DestinationsSanta Cruz

SFO to Santa Cruz Private Car Service

Private, direct transportation from San Francisco International Airport to hotels, vacation rentals and the UC Santa Cruz campus in Santa Cruz, Capitola and Aptos.

Private transfer — your party only, never a shared van
Pickup at the SFO arrivals curb; we track your flight
Direct to your hotel, resort or rental in Santa Cruz, luggage in the car
Santa Cruz to SFO booked the same way, at the same rate

A transfer, not a tour: no stops and no guide — we pick you up at SFO and drive you directly to Santa Cruz.

67 miSFO to Santa Cruz, over Highway 17 through the Santa Cruz Mountains
~1 h 15 minTypical drive, free-flowing traffic
$235Economy Sienna, one way, either direction
1 carPrivate — your party only, door to door
Fares

Flat rate $235 one way, either direction

A Economy Sienna runs a flat $235 one way between SFO and Santa Cruz — the same price to the airport as from it, no surge, no meter, no per-bag charge. The exact all-in fare for your car is shown in the booking flow and confirmed before you pay.

Economy SiennaUp to 6 passengers$235 one way
Premium SuburbanUp to 6 passengersPriced for your address
Premium EscaladeUp to 6 passengersPriced for your address

A party larger than a car's seats is booked as a request: we find a vehicle that fits and confirm the price before you commit.

That is the whole price: the SFO airport fee and every bridge toll are already inside it, and nothing is added at the end. A pickup between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. adds the published night fee.

Starting from a San Francisco hotel instead? The Economy Sienna is $235 one way from any address in the city — no airport fee; the bridge toll is measured for your address and shown as its own line. From a hotel elsewhere in the Bay Area, choose it on the form: a published pair prices at once, and anything else is confirmed by a person before you commit.

Pickups between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. add the published night fee, shown as its own line before you pay. Gratuity is not required or expected.

See your fare & bookBook from a hotel or addressText (650) 456-9999

Several rides, a stop on the way, or a pickup that isn't listed? Tell us the trip in your own words and we read it.

Why travelers book this route

Santa Cruz is about an hour and a quarter from SFO with the roads clear, and the last twenty miles are Highway 17 over the mountains — a winding two-lane-each-way road that is nobody's favorite thing to drive for the first time after a flight. A private transfer puts that drive in the hands of someone who does it every week.

The public alternative from SFO is a train, a bus and a second bus, with luggage; the rideshare alternative is a quote that moves with demand for a drive many drivers turn down. A booked car has a confirmed driver at the curb and a fare fixed before you fly.

Families arriving for a UCSC move-in, a wedding on the coast or a week at Capitola book the same way in both directions.

Your pickup at SFO

Arrivals curb, flight tracked, driver confirmed by text

Book online in about a minute — no account, no app. A person reviews the request and texts back to confirm the ride and the fare; on the day, the driver texts before pickup and again on arrival. Then it is the drive to Santa Cruz, direct, with no other passengers and no stops.

Add your flight number

We track the flight. A late landing moves your pickup rather than losing it, and there is no waiting fee for flight delays.

Meet at the arrivals curb

Collect your bags and step out to the arrivals curb at your terminal. We text your driver's name, car and plate before you land.

Luggage goes in the car

The driver loads at the curb and unloads at your door. Enter your bag count when you book so the right vehicle comes — the minivan for a family or four large cases.

The way back, curbside

For the ride to your flight home, the driver drops you at the departures level of your terminal, with the pickup time set against your check-in.

About Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is the beach town at the northern end of Monterey Bay: the Boardwalk and the wharf on the water, downtown a few blocks inland, West Cliff and the UC Santa Cruz campus on the hill above. Capitola, Soquel and Aptos follow the coast east; Scotts Valley and Felton sit in the mountains on the road in.

All of it is one published rate. Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley, fifteen miles further down Highway 1, have their own rate in the booking form.

  • UCSC move-in day? Give us the college name; the campus roads are one-way loops and the driver will take the right entrance.
  • Highway 17 is slow on summer weekends and after rain. Your driver watches it and picks the timing; the fare is the one you booked.
Our service

Three levels of private airport transfer

Economy — Travel SFO
Best ValueEconomyA private airport transfer in a seven-seat minivan, at a fixed price.VehicleToyota SiennaPassengersUp to 6Airport pickupCurbside pickupWaiting60 minutes of free waitingDriverNeat and presentable
Premium — Travel SFO
More ComfortPremiumA full-size SUV — more room, a quieter ride, and space for the luggage that comes with it.VehicleChevrolet Suburban · Cadillac EscaladePassengersUp to 6Airport pickupCurbside pickupWaiting90 minutes of free waitingDriverBusiness casual
Black Car — Travel SFO
Full Chauffeur ServiceBlack CarChauffeur-level service: your driver meets you inside with a sign and stays with you to the car.VehicleCadillac Escalade · Chevrolet SuburbanPassengersUp to 6Airport pickupMeet & Greet includedWaiting120 minutes of free waitingDriverSuit and tie

Every level is a flat rate, both directions, with airport parking included. Exact fares for your route are shown in the booking flow, confirmed before you pay. Premium and Black Car run the same two cars — what changes is how you are met, how long the driver waits, and how the driver is dressed.

The way back

Santa Cruz to SFO private car service

The return is a booking of its own, on the same form at the same rate: the button opens it with the pickup at your hotel, resort or rental in Santa Cruz and the drop-off at SFO. Add the flight number and we set the pickup time against the check-in your airline wants, allowing for the traffic on the way.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get from SFO to Santa Cruz?

About an hour and fifteen minutes with the roads clear, over Highway 17. Summer weekends and the evening commute add to that; your driver plans for it, and the fare doesn't change.

Can you pick us up directly at SFO?

Yes. Add your flight number when you book and we track the landing. Collect your bags, step out to the arrivals curb at your terminal, and your driver is there — we text the driver's name, car and plate before you land. There is no waiting fee for a late flight.

Is Capitola or Aptos the same price as Santa Cruz?

Yes — Santa Cruz, Capitola, Soquel, Aptos, Scotts Valley and Felton are all one published rate. Watsonville, further down Highway 1, has its own rate in the booking form.

Is the ride private?

Yes. The car is yours alone, direct from the airport to your address — no other passengers, no stops. It is a transfer, not a tour.

How much luggage fits?

Economy is a Toyota Sienna — the car for this drive — the seats fold for a student's boxes, child seats are installed by the driver if you ask for them, and a couple with two suitcases rides in it just as comfortably. Enter your bag count when you book.

Can you drive us from Santa Cruz back to SFO?

Yes, at the same rate. Book the way back as its own transfer: your Santa Cruz address as the pickup, SFO as the drop-off. Add the flight number and we set the pickup time against your check-in, allowing for Highway 17.

What is added to the fare?

Nothing. The published fare is the whole price: the SFO airport fee and every bridge toll on the drive are already inside it, so nothing is itemized on top. No meter, no surge, no per-bag charge, no booking fee. A pickup between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. adds the published night fee, shown as its own line before you pay. Gratuity is not required or expected.

Find us on Google Maps

Rated 5 stars by real riders

5.0 on Google

A real local business, based minutes from SFO in Burlingame — see what riders say about their pickups.

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Travel SFO3133 Frontera Way, Burlingame, CA5.0
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Know your Santa Cruz fare before you fly

Booking takes about a minute: