There are daily flights from the UK to California's major airports. - Currency: American Dollar - Time difference: (GMT-8) - Flight from UK: 10 - 14 hours - Visa: No - Language: English Direct flights from the UK land at Los Angeles and San Francisco.

California's Central Coast holidays offer a wide range of activities: lovely beaches ideal for sunbathing or surfing and wild remote areas for long walks. There are many national parks where you can cycle, hike, fish or birdwatch. There are also wine regions where you can taste some of the best wines America has to offer and attractions such Hearst Castle. Alternatively, stroll through quaint historic streets lined with galleries and boutiques.

California's Central Coast is a fertile land that produces an abundance of crops. With citrus groves, some of America's leading wine regions and some of the best strawberries you will ever taste you will be spoilt for choice. Fishing boats head out from the harbour towns to bring home salmon, sea bass, shellfish and halibut. With the region's fantastic range of fresh vegetables, seafood and fruit, top chefs are drawn to the region to practice their craft.

Hearst Castle was the hilltop retreat of the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Now a museum, a tour around its rooms is a chance to glimpse the grandeur of the 1920s and 30s.