There are 9 ways to get from Carmel to Santa Monica by taxi, bus, train (Amtrak), car, plane, tram, shuttle, or subway
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Taxi, bus
best- Take the taxi from Carmel to Gilroy, CA McDonaldstaxi
- Take the bus from Gilroy, CA McDonalds to Chinatown Metro Station - Los Angeles, CAbus San Jose
7h 46m$189–223Drive 320.3 mi
cheapest- Drive from Carmel to Santa Monicacar 320.3 mi
5h 38m$59–85Train (Amtrak)
- Take the train from Salinas to Los Angelestrain Coast Starlight
10h 39m$184–327Line 5 bus to Monterey Regional Airport, fly to Los Angeles International Airport, tram
- Take the bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearlbus
- Fly from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)plane MRY - LAX
- Take the tram from LAX / Metro Transit Center to Expo / Crenshaw K-Line Stationtram
- Take the tram from Expo / Crenshaw E-Line Station to Downtown Santa Monica Stationtram
5h 24m$279–712Shuttle to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Los Angeles International Airport
- Take a shuttle bus from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)plane SJC - LAX
6h 40m$161–669Line 5 bus to Monterey Regional Airport, fly to Burbank Bob Hope Airport, subway, tram
- Take the bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearlbus
- Fly from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR)plane MRY - BUR
- Take the subway from North Hollywood Station to 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro B & D Linessubway
- Take the tram from 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro A & E Lines to Downtown Santa Monica Stationtram
5h 50m$439–810Line 5 bus, shuttle to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Burbank Bob Hope Airport, subway, tram
- Take the bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearlbus
- Take a shuttle bus from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR)plane SJC - BUR
- Take the subway from North Hollywood Station to 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro B & D Linessubway
- Take the tram from 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro A & E Lines to Downtown Santa Monica Stationtram
7h 8m$531–817Line 5 bus, shuttle to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Long Beach Airport, line 191 bus, tram
- Take the bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearlbus
- Take a shuttle bus from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Long Beach Airport (LGB)plane SJC - LGB
- Take the bus from Del Amo & Lakewood NW to Del Amo Station Bay 3bus
- Take the tram from Del Amo Station to Pico Stationtram
- Take the tram from Pico Station to Downtown Santa Monica Stationtram
8h 32m$83–269Line 5 bus to Monterey Regional Airport, fly to John Wayne Airport Orange County, line 76 bus, line 43 bus, bus, tram
- Take the bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearlbus
- Fly from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to John Wayne Airport Orange County (SNA)plane MRY - SNA
- Take the bus from Airport-Arrival Terminal to Macarthur-Harborbus
- Take the bus from Harbor-Macarthur to Harbor-East Shuttle Areabus
- Take the bus from Disneyland Employee's Entrance to Figueroa / Picobus
- Take the tram from Pico Station to Downtown Santa Monica Stationtram
9h 21m$252–764
Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Carmel to Santa Monica is to drive which costs $55 - $85 and takes 5h 38m.
The fastest way to get from Carmel to Santa Monica is to line 5 bus and fly and tram which takes 5h 24m and costs $270 - $750.
No, there is no direct train from Carmel to Santa Monica station. However, there are services departing from Salinas and arriving at Downtown Santa Monica Station via Union Station - Metro B & D Lines and 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro A & E Lines. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 10h 39m.
The distance between Carmel and Santa Monica is 378 miles. The road distance is 322.1 miles.
The best way to get from Carmel to Santa Monica without a car is to taxi and bus which takes 7h 46m and costs $180 - $230.
It takes approximately 7h 46m to get from Carmel to Santa Monica, including transfers.
Carmel to Santa Monica train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Salinas station.
Carmel to Santa Monica train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Los Angeles station.
Yes, the driving distance between Carmel to Santa Monica is 322 miles. It takes approximately 5h 38m to drive from Carmel to Santa Monica.
There are 2493+ hotels available in Santa Monica.
What companies run services between Carmel, CA, USA and Santa Monica, CA, USA?
Amtrak operates a train from Salinas to Los Angeles once daily. Tickets cost $110–240 and the journey takes 9h 5m.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–220
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Burbank Bob Hope Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $50–330
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Long Beach Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–200
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 24m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–220
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 34m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–210
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Los Angeles International Airport via San Francisco
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $35–230
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to John Wayne Airport Orange County via San Francisco
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $60–380
- Website
- jsx.com
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Burbank Bob Hope Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $45–320
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to John Wayne Airport Orange County
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $50–350
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $100–360
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Salinas to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $110–240
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1-323-466-3876
- [email protected]
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from LAX / Metro Transit Center to Expo / Crenshaw K-Line Station
- Ave. Duration
- 21 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from Expo / Crenshaw E-Line Station to Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Subway from North Hollywood Station to 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro B & D Lines
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro A & E Lines to Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Subway from North Hollywood Station to 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro B & D Lines
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from 7th Street / Metro Center Station - Metro A & E Lines to Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from Del Amo Station to Pico Station
- Ave. Duration
- 38 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from Pico Station to Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Tram from Pico Station to Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
- Phone
- +1 714-839-3500
- [email protected]
- Website
- xedohoang.com
Bus from Gilroy, CA McDonalds to Chinatown Metro Station - Los Angeles, CA
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 4m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $44–48
- Schedules at
- xedohoang.com
- Phone
- 1-888-678-2871
- [email protected]
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearl
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearl
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearl
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearl
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
Bus from Rio Rd / The Crossroads Carmel to Monterey Transit Plaza / Gate 3 Pearl
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Monterey-Salinas Transit
- Phone
- +1 831-373-7777
- Website
- Groome Transportation
Shuttle from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $45–60
- Schedules at
- Groome Transportation
- Standard Rate
- $45–60
Shuttle from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $45–60
- Schedules at
- Groome Transportation
- Standard Rate
- $45–60
Shuttle from Monterey Shuttle Station to SJC Airport Terminal A
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $45–60
- Schedules at
- Groome Transportation
- Standard Rate
- $45–60
- Website
- Long Beach Transit
Bus from Del Amo & Lakewood NW to Del Amo Station Bay 3
- Ave. Duration
- 19 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2
- Website
- Long Beach Transit
- Phone
- +1 714-560-6282
- Website
- octa.net
Bus from Airport-Arrival Terminal to Macarthur-Harbor
- Ave. Duration
- 20 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $2
- Schedules at
- octa.net
Bus from Harbor-Macarthur to Harbor-East Shuttle Area
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2
- Schedules at
- octa.net
- Phone
- +1-323-466-3876
- [email protected]
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
Bus from Disneyland Employee's Entrance to Figueroa / Pico
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Website
- Metro Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Estimated price
- $140–170
Sal's Salinas Taxi Co
- Phone
- +1 831-422-7276
Yellow Cab
- Phone
- +1 831-424-1234
- Website
- yellowcab1234.com
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