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California is one of the most popular states in the USA, reeling in over 260 million visitors each year.
Most people head for the Pacific coast where curving highways sew together big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Monica. And the national parks are basically one big travel bucket list – from wild Yosemite National Park to the desert-dry Joshua Tree National Park.
But how to get there? Direct flights jet off from a couple of Australian cities. You’re looking at around 16 hours’ flight time.
It depends – where are you flying from and to?
Some of the shortest flights are the direct ones. So you could hop on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles or San Francisco (around 15 hours long). Flight times are an hour or two longer from southerly cities like Melbourne (17 hours).
Perth is too far away for a direct flight, so you’ll have to book an indirect flight to California. These can last from 22 hours long.
Loads. You could fly with Qantas Airways, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and United Airlines – or combine a couple, if you don’t mind a stopover.
Thanks to the huge choice of routes, Australia to California flights jet off all day, every day.
Popular Australian airports include Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport, Darwin International Airport, Brisbane Airport, Hobart Airport and Perth Airport. But you could also start from a smaller airport like Gold Coast Airport or Adelaide Airport.
Over in the USA, California is your oyster. Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport are the two big-hitters. Or there’s always San Diego International Airport, John Wayne International Airport in Santa Ana, or Palm Springs Airport.
It’s often cheapest to fly from Sydney to Los Angeles, closely followed by San Francisco. Alternatively, hop on a direct flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles – the prices can dip nice and low.
California isn’t nicknamed the Golden State for nothing. This south-west corner of the USA ticks off sandy beaches, heat-struck deserts, sulphuric national parks – plus some of the most famous cities on the planet.
Book direct flights from Australia to California, and you could land in Los Angeles or San Francisco. Other popular routes include San Diego, near the Mexican border, and Sacramento, the historic state capital.
Spectacular scenery is never far away from the cities. The coastal Big Sur highway is one of the world’s most dramatic drives, while the Sierra Nevada mountains serve up Lake Tahoe and grand Yosemite National Park.