Hi — my partner and I are new to van travel and want to rent a Sprinter before buying one to test it out. We’re planning a 7‑day Pacific Coast Highway trip. We’d fly into Sacramento or San Francisco and fly out of Portland or Seattle. Is this doable? Any route or timing suggestions, must‑see stops, or rental tips (pick‑up/drop‑off logistics, mileage, parking/campground recommendations)? Should we extend the trip to feel less rushed? Thanks!
If you’re using the van like a mobile hotel, then yes - that’s plenty of time to get a real feel for the route! You’ll have lots of opportunities to drive to cool spots and actually spend some time enjoying them. Spreading the trip out over 7 days works out to around 250 miles a day, but of course, you can adjust depending on what stops you want to hit. Some days might be longer drives, others more relaxed. Some days, the drive will probably BE the highlight - especially if you route along Highway 1!
There’s so much to see along that stretch. I’d recommend mapping it out in the Roadtrippers planner and using the category filters to find the kinds of places you’re most into. You might want to drag/stop your route onto Highway 1 if you’re into the scenic route - at least for part of the trip. We’ll also highlight “Extraordinary Places” on the map automatically - those are our top picks that we think everyone should know about!