How to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Four realistic ways to cover the roughly 560 km straight line between the two cities. The plane wins on time and, on most dates, on price. The car wins only if the drive is the point of the trip. Train and bus are for travellers who want to avoid airports or arrive overnight.

Prices are 2026 estimates for one adult, one way, booked two to four weeks out. Sales tax and baggage fees are not included in the air fares shown.

Los Angeles has several airports and the Bay Area has three, so the cheapest ticket often pairs a secondary airport with a secondary airport. LAX to SFO is the busiest pair and has the most departures; Burbank (BUR) to Oakland (OAK) or San Jose (SJC) is often cheaper and the airports are smaller and faster to clear.

The flight itself is short — about 1h 20m — but add 2 hours at the airport before departure and 30–60 minutes to reach the city at the other end. Door to door, budget 4–5 hours. Southwest and Alaska allow a free checked bag on most fares; the ultra-low-cost carriers charge for everything, which can erase the saving.

If you are heading to Berkeley or Oakland, fly into OAK. For Silicon Valley or Palo Alto, SJC is closer. For downtown San Francisco, SFO has the direct BART train link.

Interstate 5 is the fast route: about 610 km, 6–8 hours without stops, through the Central Valley. It is a straight, dull motorway with few reasons to stop beyond fuel and food. Most drivers do it in one day.

Highway 1 along the coast is the scenic route: about 740 km and at least two days, with an overnight in San Luis Obispo, Monterey or Big Sur. Sections of Highway 1 south of Big Sur have closed after landslides in past years, so check the current status before committing to the coastal route.

A one-way rental between the two cities usually carries a drop-off fee. Compare that against the air fare before deciding. Driving in both cities is slow and parking is expensive; a car is a liability once you arrive unless you are continuing to Yosemite or Napa.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight runs once daily between Los Angeles Union Station and the Bay Area, taking about 11–12 hours. It is a full day, but the route through Santa Barbara and the coast north of San Luis Obispo is the reason to take it. Coach seats are comfortable and cheap; sleeper rooms cost several times more and include meals.

The train arrives at Oakland's Jack London Square, with a connecting bus or train into San Francisco. Book ahead for sleepers and for travel around Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the train sells out.

FlixBus and Greyhound run several coaches a day, including overnight services, taking 7–9 hours. Fares are the lowest of any option, from about US$30, but the trip is long and the terminals in both cities are not in the most convenient spots. An overnight bus saves a hotel night but rarely arrives rested.

Book flights directly with the airline or through a comparison site, then check the same route on a second site before paying. Southwest prices only appear on its own site. For Amtrak, book on amtrak.com; sleeper rooms and holiday dates sell out weeks ahead. Bus tickets are cheapest bought a week or more in advance on the operator's own site.

For the drive, compare rental prices with and without the one-way drop-off fee. If you are continuing to Yosemite or Napa, a car rented in San Francisco is usually cheaper than one dropped off there.

Holiday weekends — Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July and Labor Day — push air fares up sharply and fill the train. Book those dates a month or more ahead.

If you fly into SFO, BART runs directly to downtown San Francisco and is usually faster than a taxi at rush hour. From LAX, the flyaway bus or a rideshare gets you downtown; the metro connection is improving but still slow with luggage.

Allow a buffer if you have a same-day connection. Fog at SFO delays flights most often in summer, and afternoon departures are the most affected.

The two cities sit about 560 km apart in a straight line, with the Central Valley between them. Interstate 5 runs up the valley floor; Highway 1 hugs the coast west of it. The flight path follows roughly the same line, usually with views of the coast on a clear day.