Driving from SF Bay ?s

[IandGsmom]

Do you all take 101 or go to I5? We are doing a day at Universal first (sunday) and then 3 days at DL. Last min. trip. Last year we drove but from Yosetime and we took I5, it was ok but wondering about plus/minus about 101. Thanks. We leave Saturday.

 

[daannzzz]

101 is much prettier and you go along the eadge of the ocean for a while. There are many more towns and places to stop. It takes an average of an hour and a half longer to go this route though as opposed to taking Highway 5

 

[raidermatt]

I5, unless I don't care how long it takes.

99 is another option. I think its a little more interesting than 5, but doesn't take as long as 101.

 

[Anewman]

Interstate 5, is the quikest way. If you are leaving Friday afternoon to early eveing I would actually drive to Oakland and grab the 5 via the 580 because The 156/152 bottlenecks during rush hour towards Interstate 5. You can be stuck for a an hour or two, but if you are leaving during non peak hours(late night or early am) you should be ok.

101, driving down the coast is really nice. For the FIRST 45 mins, then it all looks the same after that. And if all the hills and curves are not exciting enough for you to drive, you may be able to drive a few hundred miles of hills and curves IN THE FOG. ONCE I drove to Monterey to watch the sunset over the water and then drive down the coast, ONCE. Well after we watched the sunset and started driving, the Fog rolled in and it was not fun. Again depending on time of day it may not be a factor.

 

[IandGsmom]

So far I am leaning towards the 5 but we'll see.

 

[IandGsmom]

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[CalGal]

Now adays, when I drive, I am much more likely to go I5. It's just so much quicker. But several times in the past, I've gone down 101 one way, making stops along the way; often staying overnight around Solvang, Santa Maria, or Pismo Beach. I like to hit the beach in Carpenteria. I find the 101 drive lovely most of the way, but the extra couple of hours makes it too long for me unless I break it up.

 

[LeftCoaster]

I'm originally from San Jose and I would always drive the 5 when going down south. I just want to get to there ASAP and the 101 would just slow me down.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Are there ways to do part 101 and part I5? I personally wouldn't mind driving for an hour or so...then switching over to 5! Is it easy to switch highways, or are they far away from each other?

 

[challada]

If you want to do part of 101 from SF, I would go straight down 101 to Santa Cruz area and then cross over thru San Jose.
Frankly, I would avoid 101 like the plague on that long of a drive (and my folks live on the coast ON 101) and stick w/ I5.

 

[Dobie]

I would personally take 101 one way and the 5 the other. Like the others said, you can get fog on the 101 and it makes for miserable driving. Once, we had both fog and cows!

We like to take the drive from LA to SF on the 101, stopping at half moon bay and carpinteria for the night. It is like a mini vacation of its own. Its also fun to side track to Hearst Castle.

 

[disneychrista]

I go the 5. We live about 100 miles (2hours) north of SF. So we go 101 to 580 to 5.

We only went 101 once and that was because we made a stop at the Mission in Ventura with my then 4th grader because she did her Mission project on that Mission.

 

[RADOPT]

If you decide to go 101, watch your speed aroung King City. It tends to be and area for speed traps.

 

[got2travel]

I've always wanted to do 101 just to see what its like, but then it always comes down to getting to DL as soon as possible, so 5 wins out.

But seeing as you are already in San Jose, 101 would be much easier for you to get to. Not sure what kind of time difference you are talking about then. Maybe try to mapquest it and see what kind of drive time they suggest.

 

[LeftCoaster]

From San Jose, 101 would take about an hour to an hour and a half longer than the 5.
I would always take 101 down to Gilroy, then cut across on the 152 until I got to the 5.

 

[CalGal]

Are there ways to do part 101 and part I5? I personally wouldn't mind driving for an hour or so...then switching over to 5! Is it easy to switch highways, or are they far away from each other?

There's really no way to do a nice part of 101 part of the way. 101 doesn't get nice until well south of San Jose. Depending upon where you live, going south, you want to get to I5 via 152 or 580. Other places, these freeways get further apart and the roads between them are windy (crossing the Coast Range Mountains), so it would take an hour or more to cross over. Any other way to I5 will add lots of time, without necessarily adding much of 101's beauty. I've never tried cutting over near King City via 198 for example; this just doesn't make sense to me unless you live between Salinas and King City. Similarly, it looks like you can't cut over to 101 from I5 down south without adding much more time.

(101 doesn't go through Santa Cruz. ) Stick to I5 unless you've got the time to relax.