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If you are planning to visit San Francisco, here’s what you need to know about getting to or from the city based on how you’re getting in or out:

By Air:

To and From SFO (San Francisco Intl): The BART transit system connects SFO to downtown San Francisco (Powell Street Station) in about 35 minutes, with a one-way fare of about $6 USD.  The train literally stops at SFO’s International Terminal, leaving you a walk away from your gate.  Getting to/from the airport by BART works for almost all flight arrivals and departures (first BART arrival at SFO on Saturdays 09:15, Sundays 07:07; last BART departure from SFO 23:53 daily).  Secondary transit options for SFO are shared shuttles (such as SuperShuttle – about 50 minutes, about $17 USD) and private taxis (about 30 minutes, about $45 USD).

To and From OAK (Oakland Intl): The cheapest way of getting to downtown San Francisco from OAK also utilizes the BART transit system, but also requires taking a short “AirBART” bus ride between the Coliseum/Oakland Airport Station and Oakland Airport.  The total fare for the journey is about $7 USD (train portion $4 USD, AirBART portion $3 USD (exact change required)), and you should expect this trip to take about 45 minutes.  The secondary transit option for OAK is shared shuttles (about 60 minutes, about $27 USD).

To and From SJC (San Jose Intl): San Jose is the farthest of the three airports from San Francisco, but is reachable via the Caltrain system for about $8 USD and in about 90 minutes.  The San Francisco Caltrain station (terminus) is in the South of Market area of San Francisco, you may need to take a MUNI bus ($1.5o USD, exact change required) or taxi to connect with your starting or final destination.  For the airport, board/exit Caltrain at the Santa Clara station, where the VTA #10 “Airport Flyer” bus connects you to SJC for free.

By Rail (Amtrak):

There are no intercity rail stations in San Francisco proper.  Amtrak uses buses to pickup and dropoff passengers in the city of San Francisco – the buses either connect to the main rail station in Emeryville (20 minutes East), or begin the journey towards your destination (for example, when traveling to Los Angeles from San Francisco, some Amtrak routings involve taking a bus from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, where you connect with a train to complete your journey to Los Angeles).  Although some popular accomadations are within walking distance, you may need take a MUNI bus ($1.5o USD, exact change required) or taxi to connect with your starting or final destination.

By Bus:

Buses depart and arrive in downtown San Francisco; the exact location varies based on the bus company with which you are traveling.  There is a primary bus terminal called the Transbay Terminal that is located right in the middle of downtown – be alert in this area late at night or early in the morning as it can be ‘dodgy.’  Other buses do not stop at terminals er se, but instead pickup and dropoff at specifc addresses along the street – there may not be a proper bus shelter of any kind available so be prepared!  Although some popular accomadations are within walking distance, you may need take a MUNI bus ($1.5o USD, exact change required) or taxi to connect with your starting or final destination.

By Car:

Should you be planning to drive to or from San Francisco, a primary concern will be parking – in most areas local resident permits are required if you wish to park your car for more than two hours (except on Sundays when no permits are required).  Check to see if your place of accomadation provides parking, or works with a parking garage to provide parking for guests – beware that parking in downtown San Francisco can be as high as $50 USD per day, but much less if you are not in the Financial District or major tourist districts (North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf).