How to Travel from the San Francisco Airport to Downtown

Debark from your airplane and gather your luggage from the baggage claim. , Choose your preferred method of San Francisco transportation, train, taxi, shuttle or car., Check what terminal you are currently in., Buy your ticket., Insert your ticket...

11 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Debark from your airplane and gather your luggage from the baggage claim.

    Taxi or train will likely be the fastest modes of SFO transportation. , The BART station is located in the International Terminal.

    If you have arrived from an international destination, you need to exit the customs station, and then take the escalator up to the departures level.

    Walk straight, toward the various art exhibits on the level.

    Turn left when you see them and continue until you arrive at the BART station.

    If you have arrived in domestic terminals 1, 2 or 3, you can choose to walk, following the signs south that will lead you the International Terminal and BART.

    Terminal 3 is just a short walk from the BART Terminal.

    If you arrived in the domestic terminals, you can also choose to take the "Air Train" to get to the BART station.

    After you get your baggage, take the escalator up and head toward the Air Train sign.

    This will lead you to another escalator and Air Train that is located above the airport floors and links each terminal to the other.

    The Air Train is free, unlike the BART itself.

    Take the red line, rather than the blue line.

    When you arrive at Garage G/Bart Station in the International terminal, take the escalator down to board BART.

    The Air Train takes approximately 1 to 3 minutes to arrive at BART from the other terminals. , A 1-way BART ticket to downtown San Francisco costs $8.10 (5.6 euros,
    6.6 pounds).

    Alternatively, if you know you will be returning to the airport via BART, you can buy a ticket for $16.20 (11.2 euros,
    13.2 pounds), and keep it with you for reuse at the end of your stay in San Francisco.

    The automatic ticket vending machines accept United States dollars, credit and debit cards.

    There are 2 areas where you can buy tickets for the train.

    If you are coming from the International Terminal entrance, you will need to buy a BART ticket before you can enter the BART station.

    There are ticket vending machines to the right and left that allow you to purchase a small card that will be inserted into the turnstile.

    If you are coming from the Air Train, buy a ticket as you exit the train on the upper level.

    There are ticket vending machines in the middle of the floor.

    You must have a valid ticket in order to exit BART and descend on the escalator.

    Children under the age of 4 can ride free on the San Francisco BART trains. , It will come back out of the machine.

    Take the ticket and keep it with you, as you must insert it into the fare gate when you exit in downtown San Francisco. , BART trains arrive approximately every 15 minutes.

    Load your luggage beside you where you can keep an eye on it and it will not block the aisle. ,, You have a few options.

    You can exit at the Civic Center station, which is near the city hall and United National Plaza.

    You can exit at the Powell Street Station.

    This is near Union Square and many of San Francisco's most popular hotels and stores.

    You can exit at Montgomery Street, near the Financial District, or you can exit at the Embarcadero Station, near the San Francisco Bay. ,
  2. Step 2: Choose your preferred method of San Francisco transportation

  3. Step 3: shuttle or car.

  4. Step 4: Check what terminal you are currently in.

  5. Step 5: Buy your ticket.

  6. Step 6: Insert your ticket into the fare turnstile.

  7. Step 7: Board the BART train

  8. Step 8: or wait for its arrival.

  9. Step 9: Ride the train for approximately 30 minutes.

  10. Step 10: Exit the train at your downtown destination.

  11. Step 11: Continue to your destination.

Detailed Guide

Taxi or train will likely be the fastest modes of SFO transportation. , The BART station is located in the International Terminal.

If you have arrived from an international destination, you need to exit the customs station, and then take the escalator up to the departures level.

Walk straight, toward the various art exhibits on the level.

Turn left when you see them and continue until you arrive at the BART station.

If you have arrived in domestic terminals 1, 2 or 3, you can choose to walk, following the signs south that will lead you the International Terminal and BART.

Terminal 3 is just a short walk from the BART Terminal.

If you arrived in the domestic terminals, you can also choose to take the "Air Train" to get to the BART station.

After you get your baggage, take the escalator up and head toward the Air Train sign.

This will lead you to another escalator and Air Train that is located above the airport floors and links each terminal to the other.

The Air Train is free, unlike the BART itself.

Take the red line, rather than the blue line.

When you arrive at Garage G/Bart Station in the International terminal, take the escalator down to board BART.

The Air Train takes approximately 1 to 3 minutes to arrive at BART from the other terminals. , A 1-way BART ticket to downtown San Francisco costs $8.10 (5.6 euros,
6.6 pounds).

Alternatively, if you know you will be returning to the airport via BART, you can buy a ticket for $16.20 (11.2 euros,
13.2 pounds), and keep it with you for reuse at the end of your stay in San Francisco.

The automatic ticket vending machines accept United States dollars, credit and debit cards.

There are 2 areas where you can buy tickets for the train.

If you are coming from the International Terminal entrance, you will need to buy a BART ticket before you can enter the BART station.

There are ticket vending machines to the right and left that allow you to purchase a small card that will be inserted into the turnstile.

If you are coming from the Air Train, buy a ticket as you exit the train on the upper level.

There are ticket vending machines in the middle of the floor.

You must have a valid ticket in order to exit BART and descend on the escalator.

Children under the age of 4 can ride free on the San Francisco BART trains. , It will come back out of the machine.

Take the ticket and keep it with you, as you must insert it into the fare gate when you exit in downtown San Francisco. , BART trains arrive approximately every 15 minutes.

Load your luggage beside you where you can keep an eye on it and it will not block the aisle. ,, You have a few options.

You can exit at the Civic Center station, which is near the city hall and United National Plaza.

You can exit at the Powell Street Station.

This is near Union Square and many of San Francisco's most popular hotels and stores.

You can exit at Montgomery Street, near the Financial District, or you can exit at the Embarcadero Station, near the San Francisco Bay. ,

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