California Travel: What You Need To Know for 2022

California is open and ready for visitors in 2022.

The state's size and population make it similar to visiting a medium-sized country, and visitors should consider a visit to the Golden State along the same lines. For those traveling to the state for a week or so, it's hard to see everything in just one vacation. The best advice is to pick one area or region to explore and then plan to come back for more.

One way to narrow down your choice is to come during one of the many events that are back in California this year, including Super Bowl XVI in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival taking place in April.

California maintains a statewide mask mandate, and there are various other COVID-19 restrictions depending on where visitors are in the state. In larger, metropolitan areas, visitors should check vaccine mandates for large events, indoor dining, theaters and other venues where groups are gathering.

Should travelers need it, PCR and rapid antigen tests are widely available.

Road trips are an iconic way to explore the state. Traveling north or south between Los Angeles and San Francisco on California's Pacific Coast Highway is considered one of the world's best road trips. This journey can easily be extended up to Napa and Sonoma valleys for world-renowned wine tasting, or travelers can stop in the middle to visit wine country around Paso Robles. Santa Barbara's wine trail is also gaining popularity among enthusiasts.

California's national parks are also some of the country's most popular. The state is home to Yosemite, Sequoia, Redwoods, Death Valley, Joshua Tree and more.