Flight Destinations
Flights to California
Places in California
California is a state in the far west of the USA, stretching from Mexico in the south, and to the border with Oregon in the north. It has an extensive coastline on the Pacific Ocean, allowing for some spectacular coastal scenery and wonderful coastal cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
California has many international airports, though the most popular for international flights to California are usually in the cities of San Francisco (airport code: SFO), Los Angeles (airport code: LAX) and San Diego (airport code: SAN). Being a large state you should choose the most appropriate city for your ultimate destination. From the UK flights to California landing at Los Angeles or San Francisco are generally with direct flights and through a number of the world’s major airlines including United Airlines, BMI, Air New Zealand, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic Airways. If you prefer to catch a flight to San Diego you can do so with the aforementioned airlines though these will all offer one stop flights from the UK.
The Tourist Attractions of California
California is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States and when you consider what great diversity the state has to offer it’s easy to see why! Being so large, unless you tour around you really only touch the surface of what California has to offer, after all it’s the third largest state in the country, at 770 miles long! Here are just some of the highlights of California…
San Diego
San Diego is often overlooked in favour of Los Angeles. Admittedly it’s not as large and there’s not as much to see and do here, but this is a lovely coastal city anyway. Many visitors come here to enjoy a day trip across the border to Mexico.
Los Angeles
A little way north of San Diego is Los Angeles. For many people this is the quintessential image of California – beaches, boardwalks, surfing, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the rich and famous! LA certainly has plenty to see, including Disney World, Universal Studios, and more.
Palm Springs
To the east of LA is Palm Springs. This desert city is popular all year round because of its hot and dry weather and has become a haven for golfers who enjoy the many golf courses, luxury hotels and elite status that the city has gained.
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range rising from the desert. Temperatures are obviously cooler here, but this allows the growth of beautiful forests that surround picturesque lakes, plus there’s some excellent skiing here too. Lake Tahoe is the most famous skiing area in California, but this is a year-round destination as people come to enjoy the lake and the wonderful scenery during the summer months too. Yosemite National Park is one of the top attractions. The mountains, waterfalls, forests and wildlife are in abundance here, plus Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park is spectacular, as home to the world’s largest trees.
San Francisco
This friendly city is timeless in its appeal and has so much to enjoy – Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, the Presidio, quaint architecture, and much more. Of course there is also a great deal to see north of San Francisco too!
When Should You Visit California?
It’s easy to think of California as the hot Mediterranean style climate that’s experienced in the south of the state, however, the rest of the state has many contrasts to this. When you visit will depend on where you are heading and what you want to do; obviously skiing at Lake Tahoe is only during the winter, and during the summer the area is heaving with outdoor recreation lovers! LA, San Diego and San Francisco all remain mild throughout the year, but the further north you go it does get cooler.