California is a dream for backpackers. You get everything in one place: surf towns, desert hikes, Party nights in Las Vegas, and chilled vineyards by the Pacific. We spent three weeks on the road, traveling from San Diego up the coast with a detour to the desert, all while keeping an eye on our budget. Here’s what our trip looked like and how you can plan your own adventure.
Key Info
- Best time to go: Spring (March–May) and Autumn (September–November) for mild weather. Summer is very hot and more expensive.
- Daily budget: €120–150 (USD 130–160) per person for hostels, food, car rental, and activities.
- Transport: Renting a car is essential. Ours cost $600 for two weeks with unlimited miles.
- SIM card: T-Mobile prepaid or eSIM, about $30–40 for 10–15GB E-Sim: Maya-ESim or Airalo App.
- Visa: ESTA required for EU travelers, valid 90 days, $21 (as of 2025).
- Safety: Generally safe, but don’t leave valuables in cars and carry plenty of water in the desert.
- Plugs: US type A/B, 120V. Get it here: Amazon Wall-Plug
Starting in San Diego
We kicked things off with a cheap flight from Frankfurt to San Diego, just €490 (Flights are actually super cheap & 500 is the average) roundtrip without checked baggage. San Diego is the perfect starting point for a Southern California road trip, and since I had studied a semester abroad at SDSU, I already knew my way around.
For the first four days, we stayed at the ITH Beach Bungalow Surf Hostel in Pacific Beach. It wasn’t luxurious, but it instantly became our favorite hostel. The vibe was unbeatable: BBQ nights, drinking games, pasta dinners, and then heading out to the beach or bars together. The location is right on the Beach, surrounded by the best nightlife in San Diego (in my opinion), so we didn’t have to waste money on expensive Ubers. If you want to go out in Pacific Beach, you should definitely check out Firehouse, PB Local, and Open Bar. They are all super close to each other and always packed with fun Groups, Students and Party people.
ITH Hostel: ITH our favorite Hostel
For our road trip, we rented a car in SanDiego from Dirt Cheap Car Rentals. As the name suggests, it’s the cheapest options in San Diego i could find (and I lived there for one semester), also they offer great plans with unlimited miles. We paid around $600 for two weeks, which allowed us to drive all the way to Santa Barbara and Las Vegas still being in our Insurance Plan. Them being spontaneous helped a lot as well, we basically got to san Diego and busted pulled up to the rental to ask if they still have a car. Within 30min we wear ready to go, no appointments needed.
You can find all the rates right here: Dirt Cheap Car Rental rates
Sunsets, our Hostel, Torry Pines, La Jolla & Pacific Beach
Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
After a few days of San Diego, our first stop was Palm Springs, just 2.5 hours (142 miles) from San Diego, it was an easy ride. We explored the town, had brunch, and checked out some local bars/restaurants. For Movie Fans, they have a great and huge Cinema in town, which is very nice. During the day, hiking is the best activity here, especially the Palm Canyon trail, a small oasis just 30 minutes outside the city. You do have to buy a ticket for entry and it closes around Sunset, but you get a discount if you provide them a Student ID Card. It is definitely worth it, even though it dried up a bit since the last time i’ve been there.
From Palm Springs, we did a long day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. The landscapes there felt like something out of an old Western: wide open spaces, cactus gardens, abandoned mines, and surreal rock formations (also obviously the famous Joshua Tree). We spent a full day exploring, climbing rocks, and watching the stars once the sun went down. Camping would have been amazing, but campsites were booked out, here you might need to bock way earlier. Entrance costs ais $30 per car or 15¢ by foot/bike. But you can also get a Interagency Annual Pass (America the Beautiful Pass), which is $80 for a year of entry into all national parks and federal recreation sites across the US. So it might be worth planning for multiple parks with the same pass.
All the Fees: Park Website Joshua Tree
Palm Canyon & Joshua Tree National Park
Las Vegas & Death Valley & HotSprings
From Joshua Tree, we drove across the desert to Las Vegas — 280 miles in four hours. Arriving at night and seeing the neon lights for the first time felt surreal, like stepping into a scene from The Hangover. Hotels in Vegas are surprisingly cheap, so we stayed at Circus Circus on the Strip. Two nights were more than enough for us. After poker tables, slot machines, and walking through the madness, we were ready for nature again and saving money (after a rather not successful night…) .
Next on the list was Death Valley, a two-hour drive from Vegas. The park is less dramatic than Joshua Tree but still breathtaking. There’s no phone reception, so download maps in advance. The highlights for us were the salt flats at Badwater Basin, the colorful canyons, and Zabriskie Point. Entry is again $30 per car.
One of the best surprises came after Death Valley: a hike to the Goldstrike Hot Springs near Hoover Dam. The 1–2 hour trail goes through canyons with ropes and ladders before reaching natural pools by the river. The hot springs are probably around 35-40+°C, and sitting in warm water surrounded by desert cliffs felt incredible. After a short driveway at Hoover Dam, we drove for 5.5 hours all the way back to San Diego and returned to our home-base at the ITH Pacific Beach hostel.
Park Map: Here you can find all the Maps for Download
Goldstricke Trailhead & Parking Lot: 36.00982668913467, -114.77455164332306 (put this in Google Maps)
Goldstrike Hotsprings, Bellagio Casino Las Vegas & Death Valley
Los Angeles in a Flash
After a few more relaxed days in San Diego, we headed north along the coast. We stopped at Laguna Beach and 1000 Steps Beach, both stunning spots worth a break.
In Los Angeles, we only stayed for one night at a hostel on the Walk of Fame. It was enough to see the tourist highlights: Griffith Observatory at sunset, the Hollywood Sign hike, and Hollywood Boulevard. I’m not such a Big Fan of Los Angeles, and would always prefer San Diego (in my opinion its more like the LA that you imagined). But if you’re looking for something different and a glance of Hollywood, you can even get free tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live tapings every evening (which we learned about after we left…).
Perfect start to park & walk to the Hollywood Sign: 6100 Innsdale Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068, Vereinigte Staaten
1000 Steps Beach & Hollywood Sign Hike
Relaxed Days in Santa Barbara
From LA we continued to Santa Barbara, a small city that feels much more European compared to the chaos of Los Angeles. We stayed again at an ITH Hostel, which was the most budget-friendly option.
ITH Hostel: Same Hostel, different Town
Santa Barbara is full of vintage shops, wine bars, and a lively student scene. We visited the Botanical Garden which is a Beautifull Area for great walks and Mountain-views. Prices are 20$ or 14$ with a Student ID. After Sunset we hiked to the Montecito Hot Springs (tip: take off silver jewelry, the sulfur turns it gold!) and enjoyed the war water. Besides that we of course enjoyed Santa Barbaras beaches and food. The city is very laid-back and easygoing, making it one of our favorite stops. Also it kind of feels a bit like a European Town.
Tip: You can also take the Amtrak along the cost, which has a very scenic view and stops in every major City (if you don’t have a Car).
Vintage Shops & Wine Bars in Santa Barbara
Back to San Diego
After 3.5 Hours we finally returned to San Diego for our last days, doing more hikes and visiting Coronado Island. If you do want to know more about San Diego and my personal favourite Hotspots (from Bars to Hikes) check out my other Blog about SD itself.
All in all California was an unforgettable experience, but it definitely is not a cheap destination. Even traveling on a budget, we spent around €3,500 - 4,500 for three weeks per person, including flights, car rental, hostels, food, and activities.
Looking back, the mix of hostel life, hikes, nightlife, and road trips made it worth every cent. And for us, it was only the beginning. From California, we continued south - next stop: Mexico!
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