Getting Here

Flying to Monterey County

Convenient Monterey Regional Airport, which has short and hassle-free security lines, is located just 10 minutes door-to-door from downtown Monterey, 15 minutes from Carmel-by-the-Sea, 25 minutes from downtown Salinas and 45 minutes from Big Sur. Visitors can fly direct to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) via international and domestic connecting routes on Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American Airlines and United Express. Fly direct from airports including Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Phoenix (PHX), San Diego (SAN), Las Vegas (LAS) and Denver (DEN). Charter and private flights are also available.

Other Nearby Airports

Other large airports near Monterey County include Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), located 60 minutes from downtown Monterey and 50 from downtown Salinas; and San Francisco International Airport, located 2 hours from downtown Monterey and 90 minutes from downtown Salinas. Monterey Airbus and Main Event Transportation offer convenient door-to-door service to and from SFO and SJC.

Monterey County by Bus or Train

Amtrak's Coast Starlight train cruises through Salinas each day on its route between Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California, providing a leisurely and scenic way to travel. There are packages to fit every budget. It's a great way to see the grandeur of the Central Coast at eye level. Free bus service is provided from Salinas to downtown Monterey, a 30-minute ride. There is also a Greyhound station in Salinas with connecting service to Monterey.

Monterey County by Car

There are two routes to Monterey by car, both very scenic. Highway One, which runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles, offers breathtaking views of the Pacific coastline and has been called the top road trip in America by many sources. Highway 101 runs down the valley corridor and affords the motorist an opportunity to see the rich land that has made the Salinas Valley "the Salad Bowl of the World." Many routes can be found in the menu at the left.

Traveling to Monterey to enjoy all the natural beauty here is easy, but no matter which mode of transportation you use – plane, train or automobile – it creates extra carbon emissions. We are now offering an opportunity to offset those emissions through a local, award-winning non-profit, The Offset Project. Learn how to offset your trip here.