All international and most
domestic flights arrive at
San
Francisco International Airport
(SFO), inconveniently located
about fifteen miles south of the
city. San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans)
buses leave every
half-hour from the lower level
of the airport; the #KX express
($3) takes around 30 minutes to
reach the Transbay Terminal
downtown, while the slower #292
($1.10) stops everywhere and
takes nearly an hour. On the #KX,
you're allowed only one carry-on
bag; on the #292, you can bring
as much as you want provided you
can carry it onto the bus
yourself. The SFO Airporter bus
($12) picks up outside each
baggage claim area every fifteen
minutes and travels to Union
Square and the Financial
District. The blue
SuperShuttle,
American Airporter Shuttle
and
Bay Shuttle minibuses
depart every five minutes from
the lower level of the circular
road and take passengers to any
city-center destination for
around $14 a head. Be ruthless -
competition for these and the
several other companies running
shuttle service is fierce and
queues nonexistent.
Taxis
from the airport cost $30-35
(plus tip) for any downtown
location, more for East Bay and
Marin County - definitely worth
it if there is more than one of
you. If you're planning to
drive, the usual
car rental
agencies operate free shuttle
buses to their depots, leaving
every 15 minutes from the upper
level, but you have to load and
unload your bags yourself. The
car rental depot is located
north of SFO and is too far to
walk to. A shuttle train, now
under construction, will
alleviate this inconvenient
system.
Several domestic airlines
(Jet Blue and Southwest are two)
and United fly into Oakland
International Airport (OAK),
across the bay. This is actually
closer to downtown San Francisco
than SFO, and is efficiently
connected with the city by the
$2 AirBART shuttle bus, which
drops you at the Coliseum BART
station. Get on BART and San
Francisco's downtown stops are
fifteen minutes away ($2.75).
By bus and train
All San Francisco's Greyhound
services use the Transbay
Terminal at 425 Mission
St, south of Market Street,
near the Embarcadero BART
station. Green Tortoise
buses stop behind the Transbay
Terminal on First and Natoma. Amtrak
trains stop across the bay in Richmond
(with easy BART transfers) and
continue to Oakland ,
from where free shuttle buses
run across the Bay Bridge to
the Transbay Terminal, or you
can take BART. Though
technically closer to San
Francisco, don't get off at
the stop before Oakland, Emeryville
, as consistent public
transportation to the city
doesn't exist.
