plan accordingly.
Where to stay: Book Curry Village or The Ahwahnee months in advance. Or stay in El Portal or Mariposa for cheaper, easier-to-find lodging.
3. The Eastern Sierra: Highway 395
LA → Lone Pine → Bishop → Mammoth Lakes → Mono Lake
Highway 395: one of America's most underrated drives, straight into the Sierra Nevada.
This is the road trip that Californians keep to themselves. Highway 395 runs along the eastern wall of the Sierra Nevada, and for about 200 miles it's nothing but desert floor, jagged peaks, and the kind of emptiness that makes you pull over just to stand in the silence.
The sweet spot: Take 4-5 days. From LA, you'll hit Lone Pine first, where you can drive the Alabama Hills (filming location for countless westerns) and see Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48. Continue north to Bishop for bouldering and pie at Erick Schat's Bakery. Mammoth Lakes is your mountain base camp: skiing in winter, hiking and biking in summer. End at Mono Lake, an alien-looking saltwater lake with tufa tower formations.
The secret: If it's summer and Tioga Pass is open, you can loop back through Yosemite's high country and down into the valley, combining trips #2 and #3 into one unforgettable week.
Pro tip: Fill up your tank in every town. Gas stations are sparse on 395, and cell service is spotty between towns.
4. LA to San Francisco
LA → PCH or I-5 → San Francisco → Marin County
Worth every mile: the Golden Gate through the cypress trees at the Presidio.
You have two choices for this drive, and they tell you what kind of trip you want. The I-5 gets you there in about 5.5 hours, straight through the Central Valley. It's fast, flat, and boring. The PCH takes 8-10 hours (more with stops), hugs the coastline, and is one of the most beautiful drives on Earth. You already know which one to pick.
The sweet spot: Take 4-5 days. PCH north on the way up, stopping in Big Sur and Monterey (overlaps with Trip #1). Spend two full days in San Francisco: walk the Golden Gate, get lost in the Mission, ride the ferry to Sausalito. Take I-5 back when you're ready, because you'll have seen everything on the coast already.
Don't skip: Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on foot. The view from Fort Point underneath. Tartine for pastry, Swan Oyster Depot for seafood (get there at 10:30am, line is worth it). Drive across to Marin Headlands for the best bridge photo you'll ever take.
For corporate relocators: If you're on assignment in LA but your company has a Bay Area office too, this trip doubles as a scouting mission. See both cities, then decide where you want your furnished apartment.
5. The Desert Loop
LA → Palm Springs → Joshua Tree → Salvation Mountain → Anza-Borrego
The shortest trip on this list, and maybe the most surprising. The California desert is an entirely different world from LA's coastline, and it starts barely 90 minutes east on the I-10.
The sweet spot: 2-3 days. Start in Palm Springs: mid-century architecture, the Aerial Tramway (which takes you from desert floor to alpine forest in 10 minutes), and a cocktail at a hotel pool. Next day, Joshua Tree National Park for hiking among the surreal rock formations. If you have a third day, push south to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park for wildflower season (February-March) or the Salton Sea for something genuinely otherworldly.
Best time: October through April. Summer temperatures in the desert regularly hit 115°F+. It's not a suggestion, it's a warning.
Pro tip for travel nurses and relocators: Palm Springs is the easiest "reset" trip from LA. After a tough stretch of shifts at Cedars-Sinai or UCLA Medical, two hours in the desert heat does something for your brain that nothing else can.
Your Home Base Matters
Every road trip starts from your front door. LA puts you within striking distance of all of it.
All five of these trips start from LA, but where you live in the city affects how quickly you can hit the road. Living in Santa Monica or Venice puts you on PCH immediately. A Studio City apartment gets you to the 5 and 210 faster for Yosemite and the Sierra. Hollywood and West Hollywood are central to everything.
The point is this: a furnished month-to-month lease in LA isn't just a place to sleep between work shifts. It's a launchpad. The state is your backyard, and every weekend is an invitation.
