Figure out the best time to go. Most families choose to vacation over summer break, during the peak travel season to California, but perhaps it might be more suitable to visit California in the off-season, such as during the kids' Thanksgiving or winter breaks, when it will be less crowded. On the other hand, Spring Break may be a better time to get off time from work or the spring weather may be easier to bear than the summer heat.
Decide which region of California you'd like to visit. California is a large state, after all, and two of its most popular cities to visit, Los Angeles and San Francisco, are a six- to 10-hour drive apart from each other (depending on the route). Would your family like to visit Southern California, where San Diego and Los Angeles are located, as well as its warm beaches, or would the family prefer the cooler climate of Northern California, where the cities of Sacramento and San Francisco are situated? If you can't decide between the two, no worries; if you'll be vacation for at least a week, it is possible to visit both Southern and Northern California and to spend adequate time in each region.
Pick up a travel guide book or browse tourist attractions online to plan exactly which cities and attractions you'd like to visit. This will help you determine where it would be best to find accommodations and for how long you'd like to be in each city. Check out the Let's Go tour book series or lonelyplanet.com.
Consider transportation. Will you be flying or driving to California? It's time to schedule your flight and find a car rental agency. You can search online for airline tickets and car rentals or through a travel agency. Will you be flying from Southern to Northern California or vice versa? Many travelers opt to drive between both cities, taking the beautiful scenic route on coastal Highway 1, which takes about 10 hours.
Book accommodations that will be most suitable to your family's needs. You can find accommodations in travel guides, through a travel agency or travel club--such as AAA or any of the travel clubs developed by credit card companies like American Express--or by browsing hotels online. It is a good idea to check out the website of a hotel before you book it, so you can see pictures of the property and make sure it is to your liking.
