March 08, 2020
One-way car rental LA to San Francisco OR San Francisco to Los Angeles
One-way car rental San Francisco to Los Angeles
Renting a car is a popular way to cover the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles which is why so many car hire agencies offer deals for this particular road trip. Hundreds and thousands of people, both local and tourists, rent cars for this trip during different times of the year, not at all surprising that it one of the most loved drives in the US after Route 66.
Renting a car is a popular way to cover the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles which is why so many car hire agencies offer deals for this particular road trip. Hundreds and thousands of people, both local and tourists, rent cars for this trip during different times of the year, not at all surprising that it one of the most loved drives in the US after Route 66.
Quick car hire information - San Francisco to Los Angeles
Though usually, people complete the drive over the weekend (like students and locals who have to return to work on the weekdays), many tourists take even 7 to 14 days to complete the trip. The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have so much to offer that you can easily spend 2 to 3 days exploring each one of them. Ideally, travelers start in San Francisco, spend 2-3 days in SF, drive out and take 6-7 days exploring spots on the way and spend the last 2-3 days in Los Angeles.
With a rental car, people find it really easy to manage their schedules no matter how demanding it is. Besides the tourists & local road trippers, the one-way (& round trips) between the two cities are also taken by:
- People moving from Los Angeles to San Francisco permanently or for a long duration of time (for instance, locals who are moving to LA for jobs)
- Students (as a weekend trip)
- Seasonal workers (they usually rent cars for the one-way trip, but some even rent vehicles for a few months or longer durations of time for local commuting)
- People on business tours or trips (they usually prefer luxury vans or limousines)
CAR HIRE COMPANIES that provide one-way deals from LA to San Francisco
The best car hire deals for the drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco (or San Francisco to Los Angeles) are provided by ALL major suppliers & brokers. (The car hire brokers also provide deals through them only but at more competitive prices)
- Sixt Rent A Car
- Europcar
- Dollar Rent A Car
- Enterprise Rent A Car
- Hertz Rent A Car
- Ace Rent A Car
- Alamo Rent A Car
- Fox Rent A Car
- National Car Rental
Advantage doesn’t provide car rental deals for San Francisco Airport. In California, it has counters only at LAX Airport and San Diego Airport.
One way car rental LA to San Francisco fee
The suppliers that provide one-way car hire deals for the Los Angeles - San Francisco trip usually charge a one-way fee with the rental deals. The lowest one-way rates are offered by brokers through companies like Fox rent a car, Europcar, Alamo, and Sixt.How to rent a cheap car for San Francisco to Los Angeles drive?
Though the car hire brands offer good deals, through brokers you can even get a better one(in most of the cases). They work in partnership with the big brands and most of the time have permission to show discounted deals.
- Tripadvisor car rental
- Booking car rental
- Autoeurope
- Rentalcars
- Carrentals
- Turo
- Expedia car rental
- While comparing car hire deals for LA to San Francisco one-way drive, we found that most of the suppliers & brokers offered cheaper deals for 1 week or 2-week rentals in comparison to 1 day or 2-day rentals. So, if possible rent a car for a longer duration of time.
- Different types of fuel policies are offered by the suppliers but full-to-full is regarded as the fairest of all.
- If you can find rental car deals with uncapped mileage, give them preference over the others.
- Return the rental car on time; most suppliers provide a grace period but after that, they charge an extra fee for latecomers.
- You can avoid fuel charges by returning the rental car with the fuel amount specified on the rental document.
How to rent a cheap car for San Francisco to Los Angeles drive?
- Tripadvisor car rental
- Booking car rental
- Autoeurope
- Rentalcars
- Carrentals
- Turo
- Expedia car rental
- While comparing car hire deals for LA to San Francisco one-way drive, we found that most of the suppliers & brokers offered cheaper deals for 1 week or 2-week rentals in comparison to 1 day or 2-day rentals. So, if possible rent a car for a longer duration of time.
- Different types of fuel policies are offered by the suppliers but full-to-full is regarded as the fairest of all.
- If you can find rental car deals with uncapped mileage, give them preference over the others.
- Return the rental car on time; most suppliers provide a grace period but after that, they charge an extra fee for latecomers.
- You can avoid fuel charges by returning the rental car with the fuel amount specified on the rental document.
