If you want to rent a car locally, there are lots of options. You could go to Big Sur. Unfortunately transit there between cities is not that great (though you can rely on MST city bus A and B to do most of Sand city, Marina, Seaside, Monterey), and 5 goes to Carmel, but between Monterey and say, Capitola, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, you probably need a car.
There is a shuttle (Groove Transportetion) between SFO and SJC to Marina and Monterey as well and that’s what I take more, but when I have time I take the train.