San Francisco, California - Getting There

The Bay Bridge connects to Oakland and the East Bay.

Get in

By plane

There are three airports in the San Francisco Bay Area:

• San Francisco International, [1] located about 10 mi (16 km) south of the city.
• Oakland International, [2] in the East Bay (Bay Area)|East Bay.
• Mineta San Jose International, [3] in Silicon Valley, about 1 hour south of San Francisco.

Oakland and San Jose tend to offer more discount airline flights, while San Francisco Airport attracts more international flights and can be more convenient for those staying in the city.

San Francisco and Oakland Airports are connected to downtown SF by the BART Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, which costs about $5 one-way. Taxis are considerably more expensive: a taxi from SFO to the city can easily cost upwards of $40, and over $60 from OAK. Shared vans will cost around $14. If you plan to drive from a car rental area near the SFO airport to downtown San Francisco, you can take the 101 freeway.

Note that taxi and van prices from San Jose to San Francisco are significantly higher.

Passengers arriving in SFO can walk (5 minutes from United's terminal) or take a free airport shuttle (AirTrain) to the BART station. From Oakland Airport, BART operates a regular shuttle to the nearest station. The cost of this bus is $3 for adults ($1 for seniors/children), and it takes 10-15 minutes. Trains from there run directly to San Francisco, with a 5-20 minute frequency and cost about $3.00-$4.00. BART trains head directly to downtown San Francisco and the Mission District, from where taxis and the MUNIMUNI can take travelers anywhere in the city.

The San Jose airport is served by a free shuttle to both VTA Light Rail and Caltrain Caltrain. Passengers arriving in San Jose can use Caltrain to reach San Francisco directly (this costs $7.50 one-way). Caltrain also links with the BART system at the Millbrae intermodal station. Be aware that public transportation within the South bay is not as developed as around San Francisco.

Private pilots should consider Oakland rather than SFO, as the separate general aviation field there is more accommodating to light aircraft.

By train

Amtrak, +1 800 872-7245, [4] serves the Bay Area (California)|Bay Area with long-distance and intercity trains. San Francisco’s long distance station is across the bay, outside city limits. Passengers arrive in Emeryville in the East Bay (Bay Area)|East Bay and may take an Amtrak California [5] Thruway bus over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco's Amtrak stop at 101 The Embarcadero (near the Ferry Building) and usually several other downtown destinations. Travelers on some shorter distance Amtrak routes can also transfer to BART trains at the Richmond or Oakland Coliseum stations (see below). Alternatively, riders approaching the Bay Area from the south may transfer to Caltrain [6] at San Jose (California)|San Jose's Diridon Station for a direct ride to Fourth and King Streets in San Francisco.

Amtrak routes serving the Bay Area are:

• The California Zephyr [7] runs daily between Chicago and Emeryville with connections to/from the east coast.
• The Coast Starlight [8] runs daily between Seattle, Portland (Oregon)|Portland, Emeryville, and Los Angeles. To reach San Francisco, either transfer to Caltrain in San Jose or to the Amtrak bus in Emeryville.
• The Capitol Corridor [9] runs 16 times daily (11 on weekends and holidays) between Sacramento and Emeryville. Some trains also serve San Jose (California)|San Jose but Caltrain (see below) is a better bet between San Jose and San Francisco. The most convenient transfer to San Francisco is actually to BART at Richmond's station, north of Emeryville, while the Oakland Coliseum station is another option on trains continuing south of Emeryville. Discount BART tickets can be purchased in the cafe car.
• The San Joaquins [10] runs 4 times daily between Bakersfield, Stockton (California)|Stockton and Emeryville. Travelers on the San Joaquins can continue on to San Francisco via the Amtrak bus at Emeryville or by transferring to the BART at the Richmond station.

