One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco

One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco
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Total Distance 381.9 miles
Best Route US-101 N
Popular pickup location in LA LAX Airport
Popular drop-off location in SF SFO Airport

Car rental Los Angeles to San Francisco or vice versa

The drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco (or from San Francisco to Los Angeles) is one of the most popular road trip routes in the US, for which hundreds of travelers rent cars annually to experience it on their own time and pace. The drive is counted among the top 10 much-loved scenic drive in the US, among the like of Route 66.

While the cities of LA and San Francisco present a big array of attractions to keep the travelers occupied, the drive is also dotted with numerous worth-visiting stops. No wonder many people book one-way car rentals and spend 2 to 3 weeks exploring all that they can! Ideally people spend a few days in Los Angeles and at least a week in SF (as there is relatively more to see in San Francisco), and another week or two on the way while driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

One way car rental

On USA Cars Rental, you can reserve a one-way by using the ‘Different drop-off location?’ section on our search form.

Suppliers like Sixt charge no drop-off fee for the one-ways rented from LA to SF, but this is not the case with all the suppliers. The fee tends to vary from supplier to supplier, depending on the car category you are renting.

Book from top suppliers

These are the most popular rental companies offering car rentals from Los Angeles to San Francisco & vice versa:

  • SixtSixt
  • EuropcarEuropcar
  • DollarDollar
  • EnterpriseEnterprise
  • HertzHertz
  • AdvantageAdvantage
  • AceAce
  • AlamoAlamo
  • FoxFox
  • NationalNational

Best type of cars to rent for your trip

Car rental from LAX to SFO Airport

Distance: 377.3 mi
Route: via I-5 N

If you are arriving in California through Los Angeles Airport and plan to make the drive to SF with drop off at San Francisco airport, we advise you to pick the rental car from LAX Airport only.

Location of Sixt, Enterprise & Alamo Rent a Car at Los Angeles Airport

The offices of the car rental desks are located just a few minutes away from the airport terminal. All the suppliers offer courtesy shuttle service that you can board from under purple ‘Rental Car Shuttles’ sign located at the airport’s arrival level 1.

More car rental location in Los Angeles

In addition to Los Angeles Airport, you can also rent cars for your trip from LA to San Francisco from the following locations:

Car rental from SFO to LAX Airport

Distance: 377.3 mi
Route: via I-5 N

Planning to do the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles? The most popular pickup location is: San Francisco Airport (SFO).

Location of Sixt, Enterprise & Alamo Rent a Car at SFO Airport

The car rental desks are not in the airport terminal, you will have to take the blue line of the AirTrain to reach the Car Rental Center for the pickup.

More car rental places in San Francisco

If you want to rent a car from a non-airport location in San Francisco for the drive, here are some more locations you can use as the pickup rental point:

Best available routes

Route Interstate 5 (I-5)

Distance from LA to SF via I-5: Approx. 381 miles

Route US -101

Distance from LA to SF via US 101: Approx. 425 miles

State Route 99

Distance from LA to SF via State Route 99: Approx. 400 miles

Highway 1/Pacific coast highway

Distance from LA to SF via Highway 1: Approx. 455 miles

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I rent a car from LA to San Francisco using a UK license?

    Yes. People travel from the UK to California all the time; for Los Angeles to San Francisco road trip, you will be allowed to rent a car using your UK license. However, do read the rental voucher for the complete list of documents that you are supposed to show at the time of the pickup.

  • Is there an option to avail insurance with the deals?

    Yes, we give you the option to add a rental cover to your one-way deal at the time of the booking.

  • How old to rent a car for the one-way trip?

    You can rent a car for a one-way trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco if you are 21 years or above. Every supplier, however, puts forth a different age for different car types.

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