The City of Angels is end to end legends and there’s nowhere quite like it, especially for older kids. Behaving like a tourist is inevitable, so just go with it and take guided tours wherever possible. Don’t miss Santa Monica Pier at night, a walk along Rodeo Drive, do at least one Hollywood experience, fit in a visit to the Fashion District for teens and spend more than a day on the city’s wonderful beaches.

• Make it your mission to do a little of Museum Row, it’s home to the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to name but a few.
• LA has a bewildering number of restaurants, to find fun and kid-friendly places check out the reliable and unbiased Gayot Restaurant Guide online.
• From Museum Row to Santa Monica Beach and Universal Studios, LA has most of its popular family hotels within easy reach of the city’s biggest sights.

Yosemite National Park is just over three hours drive east of San Francisco. Not a day trip by any means but a fantastic family adventure you can have over a long weekend or even an entire week.

• There’s a range of good value family accommodation in the park and it’s bookable in advance.
• Kids are welcome guests and Yosemite has a wide range of well-organised and imaginative children’s activities and initiatives.
• Trails and walks throughout the park are well-marked in order of difficulty so even younger kids have freedom to explore.

San Diego is sunny all year round, has acres of beaches and is California’s most family-friendly city. It may not have the same number of star attractions as LA or San Francisco but the historic quarters, brilliant theme parks and world famous zoo are more than enough to keep kids of all ages entertained.

• Home to the New Children’s Museum and Legoland, San Diego also has a fascinating Little Italy and the charming Gaslamp Quarter for teen appeal.
• Glamorous La Jolla is just a short distance from downtown San Diego – one of the loveliest stretches of southern California coast.
• The city is less than an hour from the border of Mexico and infamous Tijuana.
• San Diego’s huge, beachy waterfront is edged with large resort hotels. Historic districts are good for family-friendly character hotels. And La Jolla is where to look for the ultimate in luxury accommodation.

San Francisco is another California city that’s marvellous to see with kids. Younger ones love the fun activities, cute parks and surprising thrills like the sea lions on Fishermen’s Wharf and Telegraph Hill’s flocks of colourful wild parrots. Teenagers are instantly seduced by quaint historic quarters, exceptional shopping and once-in-a-lifetime experiences like crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and sailing to Alcatraz. Walk around and take the trolley cars as much as you can in San Francisco, it’s the best way to see the city and soak up its unique atmosphere.

• Over the past decade San Francisco has become one of the world’s most expensive cities. But it’s also the birthplace of Airbnb and hosts here are well versed in the art of sharing with families. You’ll find the system highly professional in San Francisco and it’s an affordable way to stay in some of the city’s more historic and interesting areas.