Sacramento Transport and Car Rental: Sacramento, California - CA, USA

Sacramento can be classed as an accessible city, with excellent air, road, rail, bus and water travel and transport opportunities. Located northeast of San Francisco, Sacramento has an international airport within its city limits, with regular flights from overseas and a multitude of domestic connection.

The Californian capital is also on the crossroads of the north-south I-5 and the east-west I-80, making getting here by car and bus very easy, while Amtrak trains come in from many cities and directions.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) / Arriving by Air
Located to the northwest of the city, Sacramento International Airport receives flights from most major US and international airlines and has excellent transport links with downtown and many city hotels. By road, the airport is located just off I-5, making transport into the city easy, while the Yolobus bus runs an hourly service downtown at a reasonable price. Taxis are available near to the Terminal A baggage claim area and from the airport hotel at Terminal B. For further information about the airport, please visit the Sacramento Airport Information travel page.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) Guide

Car Rental
Renting a car at Sacramento International Airport is straightforward as all car rental agencies are located in one centralized area, with shuttle buses providing access from each terminal. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National are all represented here. The city itself is fed by I-5 running north-south and I-80 running east-west from New York to Chicago. Sacramento is about 90 miles northeast of San Francisco along I-80.

Book your Sacramento Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches
Arriving and departing from Sacramento by Greyhound bus is the cheapest way of getting here and away, but long distance bus travel can be uncomfortable. However, if you are coming from San Francisco, traveling by Greyhound is a viable option. Sacramento's bus depot is located at 7th and L streets. The journey time from San Francisco is about two hours, Los Angeles nine hours and Seattle 19 hours. From the airport, Yolobus provides cheap transport to central Sacramento.

Trains
Traveling by train to Sacramento is generally fast and comfortable, with sample journey times ranging from two hours from San Francisco to eight hours from Los Angeles and a little longer from Seattle. It is also possible to travel from New York to Sacramento by rail via Chicago. The rail station in town is located near downtown Sacramento on 5th and I streets.

Tram / Trolley Bus
Within Old Sacramento, downtown and midtown Sacramento offers a light rail and bus service between important visitor attractions and tourist areas for a nominal fee. Buses usually run from 06:00 until about 22:00, while trains start even earlier and often run to midnight.

Taxis
Making use of taxi services from the airport to your hotel is by far the quickest way to reach your accommodation, but within the city itself, using taxis is unnecessary as there are good public transport networks.