A trip to California is a no-brainer as a choice for a holiday destination.
There is so much to do and see for all age groups, but as with most places there are things to know, do and remember that will make your trip safer and better.
Be Sure You Can Drive A Winnebago! We had planned to take a six week tour of California in a great big 42ft (12.
5m) Winnebago which we decided would be cheaper and more versatile than booking our family of 5 into an endless string of hotels and motels.
This turned out to be a huge mistake! Firstly, I'd never driven on their side of the road before.
And secondly, I'd never driven one of these huge 42ft beasts before.
This was a disastrous combination of new experiences.
After the first day, if I'm honest, I decided it was more trouble for me than it was worth, and we took it back and hired an SUV instead.
This was a prophetic move as it turned out, since there is no way you'd get one of those RVs up and down the streets of San Francisco, with it's steep troughs and peeks in the city centre.
If this sounds like the sort of thing you're considering, then I would seriously encourage you to consider hiring a large car or SUV, and book into hotels or motels instead.
Road Rules There are some quite unique road rules in California, one of which is that you can turn right on a red light provided that the road is clear.
Although I knew this, it was very difficult to get used to at first, and I got 'honked' at more times than I care to remember in just the first day.
So if you're going to be driving, be sure to read up on the local rules first.
Have a Voucher Book Handy Having decided to stay in hotels and motels along the way, which are very reasonably priced by the way, there are still additional savings to be had if you pick up a coupon discount book available from any tourist office, and most hotel/motel entry lobbies.
These claim to offer the traveller up to a 50% discount over the regular price.
We tested this by calling twice to the same place, and sure enough the rooms are half price with the relevant coupon.
If you look closely at what's offered in the booklet, you might even pick one that offers breakfast thrown in for free too.
These savings can really mount up over a 6 week vacation, so are definitely worth having.
Don't be afraid to ask for discounts too if you stay several days.
The hotel/motel staff are generally only too keen to help - especially if times are quiet like in the off-peak season.
Get A Pass For The Big Things We'd already decided that certain things were a 'must see' whilst in California.
We decided that Disney Land, San Diego Zoo & Sea World, and Universal Studios were the three most important high cost attractions for us.
With a family of 5 it was important to us to keep an eye on costs.
Pricing for these attractions was very high when priced individually, but a Pass was available that allowed us entry to all three, within a certain time-frame, at an amazing discount.
The Pass was a little over $900, still a lot of money, whereas the price to visit all three by paying separately was around the $1600 for all five of us.
Buy A Cheapie Phone Instead of Using Your Own To keep you in contact whilst in the USA, I'd really recommend buying a mobile phone over there.
Sure, you can roam with your own mobile and risk running up a mega bill to greet you when you get back.
For me, it made more sense to buy a $50 phone from Virgin when you're there, and just toss it in the bin, minus the sim for security reasons, at the airport on the way out.
This worked a treat for us, and there were no difficulties with wrong networks or roaming or billing.
A simple 50 buck pre-paid phone was the answer to all our communication issues.
Tipping at Eateries Something I wish I'd known earlier, but didn't, may help others on their travels.
It concerns eating out, and is regarding the custom of tipping.
Those of us from other countries in the developed world probably don't understand that in the US, wait staff only get paid a very minimum wage.
They rely heavily on tips to make up their wage to an amount that allows them to live decently.
This means that when you go into a restaurant, you really should make a point of tipping at least 10%, possibly more, unless there's a good reason not to.
Tipping is not normally my modus operandi, and I think I upset more than one wait person along the way.
Beware of Unfriendly Locals Whilst shopping in San Francisco I found myself in a very unpleasant situation not of my making, that I think visitors should know about.
Whilst looking at something as innocuous as a new flash for my camera, since I'd just dropped my old one in the sea, I was greeted warmly by a staff member.
I asked, and he offered a price for the item I was looking at.
I thought for a moment, and he offered a lower price.
I deliberated again, and he went lower again.
By now his tone was audibly changing, and sensing his mood, I decided to move on without purchasing.
At this point, the guy changed tactic and delivered such an obscene barrage of insults and abuse such as I'd never heard before, which embarrassed me no end.
So just be mindful of totally annoying shopkeepers on San Fran sea front by doing absolutely nothing wrong.
On the whole though, this guy was a stand out exception.
And politeness and a smiling welcome were the order of the day wherever we went.
Be Covered Whilst Driving My tip for those choosing to drive themselves around the state as we did is to be sure you are covered with sufficient accident insurance.
Surprisingly, this wasn't offered by the car firm we hired from, and we had to do some ringing around to get the job done.
However, it's well worth the peace of mind knowing you're covered - just in case.
Bon Voyage! These are my tips for a safer and less costly trip around California.
Of course there are so many more things to do than I've described here, but that's not within the scope of this guide.
My intention here is to help you enjoy, and save you money whilst doing it.
Happy holidays!