Pebble Beach to San Fran? help please!
 

I'm going to pebble beach this summer and it seems as though the best flight options for me are to fly in and out of san francisco. is that going to be a really bad drive? is it scenic at all? i'm worried because on the return flight i have a 4:45 flight that leaves san francisco on a monday, so will there be a lot of traffic coming from pebble beach to the airport? i just dont want to have to leave the hotel at 10 am to make a 4:45 flight, especailly if its not even a pretty drive!! please advise. the alternative is to connect through monterey but i would prefer a non stop flight out of san francisco, thanks!

Is San Jose an option?

Beachbun: yes, i looked into san jose but the flight options from san francisco are much better. unfortunately the last flight out of san jose is at 12, so i would rather take the 4:45 out of san fran (assuming the drive is not horrendous!)

oops sorry beachbum, didnt mean to call you beachbun!!!

I rather like beachbun, katie! ***kim*** ((r))

If you get to SFO by 3:00, you should miss the rush hour traffic. Plan on 2 1/2 hrs. I live 5 mins south of SFO & it takes me 1 3/4 hrs to get to Monterey with no traffic at all. The drive (Hwy 101) is not scenic. If you go 280, it is a little more scenic but it's a little longer - 10 mins or so. Actually, 280 might be a little faster that time of day because it is a wider freeway. Take Hwy 380 to cut over from 280 to 101. You can take hwy 92 to cut over, but there might be some back-up on 101 just north of 92 (perhaps a 20% chance).

Stu Dudley

Listen to Stu katie, he lives in the area, beachbun is in Portland, OR! LOL ***kim*** :)

It's a pretty easy drive from Pebble Beach to SFO, during nonrush hours. About two hours, I'd guesstimate.

If you leave Pebble Beach early, say around 10 or 11 am, you could go on Highway 1 along the coast. It will be a pretty drive. Stop for lunch someplace and then cut over, say on Highway 92 or 84 to Highway 101 and then up to SFO. Nice drive. Done portions of it many, many times.

Enjoy California! :)

No sweat, katie; believe me, I've been called worse (isn't that right, kim). Looks like Stu and easytraveler have the skinny on the drive to SFO. I've always flown into SJC.

Hit 'em long and straight!!

>>>It's a pretty easy drive from Pebble Beach to SFO, during nonrush hours. About two hours, I'd guesstimate.

If you leave Pebble Beach early, say around 10 or 11 am, you could go on Highway 1 along the coast. <<<

Yes, that is a pretty drive, but it's not 2 hours. Plan on 3 to 3 1/2.

Stu Dudley

katie, listen to Stu, he's focused and knows the area well! ***kim*** ((*))

IMO, flying into Monterey is not a good option. The flights from SFO are often delayed/cancelled due to foggy weather, and the whole deal--connection time and flight--takes as long as driving would. San Jose is the next closest airport, but if you prefer SFO, don't worry, the drive won't be that bad--Stu has it covered. Enjoy! (And consider doing the HWY 1 drive on the way down--gorgeous!)

As others have said, it isn't a bad drive at all. The coast route is great, takes longer than the freeway, but has good scenery. The San Mateo coast is one of my favorite places actually.

Hwy 280 south to San Jose, then Hwy 17 over to Santa Cruz, and Hwy 1 south to Monterey is a nice route too. It's reasonably quick since it is mostly freeway. Hwy 280 is a nice road, there are redwoods over 17, and then some scenic spots along Hwy 1.

I was down in Camel this past weekend and drove back on Monday to SF. It usually takes me between 2 to 2 1/2 hours to get there. On Friday I picked my sister up at SFO at 1:50 pm. arrived in southern Carmel at 4pm driving 380 to 280 to 85 to 101 to 156 to 1. Left southern Carmel at 3:00p.m. --arrived in the center of SF where I live at 5:05pm driving 1 to 17 to 85 to 280 (would have been faster if I hadn't been stuck behind a slow poke on the 1 lane part of 1 north of Monterey). A couple of points I have a lead foot and I take 280 because I can drive 75 to 80 mph and I'm not admiring the scenery. I do not like 17 and I don't usually recommend it to visitors, it is a very windy 2 lane road that goes up over the Santa Cruz mountains. There are a lot of curves and fast drivers (faster than me even) taking those curves at high speed--not the most enjoyable drive IMHO. I took it on Monday because I wanted to bypass as much San Jose traffic as possible.

Hwy 17 is a 4-lane road.

Yes but it is only 2 lanes in either direction and it still isn't my favorite route. I don't recommend it to friends so I see no reason to tell strangers to take it.