The city of San Francisco is only 49 miles in size. Although it has many avenues, alleys, hills, and streets, it is easy to navigate around the city. It's also easy to get around via public transportation (which is better than renting a car). Using public transportation (like the buses and trains) and apps can help to economically transport you to the different areas you want to explore. Plus, you may end up avoiding a lot of traffic.
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How to Get to San Francisco
When you an arrive to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) it is easy to access domestic and international flights through United Airlines, which is located in Terminal 3. You can find international flights in the International Terminal.
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San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 13 miles south of San Francisco and is situated near Millbrae and San Bruno in San Mateo County. It is one of the major commercial airports in California. If you are looking to travel (non-stop) to different countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia, you can also find major cities in the Americas.
BART Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the best option if you want to avoid sitting in traffic. To use the BART, you will first collect your things and follow the airport signage to the AirTrain. Choose either the Red or Blue Line and transfer to BART at Garage G.
BART fares are calculated by distance. This means that if you are traveling on the train for a longer distance, the fare will be higher.
A round trip from SFO to downtown San Francisco was approximately US$19.30, or around US$9.65 one way. Tickets are available at machines in the SFO BART station, where passengers tap or scan to enter and exit the system. Some BART stations sell multi-ride tickets that can be used on BART as well as San Francisco Muni bus and streetcar services.
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Additionally, it is possible to buy an SFO BART ticket at a reduced price in advance. This US$21 voucher, which must be exchanged at the SFO information desk in Terminal G, allows round trip travel to the airport. After collecting your ticket, you can take any BART train from the airport, as service was available until 11:50 p.m. with approximately 3-4 trains running every 30 minutes to downtown.
Rideshare apps
In San Francisco, Lyft and Uber are the most popular rideshare apps that enable travelers to book a private car service from their phones. Pickups are typically at the arrivals or ticketing level. Depending on traffic and distance, a rideshare to central locations like Union Square can take approximately 30 minutes and costs between US$30-40.
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Shared rides and shuttle vans
Many van service providers offer both private and shared ride services between SFO and downtown San Francisco. Shared shuttle buses depart for the downtown area. Shared trips from the airport to downtown are expected to be around US$17. However, the final cost may vary based on the number of passengers and how many stops the shuttle makes. Shared shuttles also generally take longer than taxis, typically ranging from 35 to 90 minutes. You can find these shuttle services outside of the domestic terminal arrivals exit doors. \n\nThere are also several taxi and limousine services available at San Francisco International Airport. These services can also be found on the arrivals and baggage claim level of every terminal. There are even taxi coordinators who work from 7:00 AM to midnight to help manage the flow and line of customers looking to get a taxi. Taxi companies use metered fares, which means they charge a flat fee for every unit of distance traveled. As a result, trips from the airport to downtown San Francisco take approximately 30 minutes and cost about US$45-60. \n \nSamTrans is the San Mateo County Transit Agency, which operates a number of different bus routes to and from the airport. The bus routes that go from the airport to the city are the KX, 292, 397, and 398. The cost to ride any of these bus routes is between US$2-5. Depending on which terminal you board at, the specific boarding locations may differ slightly. Here are the specific boarding locations depending on what terminal you are in: \n\n- Terminal 2: Arrivals and Baggage Claim level, center island, Door 2. \n- Terminal 3: Arrivals and Baggage Claim level, curb
