• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Hearst Castle

DaveNV

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
22,003
Reaction score
29,217
Points
1,348
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Resorts Owned
Free Agent
It's been about 20 years since I last visited Hearst Castle, and my spouse has never been. We're putting together a central California coastal driving trip for next Summer, and we want to see HC.

From their website, it looks like the tours are different now? They used to have scheduled times and tours. Now it seems like it's more unstructured. Is that right? Anyone have recent experience with the place and how best to see it these days? We'll be driving down from Monterey for the day, but want to have a sunset dinner at Nepenthe in Big Sur on the way back. So we can get an early start and spend the day, but we can't stay too late.

Thanks,
Dave
 

zinger1457

Guest
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
695
Reaction score
45
Points
338
Maybe it's changed but we were there in April and they did have set times for the tours. We didn't make advanced reservations but the day we were there the weather was lousy so it was no problem getting on a tour. If going during the summer and especially on a weekend I would recommend making reservations if available.
 

northwoodsgal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
713
Reaction score
111
Points
403
Location
Green Bay, Wisconsin
I was online a few days ago looking to see what the tour availability was for Christmas week. If you look again at the web site, there is a link to purchasing tickets in advance at certain times.
 

DaveNV

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
22,003
Reaction score
29,217
Points
1,348
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Resorts Owned
Free Agent
Hmm. I'll have to take a closer look. I didn't get all the way down to the purchase link - I just read the descriptions of the tours they offer now. Thanks!

Dave
 

Deb from NC

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
1,506
Reaction score
109
Points
423
Location
Clemmons, NC
Hi Dave,
I've never been to the Hearst Castle and it's on my bucket list. Trying to
figure out the best way to see it and the Ca. Coast. Are you going to stay in a timeshare ? (If so, I was wondering which one?) Or is it better to just
pick out a couple of nice hotels (any recommendations?) Thanks!
Deb from NC
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
We did HC 12 years ago after the Rose Parade and Bowl game on the millennial new year of 2000. It was part of a NB drive to the Monterrey area using PCH. Had to stop from time-to-time to scope whales in the ocean on their migration.

The only tips I have are to allow more time than you think it will take. There aren't any TS there- or until you get up to Santa Barbara or even Oxnard area. We wanted to stay as close as possible to Hearst, and take 3- or more tours. iirc, this is about as nice a lodging as we found there: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re..._Oceanfront_Resort-San_Simeon_California.html Otherwise there were pretty forgettable chain hotels.

The PCH drive is one of the great ones! Made me want to put down the top and feel the wind. Unfortunately we were in a rental minivan and I think Hertz would've frowned on it.

Jim
 

vkrn

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Port Charlotte, FL
We did the Hearst Castle tour in March. It was great! We stayed at the San Luis Bay Inn (DRI timeshare) in Avila Beach. It was a good central location for exploring and a great resort.
 

nightnurse613

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,088
Reaction score
55
Points
408
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Thanks to a TUGGER we were able to snag a reservation at Avila this past July. Drove to the Castle and back. They definitely had scheduled tours. Was about a 75 minute drive but my husband and I are very familiar with the area. If I remember there was some discussion about a less organized tour but, with that much stuff, it's not likely they will let you wander around too much!! We took the general tour; it gives a great orientation and let's you see most of the important stuff. We had our grand kids and stopped at Elephant Seal Beach about 7 miles further up the coast highway. There were (literally) tons of these mammals - my grand kids loved watching them fight and flip sand on themselves. We also saw some parasailing along the way. The first 20 miles to Ragged Point are pretty smooth sailing and then the mountain driving begins. It's a very special drive (when it's not foggy and there are less than 200 motor homes on the road!)- -except for the driver who won't be seeing much of the trip except mountainside and cliffs in the air!
 
Last edited:

DaveNV

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
22,003
Reaction score
29,217
Points
1,348
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Resorts Owned
Free Agent
Hi Dave,
I've never been to the Hearst Castle and it's on my bucket list. Trying to
figure out the best way to see it and the Ca. Coast. Are you going to stay in a timeshare ? (If so, I was wondering which one?) Or is it better to just
pick out a couple of nice hotels (any recommendations?) Thanks!
Deb from NC

Hi Deb,

The posts just above this one will give you some great ideas for stays during a coastal trip. We're staying in the area three days, so are staying at a motel in Pacific Grove, near Monterey. There are some great places to stay around the area, and lots to see. We're combining Big Sur and Hearst Castle one day with a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, (the most amazing aquarium ever, and not to be missed!) on a second day, and general exploring of the area on the third day. The Monterey Peninsula is a really interesting place to see, and well worth the trouble to get there.

I hope you can make it out to see it. Have fun!

Dave
 

Deb from NC

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
1,506
Reaction score
109
Points
423
Location
Clemmons, NC
Thanks all! We're hoping to make it out to the areaa next fall. I will definitely put the aquarium on my list, that is something DH and I will
both enjoy. It will be fun planning this trip..hoping to add in a few days in
San Francisco as well....looking like a 2 week trip (at least!)
Deb
 
Top