VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Highway 1 by campervan from San Francisco
Driving Highway 1 in a campervan from San Francisco: Monterey, Big Sur, campgrounds to book months ahead, road closures and a realistic 5-to-7-day budget.
Highway 1 between San Francisco and the Big Sur coast is arguably North America's most beautiful coastal drive — and one of the few best enjoyed in a compact campervan rather than a big RV. Van-Comparator compares offers out of San Francisco, where Indie Campers and Roadsurfer both have depots, without being affiliated with any platform.
Why a van beats a big RV here
The road is narrow and twisty, with hairpins hanging over the cliffs: a Class B van (17 to 23 ft) threads through, a 33-ft Class A sweats. Several Big Sur campgrounds also cap vehicle length at 24 or 27 feet. Expect $120 to $250 per day for a campervan, bedding kit included or billed at $50 to $100.
The route over 5 to 7 days
Day 1: Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to warm up. Day 2: Monterey and the peninsula — the aquarium and 17-Mile Drive. Days 3–4: Big Sur — Bixby Bridge at sunrise, Pfeiffer Big Sur, McWay Falls. Days 5–6: San Simeon (the elephant seals of Piedras Blancas), Morro Bay, possibly on to Santa Barbara before heading back — or dropping the van in Los Angeles one-way ($250 to $500 in drop fees).
Sleeping: book early, seriously
Big Sur's campgrounds (Pfeiffer Big Sur, and Kirk Creek perched above the ocean) open for booking on recreation.gov or ReserveCalifornia up to six months out and sell out all summer, at $35–60 a night. Wild overnight parking along Highway 1 is prohibited and ticketed. Plan B: the private campgrounds of Monterey and Cambria — pricier ($60–100) but available later.
The one thing to check before you go
Highway 1 regularly suffers landslides and multi-month closures around Big Sur: check the Caltrans map before booking, as a detour via US-101 may be unavoidable. Fill the tank before Big Sur — the area's only gas station is among the most expensive in the United States. To plan the rest of the trip, read our West Coast RV road trip guide.