getting to monterey
Monterey is a popular tourist destination, so we recommend that you give yourself enough time to make travel arrangements. We hope this page helps you with your travel plans, and feel free to contact us with any questions.
Directly to Monterey
Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) has daily nonstop flights to and from Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco and is serviced by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Allegiant, United Airlines, and US Airways. Once you’re in Monterey, you won’t need a car to get around, so flying directly into Monterey is easy and convenient!
Website: montereyairport.com
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San Jose International Airport (SJC) are about 1½ - 2 hours away from Monterey by car. They offer much more flexible flight schedules. The drive down to Monterey is pretty, so this is a great option too!
SFO website: flysfo.com
SJC website: flysanjose.com
Shuttle bus to and from the Bay Area
The Monterey Airbus Shuttle Service offers convenient bus transportation from SFO and SJC directly to downtown Monterey. Rates range from $35-$45 each way when booked online, and the shuttles run approximately every 1½ hours. This service is great if you don’t want rental car hassles.
Website: montereyairbus.com
Driving to Monterey from the Bay Area
Take US-101 south through Gilroy to CA-156 (exit 336). Exit right onto CA-156 west through Castroville until it merges with CA-1 south (approx. 6 miles). Continue on CA-1 south and take either the Del Monte Ave exit (402B) or the Monterey exit (401A) onto Fremont St. Follow these streets west into downtown Monterey.
During the summer season, traffic on CA-156 can be very heavy since it is only two lanes, so allow extra time. (Taking CA-17 to CA-1 through Santa Cruz can be even slower since a portion of CA-1 is two lanes as well.)
For travel alerts, visit seemonterey.com.
Parking in Monterey
Parking in downtown Monterey, Cannery Row parking garages, and hotels can be expensive since Monterey is a tourist destination. There is free parking in downtown Monterey on weekends, such as the lot at Bonifacio Pl and Adams St. More information on parking is available here: monterey.org.
Free Monterey Shuttle
Monterey offers the cute (and free!) "WAVE" trolley serving downtown and Cannery Row during the summer months. It’s a great way to get from downtown to Cannery Row and even over to Pacific Grove and Asilomar. More information is available here: monterey.org.
Hotels
Because lodging can be difficult to find on the Monterey Peninsula, we recommend calling Resort 2 Me, a free, local lodging service. You may contact them at 800-757-5646 or visit their web site at resort2me.com. Although we do not have any rooms set aside, they can assist you in finding anything from a basic motel to a luxury resort. Please mention the Sheng / Lew Wedding or our Wedding Profile Number: 10383.
