One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco

One Way Car Rental from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Posted By: Steve Posted On: 7th October 2019 Category: Travel
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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

  • SUV Rentals You can make your trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco more adventurous and memorable with spacious sports utility vehicles like Jeep Compass, Toyota RAV4, or similar.
  • Luxury car rentals From Mercedes to Mustang, Jaguar and Range Rover, you can book almost any of your preferred classic or exotic cars online through our booking engine.
  • Convertible car rental A convertible is considered the most preferred car for this trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and vice versa.
  • Van rentals Our supplier’s rental fleet consists of vans like Dodge Grand Caravan or similar that can seat 7 to 15 passengers at a time.

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:

  • San Francisco downtown
  • Union square
  • Fisherman wharf
  • North Beach

Best available routes

Route Interstate 5 (I-5)

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

  • This is the fastest route & is neither interesting nor scenic.
  • Potential hazards: High winds at Tejon Pass and look out for trucks as I-5 is a major corridor for trucks.
  • Side trips: Antelope valley and Vasquez Rocks

Route US -101

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

  • Though this route is a bit longer than I-5, it is comparatively more interesting and scenic.
  • Places to see on the way: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Jose.
  • Different routes that you can take: While going from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, there are two routes – one is the coastal route while the other one is the inland route. Coastal route is best for people towing along a big trailer.

State Route 99

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

  • Route 99 is located in San Joaquin Valley and is full of scenic views!
  • Highlights: The best thing about this route is that it allows you to cover the beautiful Yosemite National Park. In summers, the highway is best known for what they call ‘food tourism’.
  • Potential Hazards: Just like Highway 5, you will encounter a lot of trucks and traffic, and tule fog in winters.

Highway 1/Pacific coast highway

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

  • Going from LA to SF through pacific coast highway is the longest route with the best scenery ever, and covers comparatively more interesting stops.
  • Best car type: Any car will do, except for big motorhomes
  • Places to see on the way: San Luis Obispo, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove, Santa Cruz

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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