There are 4 ways to get from Big Sur to Santa Cruz by taxi, bus, car, or bus (Amtrak)
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Taxi, line 28 bus, line 1 bus
best- Take the taxi from Big Sur to Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1taxi
- Take the bus from Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1 to Watsonville Transit Center / Lane 2bus 28 / ...
- Take the bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Frontbus 1
3h 7m$146–178Drive 70.2 mi
cheapest- Drive from Big Sur to Santa Cruzcar 70.2 mi
1h 26m$13–19Taxi, line 20 bus, line 28 bus, line 1 bus
- Take the taxi from Big Sur to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 4 Tylertaxi
- Take the bus from Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 4 Tyler to Salinas Transit Center / Gate 7bus 20
- Take the bus from Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1 to Watsonville Transit Center / Lane 2bus 28 / ...
- Take the bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Frontbus 1
4h 31m$96–121Bus, line 1 bus
- Take the bus from Carmel Amtrak Bus Stop to Salinasbus Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service
- Take the bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Frontbus 1
5h 16m$90–115
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Big Sur to Santa Cruz is to drive which costs $12 - $19 and takes 1h 26m.
The fastest way to get from Big Sur to Santa Cruz is to drive which takes 1h 26m and costs $12 - $19.
No, there is no direct bus from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. However, there are services departing from Carmel Amtrak Bus Stop and arriving at Soquel Ave & Front via Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1 and Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5h 16m.
The distance between Big Sur and Santa Cruz is 89 miles. The road distance is 70.6 miles.
The best way to get from Big Sur to Santa Cruz without a car is to taxi and line 28 bus and line 1 bus which takes 3h 7m and costs $140 - $180.
It takes approximately 3h 7m to get from Big Sur to Santa Cruz, including transfers.
Big Sur to Santa Cruz bus services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Carmel Amtrak Bus Stop station.
Big Sur to Santa Cruz bus services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Salinas station.
Yes, the driving distance between Big Sur to Santa Cruz is 71 miles. It takes approximately 1h 26m to drive from Big Sur to Santa Cruz.
There are 126+ hotels available in Santa Cruz.
What companies run services between Big Sur, CA, USA and Santa Cruz, CA, USA?
You can take a vehicle from Big Sur to Soquel Ave & Front via Carmel Amtrak Bus Stop, Salinas, Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1, and Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 in around 5h 16m.
- Phone
- 1-888-678-2871
- [email protected]
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1 to Watsonville Transit Center / Lane 2
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 4 Tyler to Salinas Transit Center / Gate 7
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Salinas Transit Center / Gate 1 to Watsonville Transit Center / Lane 2
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
- Phone
- +1 (831) 425-8600
- Website
- Santa Cruz Metro
Bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Front
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–7
- Website
- Santa Cruz Metro
Bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Front
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–7
- Website
- Santa Cruz Metro
Bus from Watsonville Transit Center - Lane 3 to Soquel Ave & Front
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–7
- Website
- Santa Cruz Metro
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Bus from Carmel Amtrak Bus Stop to Salinas
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $9–13
- Website
- Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Estimated price
- $90–170
Want to know more about travelling around United States
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide





