Sacramento – San Francisco – Santa Cruz – Carmel – Big Sur – Gilroy – San Jose – Vacaville Outlets –

The Sacramento airport car rental center is not very large, but return areas for each rental company are clearly marked. Simply park the car and someone will come to inspect it; they will check the fuel gauge, print a receipt, and you’re good to go. Remember to leave the car keys on the dashboard. You then walk a few meters to the only building, turn right to find Alamo for renting a new car, or walk through the building to take the shuttle to the terminal for your flight. There are several toll bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area, most charge $5, while the Golden Gate Bridge charges $7.5; queues tend to be long, so don't be tempted to use the truck-only lanes on the left to avoid charges, as Alamo will bill you later with an extra service fee (often double). Be cautious of upsells at the rental counter: they might claim that without their separate rescue insurance, Alamo will not assist you (however, if you've bought QEEQ's rescue insurance, you'll still be covered). Also, prepaying for fuel to return the car empty is often more expensive than market prices, and driving it down to empty is more hassle than refilling the tank before returning.