California Vacation Packages: The Best Spots, Ideas & Tips

An all inclusive vacation package is going to, most importantly, do the following:

1. Save you time. With everything all wrapped up into one easy bundle, an all inclusive vacation will save a lot of precious time. Great idea for a last minute vacation, too.
2. Save you money. Many bundle, all inclusive packages will give you a better deal on the grand total price.
3. You wont' have to worry about researching hotels, prices, rentals, airfare, or anything like that. Just book it and enjoy. Isn't the real reason that we're taking a vacation in the first place because we want to enjoy ourselves?

An all inclusive vacation is best when you just want to get up and go, not have to do much planning, and just enjoy the vacation for what it is - a relaxing trip that will recharge your batteries.

California is the perfect spot to plan a vacation if you live anywhere where it's not a little on the cool side, or if you'd just like to view the amazing scenery that California offers. California is one of the most visited states in the USA, with San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego being the biggest tourist cities in the state.

If you're a warm weather person, and you're looking to enjoy constant warmth, sunshine, and beautiful scenery, then Palm Springs might be what you're looking for. Palm Springs isn't on the beach, so you'll be poolside, or enjoying the desert scenery on this laid back trip.

Beach lovers will enjoy the white sand beaches of San Diego, which warm up after June, and stay warm until the mid fall months.

Beach lovers will enjoy the white sand beaches of San Diego, which warm up after June, and stay warm until the mid fall months. San Diego is also only 30 minutes from the border of Mexico, so you can always hop over the border to Tiujuana for a real adventure. Browse the small shops and gaze upon the beautiful cliffs of La Jolla, or enjoy the shopping and restaurants of the historic Gaslamp District of San Diego.

San Diego, like many of the California cities, is spread out over a large area. The downtown area is close to some of the most popular destinations in the city, but gems like Old Town San Diego are far north, La Jolla is far north along the coast, and Coronado is over a long bridge across from the city. The distance between these cities makes San Diego a town you'll need a car for (or someone to drive you around).

There are hundreds of all inclusive San Diego vacation packages available on a number of websites that will offer combined discounts to get you there and enjoying the sun, waves, and culture of San Diego in no time. You can regularly find great deals on San Diego all inclusive vacation packages in the deals and offers section on Expedia, the vacation packages section of Priceline, or just type in your travel deals into Orbitz. Personally, I've found the best deals on Priceline and Expedia.

Los Angeles is the antithesis of New York. It's not concentrated, it's spread out. It's not cold, it's warm. It's not fast paced, it's more relaxed (in some places). Los Angeles is made up of many smaller cities that form the greater metropolis known as L.A. Santa Monica is located on the northwest side of the city, directly on the water, and is one of the city's most visited destinations. To the south, there's the restaurants, waterfront, and vibe of Long Beach, south of the Downtown area. Amidst it all, you can find Hollywood and Beverly Hills, which contains legendary bars, hotels, and of course, the Hollywood Walk of Fame. North of the city, there's the beachfront homes of the stars in Malibu, a beautiful area along the Pacific Coast Highway.

San Francisco is probably one of the easiest cities to book all inclusive California vacation packages. With two major airports close to the city, you can have your pick of flying into Oakland or South San Francisco (just outside of the city, with free shuttles provided by all major hotels). If you're looking to experience a totally different vibe than Southern California, San Francisco is miles apart from it's nearby neighbors to the south.

San Francisco is unlike any other city in the world, and far different than any in the USA. The city is built on giant hills right on the Pacific Ocean, with the San Francisco Bay on one side, the open Pacific on the other. The peninsula is home to the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, and the infamous Haight-Ashbury scene of the late 60's.

Temperatures in this part of California are much cooler than Southern California. The city is also made for adventurers who love to walk, find new places to explore, and enjoy a city with a lot of character. If you're up for a real city adventure in the USA, look no further than San Francisco.

Also, if you have access to a car during your trip to San Francisco, Point Reyes makes an interesting day trip from the city. This peninsula is only around an hour's drive from the downtown area, and follows the coast north of the city.

3-4 hours to the east of San Francisco, you can find the beautiful granite peaks, waterfalls, rivers, and alpine meadows of Yosemite National Park.

If you need to get a tan, warm your body, or just get away to someplace that's eternally warm, Palm Springs is more than reliable. The Palm Springs area only experiences a handful of rainy, cloudy days, and most of them occur in the early winter. Even in the winter, temperatures in the 60's and 70's are considered normal. In the summer, think nothing of temperatures soaring to above 100 degrees F. The heat is also dry, without much humidity.

Palm Springs is a community that's located in the Coachella Valley. The region also contains the towns of Palm Desert, Indio, Rancho Mirage, and Cathedral City, to name a few. Activities include hiking, biking, windsurfing, photography (Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley are relatively close), and more. The Palm Springs area also has a vibrant art community, with the Palm Springs Art Museum and Film Festival. Find more fun things to do in Palm Springs here.

Big Sur isn't one of the most popular destinations to stay at within California, and that's because there aren't many places to stay. This giant expanse of coastline along California's rocky Pacific is a breathtaking drive that is the highlight of many people's trip to California. The Pacific Coast Highway begins near Malibu California, and eventually splits off, and heads north towards Morro Bay, then eventually to Monterey.

What's so great about this area of California? It's the incredible sunsets, the cliff-hugging hairpin turns that offer extraordinary views of the coastline, and the large population of Elephant Seals that migrate to the area annually. On your drive, you'll surely pass Hearst Castle, set high above the cliffs of Big Sur on a remote, hilly peak. If you plan on visiting San Francisco or Los Angeles, Big Sur is definitely worth the drive. Nearby is Paso Robles, a wine growing region with hundreds of local vineyards and wineries open to the public for tastings.

Where should you stay if you want to see Big Sur? You can try booking a stay at one of the small hotels, inns, and motels in Big Sur, but they fill up quickly. You are more likely to get find more accomodations to the north or the south. Try Monterey, Carmel, or even San Francisco to the north. To the south, try San Luis Obispo, or Morro Bay, near the start of the trip up Big Sur.

Over the past few decades, Napa Valley has grown to become one of the leading wine growing regions in the world. Napa isn't known for its abundant output of grapes, but its high quality yield. The Napa Valley region also happens to be some of California's most beautiful terrain and scenery. The vineyards are enveloped by the Vacas Mountains and Mayacamas Mountains. Napa is a Mediterranean climate, and has the perfect geology for growing wine. Over 700 wineries are in the Napa Valley region alone, with over 4 million visitors to the region annually.

Right next door to Napa Valley is another famous wine growing region of California, Sonoma. The Sonoma region actually produces more wine than the Napa Valley AVA, but isn't as widely known. This is for a number of reasons, including it's proximity to San Francisco, and fewer large name wineries in the area.

• Map of California
• San Francisco
• California Big Sur
• Del Coronado Hotel
• Palm Springs Aerial Tram Night View
• Napa Valley view from Mumm
• Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach