How to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA

Tue, Sep 29
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Travel Information

Compare bus, train, and flight for San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA

Omio recommends booking the flight as it is the most popular option from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of $140 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 6h 18m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.2 - 0.7kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $140, while a flight costs an average of $546.

Distance: 458 miles (738 km)

Compare flight with

Most popular
Flight
Train
Bus
Driving

$546

Average price

$153

Average price

$140

Average price

Cheapest

$117

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

6h 18m

Average total duration

Fastest

4h 18m

Onboard

+

2h 0m

Additional time*

14h 59m

Average total duration

14h 29m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

13h 1m

Average total duration

12h 31m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

7h 49m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

2.2 - 4.4kg

CO2 emissions

0.2 - 0.7kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.7 - 1.8kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

United

Most popular airline

Amtrak

Most popular train company

Greyhound

Most popular bus company

Your own car or car rental

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

The cheapest way to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is a bus with an average price of $140.

This is compared to other travel options from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA:

A bus is $13 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $153.

A bus is $405 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $546.

The fastest way to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average journey time of 6h 18m.

Other travel options to San Francisco, CA take longer:

Bus takes on average 13h 1m.

Train takes on average 14h 59m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 3 ways to travel between San Diego, CA and San Francisco, CA including taking a bus, train, and flight.
We recommend using the flight as it is the most popular way to get from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA among Omio's users.
Take the flight. It's the quicker way to make this trip, and the time saved usually justifies the slightly higher cost.

You'll arrive about 3h 31m sooner (4h 18m by flight vs 7h 49m by car). Tickets start at around $546 compared to roughly $117 in fuel and tolls — a bit more, but you get time back and avoid a long drive.

Driving makes more sense if you're travelling as a group, want flexibility on timing, or plan to stop en route.

Travel options
from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA

How to get from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner · 4769 Connecting Bus
    8:10 AM13h30
    Old Town Station, San Diego, CA
    9:40 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $741One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner · 4769 Connecting Bus
    8:10 AM13h30
    Old Town Station, San Diego, CA
    9:40 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $741One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • Alaska AirlinesAS1450
    3:43 PM1h39
    San Diego International Airport
    5:22 PMSan Francisco International Airport
    $1391One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner · 4765 Connecting Bus
    6:10 AM13h50
    Old Town Station, San Diego, CA
    8:00 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $851One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner · 4765 Connecting Bus
    6:01 AM13h59
    Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, CA
    8:00 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $851One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner · 5719 Connecting Bus · 719 Gold Runner · 6619 Connecting Bus
    8:10 AM14h20
    Old Town Station, San Diego, CA
    10:30 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $1341One-way
    3 transfers
  • Amtrak785 Pacific Surfliner · 4785 Connecting Bus
    4:10 PM13h35
    Old Town Station, San Diego, CA
    5:45 AMSan Francisco, CA
    $741One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner · 4769 Connecting Bus
    8:01 AM13h39
    Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, CA
    9:40 PMSan Francisco, CA
    $741One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak785 Pacific Surfliner · 4785 Connecting Bus
    4:01 PM13h44
    Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, CA
    5:45 AMSan Francisco, CA
    $741One-way
    1 transfer
  • Alaska AirlinesAS1399
    2:19 PM1h40
    San Diego International Airport
    3:59 PMSan Francisco International Airport
    $1391One-way
    0 transfers
  • Alaska AirlinesAS291
    9:30 PM1h42
    San Diego International Airport
    11:12 PMSan Francisco International Airport
    $1391One-way
    0 transfers
  • Alaska AirlinesAS3100
    5:22 PM1h44
    San Diego International Airport
    7:06 PMSan Francisco International Airport
    $1391One-way
    0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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FAQs: Travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA

Travel to San Francisco, CA easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between San Diego, CA and San Francisco, CA including taking a bus, train, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is a bus with an average price of $140.

This is compared to other travel options from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA:

A bus is $13 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $153.

A bus is $405 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $546.

The fastest way to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average journey time of 6h 18m.

Other travel options to San Francisco, CA take longer:

Bus takes on average 13h 1m.

Train takes on average 14h 59m.

The distance from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is approximately 458 miles (738 km).
The average frequency per day from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA is:
  • Around 67 flights per day.
  • Around 5 trains per day.
  • Around 5 buses per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between San Diego, CA and San Francisco, CA as scheduled services by bus, train, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA:
  • Flights mostly depart from San Diego International Airport and arrive in San Francisco International Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Solana Beach Station, Solana Beach, CA and arrive in Emeryville station, Emeryville, CA.
  • Buses mostly depart from San Diego, Congress Street (Old Town Park), CA and arrive in San Francisco, Transit Center Bay 29.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus to go to San Francisco, CA by bus.
  • Travel with American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United, CitizenPlane, skywest airlines to go to San Francisco, CA by flight.
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to San Francisco, CA by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA with the following travel companies:
  • 2 direct buses per day with Greyhound.
  • 18 direct flights per day with Alaska Airlines, United, CitizenPlane.
Omio customers who travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA often also extend their vacation to go to Los Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Santa Ana, CA. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between San Francisco, CA and these popular destinations at a great price.
Most travelers need at least three days in San Francisco, CA to see the main sights at a comfortable pace. If you want day trips or a slower itinerary, consider adding extra time.
In San Francisco, CA, you can ride a cable car through steep streets, explore vibrant murals in the Mission District, and visit the Exploratorium, an interactive science museum. Take a scenic walk along the Embarcadero for views of the Bay Bridge and access to the Ferry Building Marketplace. Enjoy a wine tasting tour in nearby Napa Valley. Key sights include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, and Chinatown, each offering unique experiences from panoramic views to vibrant culture and cuisine.
Three to four days in San Francisco, CA, allows you to explore major attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Fisherman's Wharf, and neighborhoods like Chinatown and Haight-Ashbury, while also enjoying some of the city's renowned dining and cultural experiences.
HomeTravelTravel to USATravel to San Francisco, CAHow to travel from San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA

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