Caltrain, +1 510 817-1717, [11] operates a regional rail service from San Jose (California)|San Jose to its San Francisco terminal at Fourth and King. The service also runs between San Jose and Gilroy during rush hour. Caltrain is very useful for travel between San Francisco and cities of the Peninsula (Bay Area)|Peninsula, Silicon Valley or South Bay (Bay Area)|South Bay. On weekdays Caltrain provides two trains per hour for most of the day but run more during commute hours, including "Baby Bullet" limited services that cruise between San Francisco and San Jose in 57 minutes; on weekends and public holidays trains run hourly, except that after 10PM only one train runs, leaving at midnight. The 4th & King terminal is served by Muni Metro (see 'Get around' below) giving connections to the rest of the city. Fares vary depending on how far you go. Tickets must be purchased before boarding the train from ticket vending machines at all stations or from ticket clerks at staffed stations. Tickets are checked on the trains and anyone found without a ticket is liable to a substantial fine. Cyclists should use the designated car at the northern end of the train, and be aware that bike space is often limited during commute hours.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), +1 415 989-2278, [12] provides a regional frequent rail service connecting much of the East Bay (Bay Area)|East Bay and Contra Costa County with San Francisco and the San Francisco Airport through the Transbay Tube, a tunnel underneath San Francisco Bay. BART operates five routes, of which four reach San Francisco; there are three or four trains per hour on each route. In the East Bay and outer parts of San Francisco BART runs mostly on elevated track; in downtown San Francisco it runs in a subway under Market Street, and several underground stations provide easy access to downtown areas and simple transfers to the Muni Metro subway. BART also meets Caltrain at Millbrae. Bicycles are allowed on BART except between stations designated in the schedule brochure during commute hours. Fares vary depending with distance traveled, and start at $1.40 for trips within the city. You will need to insert your ticket into barriers when entering and exiting the system. Tickets hold a balance, deducting the appropriate price for each trip, so someone who plans to use the system several times can buy a $10 or $20 ticket and not worry about fares until the card is used up.

By bus

• GotoBus, +1 617 354-2101, [13] sells tickets to and from Los Angeles for a variety of bus companies.
• Greyhound, +1 800 231-2222, [14] has frequent intercity service from San Francisco’s beautiful but decaying Transbay Terminal at First and Mission streets.

Several regional bus systems serve San Francisco from the immediate suburbs:

• AC Transit, [15] from Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and other East Bay cities.
• samTrans, [16] from San Mateo County.
• Golden Gate Transit, [17] from Sonoma and Marin counties.
• WestCAT, [18] from Contra Costa County.
• Vallejo Baylink, [19] (in conjunction with BayLink Ferry) from Vallejo.

By boat

Image:Us-ca-sanfran-frombay.jpg|thumbnail|300px|right|San Francisco and Alcatraz from a Sausalito ferry

In many ways a boat is the ideal way to approach San Francisco. The city's spectacular skyline is best appreciated from the water, and from the deck of a boat the bay and its bridges and islands can be viewed as a whole. Cruise ships and private yachts are regular visitors to San Francisco, and passenger ferries regularly link other Bay Area (California)|Bay Area cities to San Francisco.

Ferries run to San Francisco from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon in Marin County, from Vallejo in Solano County and from Alameda and Oakland in the East Bay (Bay Area)|East Bay. In San Francisco, the ferries dock at one or both of the city’s two piers at Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building. For more information:

• Golden Gate Ferries, +1 415 923-2000 [20]. Serving Larkspur and Sausalito.
• Blue and Gold Fleet, +1 415 705-5555 [21]. Serving Alameda, Angel Island, Oakland, Sausalito, Tiburon and Vallejo.
• BayLink Ferry, +1 707 648-4349 [22]. Serving Vallejo.
• Alameda Oakland Ferry, +1 415 705-5555 [23]. Serving Alameda and Oakland.
• Harbor Bay Ferry, +1 510 769-5500 [24]. Serving (a different location in) Alameda.

By car

There are four major highway approaches to San Francisco. US 101 comes up the eastern side of the SF peninsula and is the most direct route from the south, although it often backs up with traffic. Interstate 280 is a more scenic route into the city from the same direction, but with poorer connections than 101. Interstate 80 approaches the city from the east over the San Francisco Bay Bridge. From the north, US 101 takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge.