California Flights and Travel Guide

The third-largest state in the United States is a place of enormous diversity. From the Redwood forests in the north to the sunny beaches of the Pacific Coast, the Sierra Nevada mountains and Central Valley, visitors will be spoiled for choice. The question travellers should ask themselves before booking cheap flights to California is not what to do, but where to start?

The four biggest cities in California are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. Each of these cities has more than enough to occupy visitors, between museums, galleries, shopping, world-class dining and exciting nightlife. Outside these bustling metropolises, natural wonders are in abundance.

The beaches of Orange County contrast with the national parks of High Sierra (Yosemite, King’s Canyon and Sequoia). Wine country (Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley) reaches into the Redwood forests and trails of the North Coast.

One of the best-kept secrets in California is the Shasta Cascade region in the far north of the state. Covering 20 per cent of California, this uncrowded region of national forests, parks, lakes, rivers and waterfalls offers the chance to refresh and recharge before heading back to the work-a-day world.

Search and compare: cheap flights to California

Back to top

California Climate

Back to top

When to Fly to California

A year-round destination, there is no bad time to take cheap flights to California. The best time depends on what you want to see and do.

Peak Season:
Most visitors arrive in California between mid-June and August. This is when schools are out, families flock to Disney Land, and prices are at their highest. Visitors planning on seeing the Sierra Nevada high country will have to wait for late June or early July as roads above 2450m are often closed until then. March through early May is also a good time to visit. Temperatures are mild throughout most of the state, and bearable if you are planning on visiting the desert areas. You may also pick up a travel bargain as hotels sometimes charge low-season rates until June. 

September through November is best for those wanting to see Northern California's forests in full flame. The wine region is especially beautiful at this time too. San Francisco, which is often clothed in fog during the summer months, experiences an Indian Summer. Peak season for skiers is December and February. During Christmas and the school holidays, lift lines will be busier than usual.

Off Season:
As a rule, low season is between mid-January and February, although it really depends on which part of the state you are visiting.

Back to top

Getting Around California

Once travellers have disembarked their cheap flights to California, driving is the best way of getting around. Public transit may take a little more planning. Greyhound operates all over California.

In Northern California, public transportation is operated by the following companies: San Francisco Bay Area Public Transportation Directory, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Caltrain, Sacramento Regional Transit and 511.org. In Southern California, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Los Angeles Metro, Metrolink and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System move commuters and travellers around.

Train can be a wonderful way of getting around. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight chugs between Seattle and Los Angeles, calling at Portland, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Barbara. The Pacific Surfliner runs between San Luis Obispo and San Diego. The San Joaquins travels from the San Francisco Bay Area (or Sacramento) and Bakersfield, stopping along the way at Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Martinez and Fresno.

Back to top

California Insider Information

• November is harvest season for the Dungeness crab. Catch your own off the Pacifica Municipal Pier at Sharp Park Beach, just south of downtown San Francisco. There's no fee or license. Just bring your own equipment or rent it nearby.
• The waters of La Jolla Cove in the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve have some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving in the San Diego area. Underwater visibility can exceed 9 metres. There is an abundance of sea life including rockfish, stingrays, moray eels, harbor seals, and occasionally blue sharks.
• The Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland. The northern half is the Sacramento Valley, its southern half the San Joaquin Valley . It's a foodie's paradise. Farmer’s markets, roadside produce stands, and food festivals dot the area. The local specialties include cheese, wine, tomatoes and asparagus. The valley's major cities include Bakersfield, Fresno and Stockton.
• On the border with Nevada is Lake Tahoe, which is surrounded by world-famous ski resorts. In the off-season, ie, summer, there are arts and music festivals. Snowfest takes place in February/March for ten days with events and activities for all ages. The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival takes place in the summertime.
• When planning cheap flights to California pencil in some whale-watching. You'll be able to see these majestic creatures almost right through the year. Grey whales travelling southbound from Alaska to Mexico can be seen December through February. They travel northbound - from Mexico to Alaska - February through April. Blue and humpback whales can be seen along the Big Sur coast and around the Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) between June and October. Humpback whales swim along the central coast between April and early December.

Back to top

California Airports

Back to top