California Holidays 2025 & 2026

California is a year-round destination, however, visiting from April-June in late spring is perfect for most UK tourists. The mild temperatures, lower crowds and beautiful wildflowers let you explore with ease and surround you with beauty.

Yet for sun chasers and beach lovers, holidays to California in the summer offer a hive of activity and events.

Those looking for the most wallet-friendly California holidays should consider visiting in winter for even lower crowds and still relatively pleasant temperatures.

California holidays ideal for combining multiple destinations – the USA’s largest state is full of iconic spots, from San Francisco to LA to San Diego, including national parks like Yosemite and Joshua Tree. The major cities all sit along the coast and are easy to drive or fly between. Also, don’t forget that Disney also has a stronghold in Anaheim, California – ideal for families who want a Calfornia multi-centre holiday for all ages.

If you’re just exploring one city, it’s not essential to hire a car, as places like San Francisco have a great public transport network. However, with so many vibrant cities, beaches and attractions within the state, hiring a car can open up more possibilities. A road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway takes in many of California’s biggest sights, while hiring a car in Los Angeles can help navigate this huge city, and offers the freedom to head down into the hills, areas like Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, or down south to San Diego.

We offer comprehensive care hire for the USA, including 24-hour roadside assistance, sat navs on-demand, free drops, and car insurance for up to three additional drivers.

This is a hotly contested question for locals, and there are dozens of excellent surfing spots across the state. Some of the most popular include Malibu, La Jolla in San Diego, Newport Beach, Encinitas and Huntington Beach. All of these have a strong reputation for having some of the best surfing waves in the world.

The United Kingdom is 8 hours ahead of California.

The two major airports in California are San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and these are where international flights arrive and depart.

California is the largest state in the United States by population, with almost 39 million residents. It is the third-largest state in the US by area, behind only Texas and Alaska. 

So, where to first?

If you need any guidance on how to craft the perfect California holiday itinerary, our experts are on hand with first-hand knowledge of the Golden State.