In this post, I want to showcase how to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco. There are many options to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco, but it depends on your situation and what you feel would be the best option for you. This post will clarify all the routes, and I will pick the best way overall.
To start, Los Angeles and San Francisco are about 348 miles apart. Because they are somewhat close, there are a ton of options to consider, but for most, it’s going to come down to speed and cost. You’ll see in this post that there will be two options that stand out, one that is an option and one other that I would not recommend at all.
Map from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Basic Info
Flight: 1 hr 20 minutes
Car: 6 hrs 10 minutes
Bus: 9 hrs
Train: 10 hrs to 11 hrs
By Plane (Best Option)
As you can imagine there are a ton of flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco with a ton of options to leave at all times during the day. For me this is the best option since it’s possible to arrive in about an hour and half gate to gate. On top of that is that there is a ton of choice when flying. You have the choice to fly from 5 airports from Los Angeles on 39 – 45 flights per day. That’s an incredible amount of choice and options especially if you accidentally miss your original flight.
Now leaving from Los Angeles you’ll need to choose from the five airports in the Los Angeles area including Los Angeles, Bob Hope, Ontario, Long Beach and John Wayne. All do serve San Francisco however Los Angeles has the most flights departing. Arriving in San Francisco you have the choice to arrive at San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland with other airports further from the city center. San Francisco and Oakland are the most convenient if your plans are to stay in downtown San Francisco.
One of the major reasons that flying is the number choice is the cost. Overall the average costs is around $100 – $150 depending on the season. The price can fluctuate depending on the season but in general because there are a ton of option the price never gets too high. For travelers looking to save money, get to San Francisco quickly and efficiently you’ll see this is the best option over the ones below.
Airlines Flying
There are four major airlines service from London to Paris. All are about the same price, so it will come down to your preferences and schedule. Some flights leave from London Gatwick while others depart from London Luton or London Heathrow.
Use websites like Google Flights, Momondo, or Skyscanner to look at prices and schedule. Usually, I book with the airline directly on their website.
Price: Around $120 on average
Recommended?
Flying is probably the best option if you looking for speed and comfort. Of course you can rent a car and that is done often and recommended but that will take a minimum of 6 hours. The other options compared to flying are by far much worse and for around $120 you could have a roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
1st Recommended
Plane Necessities
A list of things that will make your flight travels better!
By Car
Americans love driving and it should be no surprise that this is the second best option. Overall driving in the United States is super easy and although some foreigners may not be use to it, once you get on the road it’s pretty easy simple. From Los Angeles the drive to San Francisco is around 6 to 7 hours depending on traffic and which route you decide to take. Many opt for the most direct route that is perhaps somewhat of a boring drive or decide to spend a day or two taking more scenic routes like the famous drive on the coastline. Just have a good GPS system to guide you!
All major rental car companies exist in Los Angeles and it’s pretty easy to rent a car. I use sites like Priceline, Kayak and Momondo to search for car rentals and then I usually book direct with the car rental place I like the most. Overall renting a car is typically not that pricey especially if you book for multiple days which is most people. If you’re at the airport it’s super easy to return or take in general since airports like LAX are open 24/7. You will of course need a valid driver’s license, a credit card and insurance. It is possible to start in Los Angeles and drop your car off in San Francisco but it maybe more money do that.
Like I said the cost is always cheaper for the longer you book which is usually like 3 days or more. Given that the drive to San Francisco takes at least a day most travelers will be using a car for that much or longer. There are a ton of companies to choose from and most range from $25 to $50 per day. I personally like Hertz and Enterprise.
Rental Companies
You have all the big names in rental cars in and around London. Prices will vary a lot depending on car size and length of car rental.
Price: Range from $35 to $200 per day on average (can be much higher if short notice)
Recommended?
Driving in the United States is very common and for an average tourist it is a great option. There is so much to explore in cities and unlike Europe we don’t have great transportation in most cities. So many travelers will need a car regardless and will want to explore part of California in between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In fact I encourage travelers to take a drive on the coast or visit some of Californias national parks.
2nd Recommended
Car Necessities
A list of things that will make your car travels better!
By Bus
Taking a bus is a pretty cheap way to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco. However it’s down on my list because it’s also a very long and uncomfortable way. Buses leave from all hours of the day and the total journey is somewhere between 8 to 10 hours. Also note that on most of these bus rides there is wifi but there is no food sold on board so you definitely should take some snacks with you.
Buses leave from Los Angeles Union Station or other stations around Los Angeles so make sure to do research before you leave. In San Francisco buses arrive in downtown San Francisco or Caltrain Station. You could book with the companies directly or with some of the online bus companies selling tickets like on Wanderu. Now prices do range depending on what time and what day of the week you decide to leave. I have listed the companies below.
Taking a bus is the cheapest option and could be as low as around $10 depending on when you decide to leave. There are also more luxurious cabins on some of these buses and could be as high as $100. In that case your’re better off just finding a flight. As a whole taking a bus is not that expensive and really is the only reason tourists decide to take them.
Recommended?
The only reason I would recommend taking a bus is if you absolutely need to but as a whole I don’t recommend it. First off the journey is much longer than taking a plane or a car. And on top of that there is no food on board meaning you have to buy food beforehand. And although they aren’t uncomfortable after nearly 10 hours on a bus can you probably will be begging to stand up. As a whole it would be one of my last options.
3rd Recommended
Bus Necessities
A list of things that will make your bus travels better!
By Train
It’s safe to say that taking the AmTrak from Los Angeles to San Francisco is by far the worst option. First off AmTrak isn’t exactly known for a quick and speedy service. As well as being particularly nice inside like trains in Europe. But the fact is that there is actually no train service that goes direct from Los Angeles to San Francisco. You in fact have to get off in San Jose or Oakland and find another way to get into San Francisco. Overall the train is the longest option with the average time over 10 hours long.
There is only one company that serves Los Angeles to San Francisco and that’s the Amtrak Coast Starlight. You can book with Amtrak directly and like with most travel it’s better to book in advance for cheaper prices. The train travels from Los Angeles Union Station and ends at Caltrain Station in San Jose or Jack London Square Station in Oakland. From there it’s possible to the Muni Metro light rail that offers routes from San Jose and Oakland into San Francisco.
It’s about about $55 for a one way ticket ticket and that’s not including the food you’ll need to bring. Amtrak offers different prices and different cabins. Overall the price is actually kind of pricey for what you’re getting and I’m surprised there are people who would book to on a train.
Trains Offered
There are options when booking like any train, including value, flexible, business and premium. There is one daily train leaving in the morning from Los Angeles. My recommendation is to book in advance as those will be the cheapest tickets.
Price: Range from $50 to $150 plus on average (can be much higher if short notice)
Recommended?
No I can’t recommend taking the train for any tourists. First off the journey is much longer than it needs to be and because Amtrak doesn’t own their own track, you maybe waiting around for long periods of time. Some foreigners think our trains must be as efficient and clean as Europe but Amtrak is notoriously known to be uncomfortable. After researching for this post I would never take the Amtrak when they’re three better options.
Not Recommended
Train Necessities
A list of things that will make your train travels better if you decide to go!
Review
Feel free to check out my other ‘How to Travel’ posts below. I also write about ‘What to Wear in for Men‘ who need travel style advice and have guides on ‘What to Wear in Los Angeles‘ and ‘What to Wear in San Francisco‘! Check back for more posts and feel free to check out my Twitter and Facebook.
Perhaps you’re interested the ‘Top 10 Hottest Major Cities in the World‘ or my time in ‘Ethiopia.’
