One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco

One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Quick Links

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 drives in the US, among the likes 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.

Total Distance 381.9 miles
Best Route I-5 N
Popular Pick-up Location in LA LAX Airport
Popular Drop-off Location in SF SFO Airport

One-way Car Rental for LA to SF Road Trip

On USA Cars Rental, you can reserve a one-way rental by using the ‘Different drop-off location?’ section on our search form. Fill in the remaining details and conduct a search to explore and compare all the available one-way deals.

In cases when the return location is different from the pick-up spot, and you have selected LA and SF as your pick-up and drop-off locations respectively, suppliers charge a nominal one-way fee. Note that the fee tends to vary from supplier to supplier, depending on the car category you are renting.

Compare & Book One-way Deals from Top Suppliers

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

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

Best Car Rental Types to Book for Your Trip

One-way 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 up 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.

Other Car Rental Locations 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 pick-up location in SF 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 pick-up.

Other 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 rental pick-up point:

Best Available Routes for Los Angeles to San Francisco Road Trip

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: 420 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 the Los Angeles to San Francisco road trip, you will be allowed to rent a car using your UK license. However, do read the supplier Rental Terms or peruse the Rental Confirmation Voucher for the complete list of documents that you are supposed to show at the time of the pick-up.

  • 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 do I need to be 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 old or above. Every supplier, however, puts forth a different age restriction for different car types. Additionally, companies also impose a Young Driver Surcharge in case the driver is under 25.

  • Where to find cheap one-way car rentals for LA to San Francisco road trip?

    At USA Cars Rental, you are guaranteed to find the best and cheapest rental cars delivered by the top brands available in the US like Sixt, Dollar, Hertz, Budget, etc. Head to our booking engine, enter your trip details and run a search to get access to all the one-way deals at discounted prices.

Other One-way Road Trip Ideas in the US:

Book A Car Rental Near You by Giving Us A Call!