Car Rentals at Santa Monica

Santa Monica airport serves the Irvine and Santa Monica regions in California State and is conveniently located about 3 km from Santa Monica Bay. In addition to catering to the air travel needs of Irvine, SMO focuses greatly on using the airport space to showcase the culture and art of the community. Learn more about ground transport optrions below.

While the public transportation systems offer services that help you reach the city and downtown Santa Monica, for further travel needs to Irvine or other California locations, cheap rental vehicles can be used. Make sure you have easy access to the contact numbers of your rental agency at Santa Monica or Irvine. You can then check with your agency after arriving at Santa Monica Airport about their shuttle services from the airport to their branch office. Two of the Car Rental Express.com agencies that offer vehicles at Santa Monica are listed below for your convenience:

• Airport Van Rental
• Exclusive Car Rental

Ground transportation from Santa Monica Airport: While hotels provide courtesy shuttle services to the airport for their guests, other passengers can take advantage of cheap transportation options via public transport facilities. The airport can be reached easily either by driving north along the 405 Freeway for people from Southern part of the airport. The common mode of public transportation includes buses, trains and taxis. You can also hire cheap rentals for your onward journey from the airport.

Things to do at SMO

Santa Monica Airport grounds are home to many fund raisers and events that will prove a great entertainment to passengers when waiting at the airport. Find out the list of entertainment options available to passengers at SMO

Public View Decks: Bored of waiting in the airport with the same old sights to view? You can now enjoy a regular display of aircrafts taking off and landing from the public view decks located at the Airport Administration Building. The Runway View Deck is located on the east end of the building whereas the Public Sky deck is housed on the west end of the Administration building. You can also enjoy a picnic meal at these decks while listening to a broadcast of air and ground activity.

Santa Monica Art Studios: Housed in 22,000 sq. feet of space in an airplane hangar, the Santa Monica Art Studios are the favored destination for exhibition holders. Private studio spaces also accommodate classes and lectures on art. If you have a long wait at the airport, a visit to the exhibition currently hosted here, will be an enriching experience.

Restaurants: There are two lavish restaurants operating at SMO, Typhoon and Spitfire Grill. While Typhoon offers a jaw dropping view of the planes taking off and landing at the runway, Spitfire Grill on the airport at streetlevel has a great BBQ menu and other delicacies.

Airport Park: Family travelers find great satisfaction at SMO with its lush Soccer field at the airport park grounds. The park serves as a great picnic spot as well.

Outdoor Antique Market: If you happen to land here on the first or fourth Sunday of any month, you can enjoy the disparate outdoor market in the parking garage at SMO. The parking spaces located at the 3100 and 3026 Airport Avenues are turned into vibrant outdoor markets selling quirky antique pieces.

Barkar Hangar: Located on the south side of SMO, the Barkar Hangar is a popular venue for film shoots and charity and corporate events. You may also find retail sales hosted here that can give you access to great bargain deals at cheap prices.