For a big city, San Francisco is surprisingly accessible and easy to navigate. In fact, this 49-square-mile city was recently voted as the #3 most visitor accessible city by readers of Travel & Leisure magazine. San Francisco also earned high ratings for being the fifth easiest city to traverse by taxi or on foot, and the third easiest to access by public transportation.
ARRIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO:
By Air
- San Francisco International Airport (airport code: SFO) sits right on the San Francisco Bay, and while the view is scenic on clear days, it is the foggy days that make for inevitable delays. There are 70 gates for domestic flights housed in Terminals 1, 2, and 3. SFO's International Terminal is the size of 35 football fields (2.5 million square feet) and has 24 gates.
- A second airport option is Oakland International Airport (airport code: OAK), just 25 miles from downtown San Francisco. Oakland's airport is served by Alaska Air, America West, Delta, Southwest, and United, and shuttle services are available to take passengers between Oakland and San Francisco. For travelers who will also be visiting destinations east of the city such as Napa, Yosemite, Sequoia, or Lake Tahoe, Oakland's airport is a good choice since it lies east of the city.
- San Jose International Airport (airport code: SJC) is the third option for San Francisco visitors. Located about 60 miles south of the city, SJC is served by carriers including American, Alaska, United, Southwest, Continental, and TWA. Shuttles and CalTrain carry visitors between San Jose and San Francisco. Or, take the free Airport Flyer shuttle to the nearest train station. Being south of the city, San Jose is a good option for travelers whose itineraries also include Carmel or Monterey.
By Car
Those coming by car can arrive in San Francisco by Interstate 80 from Sacramento or Lake Tahoe, or U.S. 101 from Los Angeles or northern California.
By Train
The Amtrak Coast Starlight brings passengers through Oakland and across the San Francisco Bay.
GETTING AROUND SAN FRANCISCO:
Municipal Railway, known as Muni, began in 1912, and today is the nation's 7th largest transit agency in the US in terms of ridership. Muni operates trolleys, streetcars, buses, and cable cars throughout the city, providing about 200 million rides every year! The fare is $1.25 for an adult and 35 cents for seniors and children to ride a bus or streetcar anywhere in the system; exact change is required. Each cable car ride is $3.00.
However, in additional to one-time fares, Muni also offers PASSPORTS, a pre-paid card that allows visitors to ride all Muni transit systems as many times as they wish during a certain period of time; the PASSPORT can save visitors a lot of money if they plan to rely on public transportation during their visit. Muni also publishes the Official San Francisco Street and Transit Muni Map, for $2.50, which maps all streetcar, bus, and cable car routes, and also includes BART.
By Cable Car
Every San Francisco visitor must take at least one trip on a famous San Francisco cable car. Not only do the cable cars get you where you want to go, they are a quintessential San Francisco experience in themselves! Fares can be bought at cable car turnarounds, or from the conductor upon boarding. There are no transfers — a fare must be bought each time the cable car is ridden. Cable cars run between 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. There are three color-coded cable car routes:
- Powell-Hyde: Marked by brown signs, this route runs between Market and Powell to Aquatic Park, including Union Square, the Cable Car Barn Museum, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Lombard Street ("the crookedest street"), and Ghirardelli Square.
- Powell-Mason: This route is marked by yellow signs, and runs from Market and Powell to Bay and Taylor Streets; it goes through North Beach, and ends near Fisherman's Wharf.
- California Street: This route runs on California between Drumm and Van Ness, and includes the Financial District, Chinatown and Nob Hill.
By Streetcar
- Downtown streetcar routes are underground, while in the neighborhoods that edge the city, they run above-ground. Muni Metro Streetcars have five lines that run between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.
- N-Judah Line: Runs parallel to Golden Gate Park, as it makes its way toward the ocean via Judah Street; services Haight-Ashbury.
- J-Church Line: Runs past Mission Dolores and the Castro.
- L-Taraval: Through the Sunset District; walking distance to the San Francisco Zoo.
- F-Market: Newest line that includes vintage streetcars from the U.S. and Europe; runs back and forth to the Castro Street Station along Market Street.
By Bus
Muni Buses run from 6:00 a.m. and midnight, and run every 5 to 20 minutes. Bus stops are marked by street-corner signs as well as by yellow bands on utility poles and curbs. Buses are not the most efficient mode of transportation, but with 80 routes, the bus system is extensive and gets people exactly where they need to go.
By Ferry
- It's only natural that a city on a bay would have lots of ferry services. These include:
- The Blue and Gold Fleet, which runs to Alcatraz.
- The Red and White Fleet, which offer scenic tours of the city from the water.
- The Golden Gate Ferry, which runs between San Francisco and Larkspur (central Marin County), and also between San Francisco and Sausalito (southern Marin County).
By BART
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Muni are two separate systems, but they do share the same underground stations in downtown San Francisco. BART runs all over the Bay Area, so visitors should be sure they do not confuse the silver and blue BART trains with Muni's orange-trimmed electric streetcars as they board! BART tickets are available from machines at the train station; in town, fares are $1.25, and outside the city, fares vary depending on how far passengers travel.
On Foot
- Many of San Francisco's neighborhoods are best seen by walking: Chinatown, North Beach, Russian Hill, and The Embarcadero. Even Golden Gate Bridge is pedestrian friendly! Walkers need to pay attention to their surroundings, especially while in crosswalks and at red lights. The bike messengers are in a hurry and will plow pedestrians over if they are not watching! Other Transportation-Related San Francisco Organizations and Information:
- 511.org (Regional transportation site)
- City CarShare (Car sharing for the San Francisco Bay Area)
- Muni Paratransit Broker (provides transportation services in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Transbay Joint Powers Authority (a collaboration of Bay Area government and transportation bodies working to build a new Transbay Terminal)
- San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
- San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR)
- Connecting Bay Area Transit Agencies, Shuttles, and Services:
- AC Transit (bus service from the East Bay to San Francisco)
- Caltrain (train service along the Peninsula from San Francisco to San Jose)
- 511.org Transit (transit information for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area)
- Golden Gate Park Weekend Shuttle (provides seasonal transportation throughout Golden Gate Park)
- Golden Gate Transit (bus and ferry service between San Francisco and Marin County)
- Oakland-Alameda Ferry (ferry service from the East Bay to San Francisco)
- Presidio Shuttle Service (PresidiGo provides transportation within the Presidio seven days a week)
- SamTrans (bus service from San Francisco and San Mateo County to the San Francisco International Airport)
- San Francisco Paratransit (transportation service for persons who are unable to independently use Muni)
- TransLink (Bay Area-wide stored-value "smart card")
- Vallejo Transit (bus and ferry service from Vallejo to San Francisco)
