Public Transport

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of the city and offers a wide range of domestic and international flights. BART rapid rail runs from SFO to San Mateo County, San Francisco and the East Bay. It is a convenient and quick way of getting to the city center. You will find the SFO BART Station on the Departures/Ticketing Level of the International Terminal (Boarding Area G side). Tickets can be bought at the SFO BART Station upon arrival. SamTrans offers 24-hour bus service connecting SFO to San Mateo County and parts of San Francisco. Caltrain Commuter Rail provides rail service between San Francisco and San Jose. Taxis and ridesharing apps offer door-to-door service to any destination within San Francisco and surrounding communities.

Is San Francisco a bad place to visit? — San Francisco can sometimes feel unsafe to travel to, but these feelings are largely due to the cultural images of people experiencing homelessness and drug addiction that appear in the media. Why is San Francisco so expensive? — San Francisco is an incredibly diverse, dynamic, progressive city with a host of activities, restaurants and sights. The region's culture, economy and natural beauty makes it an appealing place to live. Prices are increasing rapidly as more people move here. The housing supply has not caught up. Heavy regulation makes it incredibly expensive to build new housing in much of the Bay Area. Can you drink the tap water in San Francisco? — Yes! The tap water in San Francisco is safe to drink and locals swear it is the best in tasting tap water in the U.S. What is the best part of San Francisco to stay in? — San Francisco is an exciting and scenic city, but if you're hoping to see the sights, you should probably stay downtown, because it's one of the most densely populated parts of the city.

San Francisco has the most extensive public transit system on the West Coast. The Muni Metro, a light rail system, operates six lines (plus one shuttle line) that crisscross the city. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the regional transit system connecting San Francisco with outlying communities. A single ride ticket covers 90 mins of travel time. To ride, purchase a Clipper card from a ticket machine; 1, 3, and 7-day passes are also available. The MUNI Passport can be purchased at the airport, online or at several locations inside the city. It offers unlimited rides on buses, historical streetcars and cable cars.

Taxis are easily available outside shopping malls, hotels and the airport. Other options for lower fares are the rideshare companies Curb, Uber, Lyft and Wingz.