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Esalen Frequently Asked Questions

Page 4: Directions, Transportation, and Lodging

Directions and Driving

How do I get to Esalen? What if I fly into Monterey?

For directions from points north and south, maps, and current road conditions, please see our Getting There section. There you will also find information on passenger van service from downtown Monterey and from Monterey Airport. See below for information on transportation from other airports.

Is it possible to carpool?

If you would like to share or offer a ride, please make a note of it when making your reservation, either online or over the phone.

Airports and Transportation

There are four airports one can fly into when coming to Esalen: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Monterey. The driving time to Esalen is three hours and 30 minutes from San Francisco and Oakland, two hours and thirty minutes from San Jose, and one hour and 15 minutes from Monterey. There can be a considerable difference in air fares to each of those airports.

The Esalen limo picks people up (by advance reservation) at the Monterey airport at 4:00 pm on Fridays and Sundays; the limo then picks additional people up at the Monterey Transit Plaza in downtown Monterey at 4:20 pm. The limo then returns to Monterey and the Monterey airport, leaving Esalen shortly after it arrives here, usually between 5:30 and 6:15 pm, so it is not wise to count on being back in Monterey or at the Monterey Airport before 7:30 pm. The cost of the limo is $60 one way. Most people manage, for their return trip, to get a ride with someone leaving Esalen earlier in the afternoon; it is usually safe to count on getting a ride leaving Esalen around 2 pm. It is relatively easy to get a ride back to Monterey; it is less easy, but often possible, to get a ride all the way to San Francisco. It is also possible to arrange with someone who works here to drive you back to Monterey, usually at a cost of around $65 to $75.

The Monterey/Salinas Airbus provides bus service from the San Francisco Airport to the Monterey Transit Plaza in downtown Monterey; the bus stops en route at the San Jose Airport and at the Amtrak Station in downtown Salinas. There is a bus approximately once every hour and a half or two hours. The latest schedule we have shows a departure from the San Francisco Airport at 1:00 pm, stopping at the San Jose Airport at 1:45 pm and the Salinas Amtrak Station at 3:00 pm, arriving in downtown Monterey at 3:30 pm; that bus stops in Monterey at the same place where our limo picks people up at 4:20 pm. (That location is in the heart of the downtown Monterey shopping area, with a number of cafes, etc., very close by.) The returning bus leaves downtown Monterey at 2:30 pm. 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and 8:00 pm and arrives at the San Francisco airport two and a half hours later. Call the Monterey/Salinas Airbus at 831-373-7777 to verify schedule and fare and to make a reservation, or visit their web site at www.montereyairbus.com.

There is no public transportation available from the Oakland airport.

You can also check with us to see if anyone is listed in our rideshare program as coming here on the same date as you and leaving from, or passing near, the airport you plan to fly into. If so, we can give you their names and phone numbers and you can phone them to arrange to share a ride.

Big Sur Accommodations:

Camping:

Other Useful Information:

Roomfinder Services:

Hotels near Monterey Transit Plaza (Area Code 831):

Lodging & Transportation in San Francisco

You may choose to take the Monterey/Salinas Airbus to Monterey from the San Francisco Airport. Call 831-373-7777 for reservations and departure times. The Airbus stops downtown at the Monterey Transit Plaza, at the intersection of Pearl and Alvarado streets. (Look for the small Airbus sign next to the Ordway Pharmacy building.) The Esalen van leaves from the Monterey Transit Plaza at approximately 4:20pm on Fridays and Sundays. The price is $60 (subject to change), payable when you check in at Esalen. For more information please see our Getting There section.