By Melanie Renzulli
United States Travel Expert, about.com
Los Angeles and San Francisco are two of the most popular travel destinations in the USA, as well as the two biggest cities in California. These cities are often paired on itineraries of the Western United States because of their relative proximity to one another. Because the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco is much-traveled, there are several transportation options for getting from one place to the other (and back again).
By Car
Travel Time: Approximately six hours to two days
Best option for families, travelers who wish to make frequent stops, scenic trips
There are approximately four ways to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The fastest route is I-5, which is 382 miles and clocks in at about six hours. The second fastest route is US-101 (from Los Angeles | from San Francisco), a 430-mile drive that partially follows the coast. If you have plenty of time for travel, consider taking the coastal route, which follows scenic Route 1 through Big Sur, or "the back way," which goes through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite National Park.
Travel Time: Approximately six hours to two days
Best option for families, travelers who wish to make frequent stops, scenic trips
There are approximately four ways to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The fastest route is I-5, which is 382 miles and clocks in at about six hours. The second fastest route is US-101 (from Los Angeles | from San Francisco), a 430-mile drive that partially follows the coast. If you have plenty of time for travel, consider taking the coastal route, which follows scenic Route 1 through Big Sur, or "the back way," which goes through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite National Park.
By Bus
Travel Time: Approximately seven to nine hours
Best option for budget travelers, students
[post_ads]If you decide to take the bus between San Francisco and Los Angeles, you may not have a choice of route, but at least someone else is doing the driving. Along California's most popular route, there are at least four bus companies to choose from: Greyhound, Megabus, GotoBus, and the CA Shuttle Bus. According to About's Guide to California Travel, bus fares range from $40 to $110, with some buses offering fares as low as $5 (if you book well in advance). Most all bus lines offer on-board entertainment and Wi-Fi throughout their fleet. See more on riding the bus between Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you're an adventurer with ample time, you may also be interested in this Atlantic Cities article about traveling the length of California using only local public transit.
Travel Time: Approximately seven to nine hours
Best option for budget travelers, students
[post_ads]If you decide to take the bus between San Francisco and Los Angeles, you may not have a choice of route, but at least someone else is doing the driving. Along California's most popular route, there are at least four bus companies to choose from: Greyhound, Megabus, GotoBus, and the CA Shuttle Bus. According to About's Guide to California Travel, bus fares range from $40 to $110, with some buses offering fares as low as $5 (if you book well in advance). Most all bus lines offer on-board entertainment and Wi-Fi throughout their fleet. See more on riding the bus between Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you're an adventurer with ample time, you may also be interested in this Atlantic Cities article about traveling the length of California using only local public transit.
By Train
Travel Time: Approximately 11 hours
Good option for budget travelers, great coastal views
The Coast Starlight is Amtrak's regional train that starts in Los Angeles and goes all the way to Seattle, Washington. As the name implies, part of the Coast Starlight's route passes along the gorgeous California coast. Train travel on board Amtrak is usually reliable, clean, and spacious. However, the trip is long (11 hours) and does not stop in downtown San Francisco (rather, it stops in Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco). About's California Travel Guide also suggests that travelers take the Amtrak to San Jose, where they can board a local CalTrain to get into San Francisco. While train travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco has its inconveniences, fares usually run around $70, which could be cheaper than bus fare, airfare, or filling up the gas tank.
Travel Time: Approximately 11 hours
Good option for budget travelers, great coastal views
The Coast Starlight is Amtrak's regional train that starts in Los Angeles and goes all the way to Seattle, Washington. As the name implies, part of the Coast Starlight's route passes along the gorgeous California coast. Train travel on board Amtrak is usually reliable, clean, and spacious. However, the trip is long (11 hours) and does not stop in downtown San Francisco (rather, it stops in Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco). About's California Travel Guide also suggests that travelers take the Amtrak to San Jose, where they can board a local CalTrain to get into San Francisco. While train travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco has its inconveniences, fares usually run around $70, which could be cheaper than bus fare, airfare, or filling up the gas tank.
By Plane
Travel Time: Approximately two to three hours, including security checks and additional travel times from airports into the cities
Best option for getting there as fast as possible
The preferred method of getting to San Francisco from Los Angeles and vice versa is via plane. There are frequent flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Bay Area airports in San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) on many different carriers, including lower-cost carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest. Travelers on the lookout for deals will do well to check fare pairings on travel search engines between all of the many airports that service these two cities. For more information, see these details about flying between Los Angeles and San Francisco. You can also check Kayak for flights from Los Angeles and flights from San Francisco.
Travel Time: Approximately two to three hours, including security checks and additional travel times from airports into the cities
Best option for getting there as fast as possible
The preferred method of getting to San Francisco from Los Angeles and vice versa is via plane. There are frequent flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Bay Area airports in San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) on many different carriers, including lower-cost carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest. Travelers on the lookout for deals will do well to check fare pairings on travel search engines between all of the many airports that service these two cities. For more information, see these details about flying between Los Angeles and San Francisco. You can also check Kayak for flights from Los Angeles and flights from San Francisco.
