San Francisco and Los Angeles, two very popular tourist destinations located in the same state of California. San Francisco and Los Angeles may seem close. But the distance is 382 miles (=616 kilometers)! Obviously these two major cities are far apart.
In this article, I’ll introduce four ways to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles, as well as some recommended ways to get there.
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Four ways to travel between San Francisco and Los Angels
The distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles is 616 km (382 miles). If you travel by car, it takes about six hours at the shortest. We drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles by car to attend our relative’s wedding ceremony. The driving was tiring, but we enjoyed a lot of beautiful sceneries in California. For example, Big Sur, Highway 1, Danish City “Solvang” etc. I highly recommend that you visit these places at least once in your life.
There are four ways to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles. For each, the advantages and disadvantages are summarized below.
Personally, if you can drive and have a little time to spare, I recommend driving. You can enjoy the spectacular view that is famous in the United States. I’ve driven past it twice myself, and it’s worth a look! The view is truly breathtaking.
Airplane
Airplane is the fastest way to travel. Flight time is about 1.5 hours. Considering the waiting time at the airport, this is the fastest way to get there, taking about 4 hours or less.
Flights are inexpensive at $52 and up. Please note, however, that unlike in Japan, there is an extra charge ($30 or more per piece) for checked luggage on domestic flights in the U.S.
Train
The American train company, Amtrak, runs a train from neighboring Oakland to Los Angeles. The journey takes a whopping 13.5 hours. A one-way ticket costs from $65.
I think it’s a good idea to experience the American train at least once.
The huge trains moving at a slow pace looks very American. I have never seen such a huge train in Japan. Whenever I see a train in America, I feel I am in the United States.
Near Los Angeles, the train goes along the coastline, so I think you can enjoy the scenery quite a bit. You can check the map from the Amtrak page here. There may be a lot of desert on the way, but I think the scenery is better than the long-distance bus.
It takes a long time, so I recommend it to those who don’t mind spending a whole day for transportation. My friend also dared to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles by train.
Long-distance bus
This is a good option for those who want to travel in a price-sensitive manner. It takes about 8 to 9 hours. The price is the cheapest, from $8! However, this is a special price, and the usual price is about $20-$30. Megabus and greyhound operate this long-distance bus service.
The bus runs on Route 5, so it is a trip to enjoy the scenery of the desert and farms. I’ve used it once, and it’s not bad if you have enough time. I don’t remember well, but I think there were one or two bathroom breaks along the way.
There are also buses that run during the night, but I personally prefer the daytime buses because the area around the train station where the buses stop is not that safe and I worry about security on the bus.
(February 2020 update) Unfortunately, on February 3, 2020, there was a shooting on a night bus (Greyhound bus) from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and one person was killed (see here for details). Unfortunately, one person was killed in a shooting incident on a Greyhound bus.
Car
It’s the most recommended way, because you’ll get some spectacular views! There are three routes on the road between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- The way to take Highway 1 along the coast
- By taking Highway 101, which goes both inland and along the coast
- Highway 5, which connects the inland areas in a straight line
Depending on the purpose of your trip, Highway 1 is a drive that you should experience at least once in your life. This is a place where you can encounter spectacular views that will impress you no matter how many times you pass through.
Summary
In this article, we have introduced how to travel between San Franciscos Los Angeles for those who want to visit both cities.
The fastest way is an airline, but you will miss nice views. If you are good at driving, I would recommend to drive along Highway 1. That should be a forgettable drive in your life. Otherwise, you can take the Amtrak train to enjoy the scenery.