Getting Around, Big Sur Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Big Sur, Monterey County, California - CA, USA)



Aerial view of the shorelineThere is little in the way of public transport within Big Sur. Therefore, most visitors choose to take full advantage of its proximity to Highway 1 by renting a car to travel to and from Big Sur, reaching neighboring California towns and cities, as far afield as San Francisco.

Whilst bus transport is available around Big Sur, it can be quite infrequent and therefore it is really not worth relying solely upon buses, unless you are very familiar with the timetables. Some locals even choose to cycle along Highway 1, while to reach some of the more remote, off-road destinations you will need to hike, particularly around the neighboring Andrew Molera State Park and the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.


San Jose Airport picture

Airports / Arriving by Air

There are a surprisingly large number of major California airports close to Big Sur, each offering their own set of different airlines and connecting destinations. The nearest of these by far is Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), which is located around 31 miles / 50 km to the north. Also connected by various ground transport options are:


Picture of the Bixby Bridge

Car Rental

With some many popular cities and leading tourist destinations close by, it makes complete sense to hire a car, particularly as Big Sur enjoys a fairly remote setting, with a distinct lack of public transport. Highway 1 connects Big Sur with nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey, which lie to the north. Further away and still to the north, if it also eminently possible to travel by car to Oakland, San Jose and even San Francisco (US-101 / CA-156), all of which can be reached in around two or three hours at the most. It is even possible to travel between Big Sur and Los Angeles (southeast) via Highway 1, although this journey is much longer and likely to take more than five hours minimum.

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WG Car Rental Logo Book your San Luis Obispo Airport Car Rental here.

WG Car Rental Logo Book your San Francisco Car Rental here.

Photo of viewing area

Buses and Coaches

Between April and October, the Monterey-Salinas Transit bus (Route 22) provides a cheap way to travel between Big Sur and Monterey. A number of tour operators and coach companies, such as Greyhound, also offer various long-distance bus trips, which run to destinations such as Carmel-by-the-Sea, Heart Castle in San Simeon, and San Luis Obispo, close to Pismo Beach and Grover Beach.