Monterey Salinas Transit (MST)

$2–5 gets you from MRY to downtown on MST Route 13

Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) runs Route 13 past Monterey Regional Airport, with buses roughly every 60 minutes looping between downtown Monterey and the airport/Del Rey Oaks area. Ride time runs around 20–30 minutes into town, compared with 10–15 minutes by car, so this skews to budget-first travelers, airport staff, students, and backpackers who care more about saving $20+ on Uber than shaving a few minutes off the clock.

The stop sits just outside the terminal on the airport access road, so you roll your bag straight from baggage claim to the curb in under 5 minutes. A standard local fare is in the low single digits (under $5) per ride, with discounted pricing for seniors and disabled riders published on MST’s fare table. One Google reviewer mentioned paying only a few bucks from MRY into town instead of calling a rideshare.

Service on Route 13 starts after about 6:00 a.m. from downtown on weekdays, which means very early morning departures out of MRY probably need a taxi or Uber instead. Weekend service runs with slightly reduced frequency, and Reddit locals say that in the evening the scheduled 60‑minute headway can stretch longer if buses stack up in traffic. Miss one at the airport and you might stare at the same curb for close to an hour.

Locals on /r/Monterey describe MST as “decent along the main corridors but not super frequent late at night,” so this option works best if you’re staying near downtown Monterey, CSU Monterey Bay connections, or another stop directly on the Route 13 loop. If you’re continuing farther out toward Marina or Salinas, regulars suggest a short rideshare hop from the airport to a stronger MST corridor instead of trying to string together awkward transfers from the airport stop.

How to ride MST from Monterey Regional Airport

• 1. Check the schedule: Before you land, pull up MST Route 13 on mst.org or in the Transit/MST app and note the next airport departure time within that 60‑minute pattern.
• 2. Exit to the curb: After baggage claim, walk 2–3 minutes out the main terminal doors to the clearly signed MST stop on the airport access road.
• 3. Pay your fare: Have $2–5 in cash ready or a valid pass; confirm the exact local fare and any discounts with the driver as you board.
• 4. Ride 20–30 minutes: Stay on Route 13 toward downtown Monterey, watching for your stop; most visitors bail out at the downtown transit center to walk or transfer.
• 5. For connections: If you’re heading to CSU Monterey Bay, Marina, or Salinas, use the MST or Transit app at the downtown hub to find the next connecting route and avoid guessing at renumbered lines.

One last tip: if your flight lands after 8–9 p.m. or on a Sunday evening, assume reduced MST coverage and price out a backup Uber so you’re not stranded for an hour at the curb.