How much to rent a car for one-way from San Francisco to LA?
We compared prices of deals offered by car hire suppliers like Sixt, Enterprise, Fox, National, Europcar, Dollar, and Hertz for a two-day rental. The lowest prices were that of Fox rent-a-car; only $8 per day for an economy car, $10.74 per day for a standard SUV, and $11.78 for a luxury/convertible rental. The second best rates were that of Enterprise & Dollar rent-a-car; while the compact and economy car rental deals started at $35 per day, van rental (15 passengers) deals were offered at $99 per day.
Next, we explored deal prices on brokers like Expedia, Turo, Tripadvisor, Skyscanner, and rentalcars.com. The lowest prices were that of Expedia - only $8 per day (from fox-rent-a-car), 7 to 15 passenger vans from $58 to 63 (from AVR Van Rental), SUVs at $12 per day (again fox rent-a-car), etc. We also noted that the rentals that had a pickup specified as in-terminal were costlier than off-airport locations with shuttle service.
How much to rent a car for one-way from San Francisco to LA?
We compared prices of deals offered by car hire suppliers like Sixt, Enterprise, Fox, National, Europcar, Dollar, and Hertz for a two-day rental. The lowest prices were that of Fox rent-a-car; only $8 per day for an economy car, $10.74 per day for a standard SUV, and $11.78 for a luxury/convertible rental. The second best rates were that of Enterprise & Dollar rent-a-car; while the compact and economy car rental deals started at $35 per day, van rental (15 passengers) deals were offered at $99 per day.
Next, we explored deal prices on brokers like Expedia, Turo, Tripadvisor, Skyscanner, and rentalcars.com. The lowest prices were that of Expedia - only $8 per day (from fox-rent-a-car), 7 to 15 passenger vans from $58 to 63 (from AVR Van Rental), SUVs at $12 per day (again fox rent-a-car), etc. We also noted that the rentals that had a pickup specified as in-terminal were costlier than off-airport locations with shuttle service.
The best type of cars to rent for your trip
The majority of people prefer convertible rental cars for the drive from LA to San Francisco.Though the drive is mostly frequented by small groups on weekends or long weekends by both locals and tourists, during summer or winter holidays, the number of 7, 8, 9, 12, 15 van and minivans being rented, especially by the tourists, go up. Some travelers also prefer SUVs when the group size is less than 7.
Sports, exotic and luxury cars and vans are mostly used by business people for their business tours or work trips. The cars are offered by brands like Porsche, BMW, and Lamborghini.
Popular car hire queries related to the trip
Popular car hire queries related to the trip
" Car rental LAX to SFO" & "Car rental SFO to LAX"
The one-way car rentals between Los Angeles Airport and San Francisco airport are most frequently used by business people or leisure travelers who are traveling in groups.
The cost of the flight ticket for 1 person can range between $100 to $180, which could sum up to a lot of money if there are more than 5 people. To avoid such rip-off situations people rent SUVs or vans for a few days as renting a car usually proves to be more economical than the flights. Also, many travelers rent cars for different reasons (like, some have meetings, some have an important occasion to attend, etc) when their flights get canceled.
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1. Car rental LAX to SFO Airport
Location of rental counters at Los Angeles Airport
The offices of the car rental companies are located at off-airport locations. Courtesy shuttle service is offered; the buses can be boarded from under pink & purple ‘Rental Car Shuttles’ sign located at the airport’s arrival level 1.
2. Car rental SFO to LAX Airport
Location of car hire companies at SFO Airport
The car rental counters of the companies are not located in the airport terminal, use the AirTrain’s blue line to reach the Car Rental Center.
Total routes between San Francisco & Los Angeles
Route Interstate 5 (I-5)
With almost 300 miles, the drive from San Francisco through LA via I-5 is the fastest route but not that scenic. To make it a bit more interesting take side trips to Antelope valley and Vasquez Rocks.
Route US -101
With 425 miles, this route is longer than I-5 but scenic. Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo are the two most popular stops that people visit on the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
There are two routes to go from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo; don’t take the coastal route if you are driving a truck or a bigger trailer.
State Route 99
If you want to cover the Yosemite national park, Route 99 is your best option.
Highway 1/Pacific coast highway
With approximately 455 miles, the drive from LA to SF via the pacific coast highway is the longest route but it is also the most scenic.
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