Your Road Trip Guide to Coachella ‘19

Road Trip

One of North America’s most popular, must-do music events of our time, attracting crowds in the 100,000s, is descending upon southern Cali once again, bringing with it hip kids and music lovers from all over North America and beyond. Many Coachella – or ‘Carpoolchella” as some festival officials jokingly refer to the route as - attendees take this opportunity to make the road trip between Los Angeles and San Diego as memorable as the festival itself, stopping along the way at some of the best sights the desert valley has to offer.

We recommend splitting the trip up over 4 days (10 hours/day) or 5 days (8 hours/per day). There are no shortage of sites to see and stops along the way to create incredible memories and experiences that will last long after your wristband’s been cut and tossed – or kept affectionately, for the extra nostalgic.

Some highlights on the road trip from L.A. will include:

Selecting your road trip car – travel in style, but don’t break the bank. You’ll want to choose a car that will add to your experience and give you the smoothest ride possible. Booking.com’s car rental service has an unmatched selection of vehicles and is super easy to navigate towards the ride suited to you and your people. As the world’s largest car rental booking service, providing over 60,000 locations worldwide, you’ll experience more freedom to explore on your way to Coachella.
Making the trip to Coachella a trip in itself. From L.A.’s Pacific Coast Highway, Venice Beach is a key suggested first trip stop. Cruise along the famous Venice boardwalk, people-watching and taking in some of the best skateboarding you’ll find anywhere at the Venice Skate Park.
You’ll then drive east into L.A., passing by Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles.
Next, you can pass through Santa Barbara into San Luis Obispo, an 18th-century Spanish mission that is a true mecca for art lovers, not to mention home to some of California’s most scenic beach views.
Once you find yourself nearing Morongo Reservation, you’ll definitely want to stop at Cabazon Dinosaurs – recognizable from cult classics Pee Wee’s Big Adventure or National Lampoon’s Vacation! This quirky pitstop is a great place to stretch your legs and catch a hilarious new Instagram Story video of you and your new best brontosaurus friend.
On your way into prime festival grounds, do not miss your chance to live out your Beyonce and Nicki ‘Feelin’ Myself’ dreams with an one-up on your Brontosaurus Story at the Coachella City Limit sign at the intersection of Grapefruit Boulevard and Avenue 54 off a rural road stretch. It can be a bit challenging to find but will pay for its time in Likes instantaneously.
Check out Booking.com for the world’s widest variety of accommodation options, from full apartments to boutique hotels, B &Bs, Inns, villas, and more. There’s something for every type and group size of festival-goers.
Save some fun for the way home – you won’t be able to get everything in on the way there, but you can save some of the sights for your journey back! Don’t let the trip end when Coachella does. Stop at San Francisco’s Cypress Tree Tunnel to take a car break and breather, reflecting on what an amazing time you just had at a truly historical event.