Car

You won't need a car in San Francisco unless want to see other parts of the Bay Area. Finding street parking downtown can be excruciating and illegally parked cars are nearly always ticketed and sometimes towed. Parking lots are expensive and often full. (Lots in the South of Market area tend to be cheaper.) Remember to turn your wheels toward the curb when parking your car facing downhill. Turn your wheels away from the curb when you are parking facing uphill. Failure to do so will garner you a ticket. Also be mindful of curb colors. Unless signs state otherwise, you can park in front of bare or gray-painted curbs. Green curbs allow only ten-minute parking. White curbs allow momentary stopping only. Blue curbs allow parking only for the disabled. Avoid red and yellow curbs altogether. And be forewarned that driving under the influence is treated harshly.

Public Transport

San Francisco Rapid Transit Map

Subway: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) (415-989-BART) connects San Francisco to Peninsula communities to the south and to Oakland and the East Bay to the east. Downtown terminals are along Market Street at Civic Center, Powell Street, Montgomery Street, and the Embarcadero. BART runs from 4:00 am to midnight weekdays, 6:00 am to midnight on Saturdays, and 8:00 am to midnight on Sundays. Fares vary from $1.40 to $7.65 per ride depending on destination. Tickets are available from ticket machines inside each station.

Public Transit: The San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) includes buses, trolley buses, streetcars (underground downtown, above ground in the neighborhoods) and cable cars (see below). Some lines operate 24 hours. Bus and streetcar fares are $1.50; exact change is required. Tokens are available for $1.50 each in bags of 10. MUNI passes can be purchased, good for unlimited travel (except cable cars) for one day ($10) or seven days ($15).

Taxi: Taxi service is generally efficient and courteous, though rates are high ($2.85 at the drop of the flag, $2.25 each additional mile, plus $0.45 per minute for traffic delays) and it is often difficult to hail one on the street. Major hotels have cab stands, or you can call for dispatch. The major companies include: Yellow (415-626-2345), Veteran's (415-552-1300), Luxor (415-282-4141), and Pacific (415-986-7220).

Cable Car: San Francisco's cable cars are a unique transportation experience, not to mention a national historic landmark. There are three routes. Two begin at the corner of Market and Powell Streets (near Union Square): The Powell-Mason line travels over Nob Hill and into Fisherman's Wharf near Pier 39. The Powell-Hyde line runs over both Nob Hill and Russian Hill and ends at Aquatic Park, west of Fisherman's Wharf. The California Street line runs east and west from the Embarcadero at Market Street through the Financial District and Chinatown to Van Ness Avenue.

Cable cars run from 6:00 am to midnight. You can board at any stop. When the car pauses, move quickly. Take any available space and hold on, but don't hang too far out from the car. Remember, cable cars share the street with automobiles and trucks. Tickets (one-way only) are $5. You can buy them from machines at any terminal or from the conductor. At the terminal at Powell and Market Streets, purchase tickets at the special kiosk.

Ferry: Several passenger ferries cross San Francisco Bay from various destinations in Marin County, the East Bay, and the North Bay. For more information, contact: Golden Gate Ferries (415-455-2000 or 511-toll-free), Red & White Fleet (415-673-2900 or 800-229-2784), Blue and Gold Fleet (415-705-5555), and Harbor Bay Maritime (510-769-5500).

Airport

San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport (SFO), about 15 miles south of San Francisco, is the major airport. Oakland International Airport (OAK) is about 20 miles across the bay.

Transportation from the airports to downtown San Francisco:

San Francisco International Airport (650-821-8211)

Bus: If you only have one small piece of luggage, take the San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans) bus KX express. It leaves from the lower level every half hour and reaches downtown in about 40 minutes. Bus 292 allows more luggage, but takes over an hour (leaving every 30 minutes, 5:30 AM to 1 AM).

Rapid Transit: There is now BART service to SFO.

Shuttle: Shuttle van companies include SuperShuttle (415-558-8500; 800-258-3826), San Francisco City Shuttle (888-850-7878), American Airporter (415-202-0733 or 800-282-7758), and Bay Shuttle (415-564-3400).

Taxi: Only take a taxi if there's more than one of you or money is no object. The trip to downtown will costabout $40 (plus tip) and take about 30 minutes. Look for taxis on the lower level outside the baggage claim area of all terminals. Current fare estimates are displayed at yellow columns in each boarding area. Between 8 AM and 1 AM, taxi starters are on duty to assist riders with questions or problems.

Oakland International Airport (888-435-9625)

Rapid Transit: The AirBART shuttle bus takes you to the Coliseum BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station. Catch an AirBART bus just outside Terminal 1. They leave about every 15 to 20 minutes from just after 4 AM until midnight. On Sundays, they run from 8 AM until midnight.

Shuttle: Try Airport Connection (415-282-7433), Airport Express (800-327-2024), or RBJ Airporter (510-562-3434).

Taxi: There is a taxi stand at the curb between Terminals 1 and 2. The trip to downtown San Francisco takes between 30 and 40 minutes (longer at rush hour) and will cost between $45 and $50.

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