The best booking order is usually not the same as the driving order. Instead, book the hardest-to-get accommodations first, then fill in the flexible nights.
A good strategy is:
-
Book the most competitive destinations first.
- Big Sur (limited lodging, especially on weekends)
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Santa Barbara during holidays or summer
- Yosemite National Park if you're adding it to the trip
-
Book the anchor cities next.
These are the places where you'll likely spend multiple nights:
- San Francisco
- Monterey
- Santa Barbara
- Los Angeles or San Diego
-
Book the in-between overnight stops.
These are usually easier to change if your itinerary shifts:
- Morro Bay
- Pismo Beach
- Cambria
- Santa Cruz
-
Reserve rental car and flights (if needed) once your key hotel nights are confirmed.
-
Leave your final night flexible if your departure plans might change.
For example, if you're driving from San Francisco to San Diego, you might drive in this order:
- San Francisco
- Monterey/Carmel
- Big Sur
- Cambria or Morro Bay
- Santa Barbara
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
But you'd often book in this order:
- Big Sur hotel
- Carmel/Monterey hotel
- Santa Barbara hotel
- San Francisco hotel
- Los Angeles or San Diego hotel
- Cambria/Morro Bay hotel
This approach minimizes the risk of one sold-out hotel forcing you to rearrange the rest of your itinerary.
If you're traveling between May and October, especially on weekends, it's wise to book the Big Sur and Carmel area several months in advance, while many city hotels remain available much closer to your travel dates.
