Liz & Richard

For those of you who are flying into SFO or SJC and have asked about the best way to get to/from Carmel, there are several options.

If you're interested, please fill out our Google Sheets document (https://bit.ly/3v3OcTo) so we can connect you with other guests who may have similar travel plans, so you can coordinate and share costs.

Car Rental: Car rentals with pickup and dropoff at SJC or SFO are relatively inexpensive, starting at $40-60/day.

Uber: Based on current pricing, Ubers will cost $100-110 one-way from  SJC and $125-150 one-way from SFO.

Monterey Airbus: This shuttle costs $45/person from SJC and $55/person from SFO. It will drop you off in downtown Monterey, where you can catch the 24 bus or an Uber for a 10 minute ride to Carmel. Visit www.montereyairbus.com. 

Private Sedan/SUV Ride: This is by far the most expensive option and will cost around $300 one-way.

La Playa Carmel is where we will be staying with our families. It’s a beautiful, historic boutique hotel (originally built in 1905 as a mansion for one of the Ghirardelli heiresses by a renowned landscape painter). We have a very limited number of discounted rooms in a block at La Playa Carmel, available to reserve on on a first-come, first-served basis. 

**Update: All La Playa rooms in the block are full**

The Lamp Lighter Inn is just 2 blocks from La Playa Carmel and offers 11 rooms, cottages, and suites that have a quaint, seaside vibe. It’s right off Ocean Avenue and has a storybook feel, with an adorable courtyard containing Adirondack chairs and benches surrounding fire pits. Each room has a unique configuration, with some that can accommodate 3-4 guests, for those looking to share or bring kids. Rates are currently $295-$425, depending on configuration. They also have a sister inn called Forest Lodge, further up on Ocean Avenue.

To book Lamp Lighter, please email, call or text Olivia directly at osedlmayr@gmail.com or 831-254-0790 and let her know you’re part of the Berman-Fiedotin wedding group.

L'Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Chateaux property, is a luxury hotel inspired by the architect's European travels in the 1920s. The hotel boasts 20 rooms surrounding a beautiful courtyard and a Michelin-star restaurant, L'Aubergine.  It's in an excellent location just off of the main shopping block on Ocean Avenue and less than a 5 minute walk from La Playa. Current rates start at $440. Visit  the hotel's website to book.

If you're looking for B&B charm combined with modern amenities, The Vagabond's House is for you. It offers 13 renovated rooms surrounding a picturesque courtyard on a tree-lined street. However, it is a bit further from the action than other options (but still highly walkable), about a 5-7 minute walk from Ocean Avenue and 12-15 minutes from La Playa Carmel. Rooms are currently $269-$389. To stay here, please book directly.

This is the Liz & Richard-verified budget-friendly option. While there are several small inns in Carmel where you will likely find the best priced options, the only one we can personally vouch for is Monte Verde Inn. Rooms are no frills, but they're clean, the staff is friendly, and the location is excellent. Rates are currently $229-299. Visit the website to book.

If you're interested in a rental home, check out VRBO (which has better cancellation policies than AirBnB). Look for options as close to downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea as possible. Additionally, Carmel Cottage Inn (carmelcottageinn.com/), located 1 block from both La Playa and the beach, offers 5 cozy and historic cottages of different sizes.

• Some Carmel hotels are not listed on typical sites like Expedia.com, so check out Carmel's visitor site at https://www.carmelcalifornia.com/hotels-and-inns-in-carmel.htm to search all options.
• Click on the bubble at right to see a map of the hotels listed above. Additionally, at the link below is a full map of all hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
• For weekend visits, some hotels require a 2-night minimum stay covering Friday & Saturday nights. These hotels may not show up in your search results if you’re searching for Saturday 4/2 thru Monday 4/4.
• Please contact Liz with any questions or concerns about finding accommodations.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is located on the coast of northern California, 120 miles south of San Francisco. For those coming from afar, your best flight options will be:

San Jose International Airport (SJC): SJC is the closest major airport, located 1 hour 15 minutes from Carmel. Direct flights are available to SJC from many major U.S. airports (details on direct routes into SJC are available here: www.flysanjose.com/nonstop-destinations).

Monterey Regional Airport (MRY): Just 10 minutes from  Carmel-by-the-Sea, this is a super convenient regional airport option, but if you're coming from the East Coast or Midwest, you will need to transfer through Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, or Denver. Many of the layover times through these cities are quite short, so this may be your quickest option, and it's worth checking. (Details on direct routes into MRY are available here: www.montereyairport.com/destinations.)

Additional Options
Additional options would be to fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland (OAK), but those are 2+ hours from Carmel.