Transfer to/from - San Francisco airport (SFO)

 

Public transportation services, licensed taxis and rideshare, private transfer companies and car rental services in San Francisco airport (SFO)

Transportation

Ride-sharing

Vehicles from Lyft, Uber (Tel +1 650 821 8211) and Wingz pick passengers up on the Departures level of the International Terminal and on level 5 of the domestic parking garage.

Bus

SamTrans (Tel +1 800 660 4287) operates services 24 hours a day to San Francisco and San Mateo County, with fares of USD2.25-4.00. Stops are found on the baggage reclaim level of terminals 2 and 3 and level 1 of the International Terminal. Available routes are SFO (Millbrae Transit Center), ECR (Daly City, Colma, San Bruno, Redwood City, Palo Alto), 292 (San Francisco, Hillsdale Mall), 397 (San Francisco, Millbrae, Redwood City, Palo Alto) and 398 (San Bruno, Redwood City). Line 140 (San Bruno, Skyline College, Manor/Palmetto) stops at the car rental centre.
There are also several companies operating shared services to different destinations in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Train

On the Departures level of the International Terminal, there is a BART station (Tel +1 510 464 6000), operating express services every 20 minutes to northern San Mateo County, San Francisco and East Bay. It departs Mondays through Fridays between 5:11 am and 0:00 am, Saturdays from 6:25 am to 0:00 am and Sundays from 7:02 am to 0:00 am. Journey time to the city centre is 30 min. and the fare is USD9.65, which must be paid with a Clipper card, purchasable from the vending machines located at the station.

The yellow line heads for San Bruno, Colma, Daly City, Balboa Park, Glen Park, St. Mission, Civic Center, Powell St., Embarcadero, Oakland, Rockridge, Walnut Creek and Antioch, while the red line travels to San Bruno, Colma, Daly City, Balboa Park, Glen Park, St. Mission, Civic Center, Powell St., Embarcadero, Oakland, Ashby, Berkeley and Richmond.

It also provides a connection to Millbrae Station, where you can board the Caltrain (Tel +1 800 660 4287) to San Jose (USD8.25) and Gilroy (USD12.75).

Taxi

Vehicles available outside the Arrivals level of the terminals. You can also request a cab by calling Tel *1191 from any of the airport's courtesy phones. Assistants are on-site between 7:00 am and 2:15 am. Fares to downtown San Francisco are around USD42.74-62.74 and the trip takes around 20 minutes.

 

Car rental booking

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Private charter operators


Bauer's Intelligent Transportation (Tel +1 877 984 3156)
Blue Heron Custom Tours & Travel (Tel +1 866 326 4237)
Classic Charter (Tel +1 877 687 2345)
Coach 21 (Tel +1 888 521 8741)
Compass Transportation (Tel +1 650 246 2775)
Davis Airporter (Tel +1 530 756 6715)
Delta Charter Service (Tel +1 888 241 8543)
Gray Line of San Francisco (Tel +1 888 428 6937)
King's VIP Transportation (Tel +1 415 282 2808)
Marin Airport Transportation (Tel +1 415 342 6444)
Marin Airporter (Tel +1 415 461 4222)
Napa Airporter (Tel +1 866 252 1925)
Orange Belt Stages (Tel +1 800 266 7433)
Pacific Coachways (Tel +1 714 892 5000)
Pacific Monarch (Tel +1 831 883 8900)
Pure Luxury Transportation (Tel +1 800 626 5466)
Royal Coach Tours (Tel +1 408 279 4801)
San Francisco Minibus (Tel +1 415 777 5555)
United Coach Tours (Tel +1 888 898 9883)

Further information on the public transport

 

Latest updates: October 20, 2023

Transportation Tips to/from the airport

Although there are issues that seem more than obvious, it is always advisable to take them into account when moving to or from the airport, and especially if we go by public transport.
 
 1- To the airport - It is convenient to leave with a little more anticipation than what is commonly suggested. If you choose a taxi or a private car service, always take into account peak traffic times, demonstrations, strikes or events that may delay the journey to the airport from where you are. It is always good to be informed about what is happening.
 
If you contract a shared transfer service, have a contact telephone number handy in case of any delay by the company. In these cases they usually already have a scheduled collection time.
 
If you use public transport (collective, train) take into account the schedules (weekends and holidays tend to have less frequency), if you have to change and also how to board (if you need a card or paying the driver or motorist at the moment ). These are details that seem obvious, but it is advisable to know so as not to have surprises and suffer a delay that could cause complications.
 
If you rent a car to get to the airport, check where to leave the vehicle. At some airports, there is an exclusive parking lot for rental cars.
 
 2 -From the airport- Here it is a little less stressful since you don't have the pressure of missing your flight. In the worst case, you will arrive later at the place where you are going to stay or at the meeting point where you are trying to arrive.
 
Once you leave the plane, look for your suitcase and finish with the arrival procedures that are required. Then, follow the directions for public transportation or ask the airport staff.
 
It is very useful to find out in advance the schedules of the buses or trains in case you arrive late at night. Not all work 24 hours. The same goes for taxis. In case of using an Uber-type service, have the mobile application handy to contact the driver.
 
On the other hand, if you booked a private transport service, it is likely that they will have a person waiting for you, identified with a sign. If you rent a car to go from the airport to your final destination, for greater peace of mind it is advisable to book it in advance. Rental counters are usually available in the arrivals hall.
 
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