Santa Monica travel guide
Santa Monica Tourism | Santa Monica Guide
You're Going to Love Santa Monica
With a population of 89.736, Santa Monica is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Santa Monica has to offer.
Where to Eat in Santa Monica
Downtown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Santa Monica. These include popular favourites such as Tar & Roses (602 Santa Monica Blvd), Hillstone - Santa Monica (202 Wilshire Blvd) and Melisse (1104 Wilshire Blvd.). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Lobster (1602 Ocean Avenue) and FIG (101 Wilshire Blvd) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Élephante (1332 2nd St) and Lunetta (2424 Pico Boulevard) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Santa Monica.
When to visit Santa Monica
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santa Monica in August, when the average temperature is 21 °C, and the highest can go up to 24 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is December, when it can get as cold as 8 °C, with an average temperature of 13 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 86 mm. In contrast, June is usually the driest month of the year in Santa Monica, with an average rainfall of 3 mm.
How to Get to Santa Monica
Plane
Santa Monica is served by 2 airports: Santa Monica (SMO) and Los Angeles Airport (LAX). The closest to the city centre of Santa Monica is Santa Monica, which is located 4 km from the city centre. Further away is Los Angeles Airport, 11 km from the centre of Santa Monica. Los Angeles Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and other airlines departing from the United Kingdom. The shortest flight to Santa Monica from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 11h 05m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Santa Monica. The train journey from Santa Monica to Fullerton takes 0h 39m and costs around £11 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Anaheim, expect to pay about £13 for a 0h 47m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Santa Monica is to pick up a car hire from Los Angeles, which is about 17 km from Santa Monica. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Dollar, among others, in Los Angeles.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Santa Monica, including FlixBus, Busbud and Amtrak. From Santa Barbara, the bus ride to Santa Monica takes 193 km and will cost you around £51. From Bakersfield, the ticket costs about £13 for a journey of 201 km.
Airlines serving Santa Monica
Where to stay in Santa Monica
From 5-star hotels such as the Santa Monica Proper Hotel to great affordable options like the Palihouse Santa Monica, Santa Monica offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around £215 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £440 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Ocean Park Hotel and Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Santa Monica, with prices from £13 to £1,345 per night. Downtown is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Santa Monica are about 4% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Santa Monica
Most booked hotels in Santa Monica
Hiring a car in Santa Monica
Hiring a car in Santa Monica costs £46 per day, on average, or £185 if you want to hire it for 4 days.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 4% more expensive than at Los Angeles.
Expect to pay £0.83 per litre in Santa Monica (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £9.90 and £13.19. The most frequently booked car type in Santa Monica is Full-size (Ford Mustang Convertible or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Chevrolet Bolt EUV or similar) is, on average, 48% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.
Best car hire deals in Santa Monica
Intermediate
5 adults, 3 Bags
£30/day
Economy
2 adults, 2 Bags
£31/day