Getting Here
By Air
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
SFO is the airport of choice for international travel to San Francisco and the Bay Area, with direct service to 62 cities around the globe.
The new International Terminal, which will be the largest in the U.S., is scheduled to open before the end of the year, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) extension linking the airport to downtown and the rest of the Bay Area should be running by December 2001 (and if you believe that, your boots are laced too tight! But it will be worth the wait). I plan to attend the "Community Open House & Family Day" on Dec. 3, for a peek at the new terminal’s restaurants, art exhibits, and museum, so check back in January for a full report.
Until BART is running, your best bet for reaching any part of the city from the airport is to catch a shuttle. It doesn’t cost much more than public transportation, and it’s a whole lot more convenient. You can get great, detailed advice on all types of transportation to and from the airport, by clicking on the "Ground Transport" tab at the top of the SFO website home page.
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
If you are flying to the area from within the U.S., the Oakland Airport may be a better option than SFO. A much smaller and less confusing airport with decent public transportation links, many locals prefer using Oakland when possible.
San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Personally, I would never use the San Jose Airport to reach San Francisco. It’s just too far away, and not easily accessible by public transportation (a minimum of 80 minutes on CalTrain).
By Train
I love the whole idea of trains. In fact, I think I love the idea of them more than the reality, at least when it comes to traveling around this enormous country. Just for fun, I compared a round-trip flight between Oakland and Los Angeles, with a round-trip rail ticket (Oakland is the closest to SF that the train goes; a bus connects to the city).
The flight cost $106.50, and took 1 hour and 20 minutes. The train trip cost $96 and took just under 12 hours! Nevertheless, I will do more research on Amtrak, particularly on special package deals available (including one that is only available to international visitors), so check back here in a month or two.
By Bus
Apparently, many travelers from outside the U.S. are not aware of the Greyhound Bus reputation, so let me fill you in. Very few Americans who still have all of their front teeth ride Greyhound. It is the preferred method of travel for runaway teenage drug addicts, and convicts recently released from prison (that’s no joke: many prisoners receive a Greyhound bus ticket upon their release!).
The buses themselves are probably relatively safe (I have most of my teeth, so I’ve never actually ridden Greyhound), but the stations are legendary for their crime-ridden state (the Greyhound Station in SF, a barely visible hole underneath the overpasses at 1st Street and Mission, is no exception). Thinking of taking the bus? I strongly recommend that you think again.
By Car
While you are in the city, you will not want a car. Parking is a nightmare (and expensive!), and the city is much easier to navigate on foot or with public transportation. If you plan to leave San Francisco to explore more of the Bay Area, however, you will absolutely need a car.
There are so many routes and freeway options available that I won’t confuse you by listing them all here. Just get yourself a good map that has a detailed close-up of the Bay Area freeway system, and remember these tips:
- The traffic in the Bay Area has reached epic proportions. If at all possible, avoid driving between the peak commute times of 6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.
- Car pool lanes are identified by signs and a diamond painted on the pavement. The fines for driving illegally in the carpool lanes are very high, so read the signs carefully. Carpool lane rules vary from area to area; they are in effect at different times and require different numbers of passengers to qualify, depending on where you are.
- Sometimes a stretch of freeway is really two freeways in one, so don’t panic if you can’t figure out why the freeway you’re on seems to disappear on the map. If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s sharing pavement with another freeway for a while ( a good example is Highway 1/Interstate 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and into Marin County).
- If you are taking Highway 1, the stunningly beautiful coastal route, allow yourself plenty of time. It’s a lovely road, but very narrow and winding throughout.
- California has a car culture – big time. We drive fast, and the roads here are packed with cars all the time. So be careful out there!
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