San Francisco Airport Transfers

Arriving in a new city and having a driver waiting to take you to your hotel is priceless. Discover all the options to make your arrival in San Francisco as comfortable as possible.

Alex Grande

Alex Grande

6 min read

San Francisco Airport Transfers

Aircraft landing at San Francisco International Airport | ©Alan Wilson

You've probably arrived in San Francisco after a long flight and are looking for the most comfortable way to get to your hotel. I'll tell you everything you need to know in this article to make your disembarkation in the city as quick and easy as possible.

The most convenient option

San Francisco Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel

Get from San Francisco airport to your hotel in comfort.

With this private transfer you will get your trip off to a good start and you can easily reach your hotel in a VIP SUV or luxury car at an affordable price.

San Francisco airport is located about 20 km from the city centre. It's a busy place where finding a taxi, bus or other vehicle to take you into the city can be a real challenge. That's why this transfer from the airport to your hotel in San Francisco is an ideal option.

You can also choose the type of car you want to take you, a luxury car for three people or a VIP SUV for five.


Recommended if... you want to start your trip off on the right foot and not have to worry about getting to your hotel in comfort.

Private transfer: the most comfortable way

Private transfer| ©Vladimir Proskurovskiy
Private transfer| ©Vladimir Proskurovskiy

There are several ways to get to the city from the airport. If you are looking for a door-to-door service, I recommend that you book in advance a private transfer service from San Francisco airport to your hotel for you, your group and your luggage.

This service has all the comforts of a taxi or Uber, but with the added bonus of having the driver waiting for you outside the airport ready to help you with your bags and take you to your accommodation, for a better price than the other options mentioned.

The big advantage is that you won't have to worry about how to get into the city and unlike the shared transfer you will go directly from the airport to your hotel in a comfortable minivan.

How this service works

You will have to provide some information about your flight, such as the flight identification code and the approximate landing time (in the case of arrival transfers) or take-off time (in the case of departure transfers). The operating company will share this information with the driver and will know if your flight has been delayed, at which departure they will have to wait for you and most importantly, they will know the exact time to drop you off at the airport so that there are no problems with your flight.

Most importantly, by sharing this information the driver will be able to contact you if there are any problems with your flight, and will inform you if there are any changes to the pick-up that you should be aware of. Each passenger is entitled to one suitcase and one hand bag. If you have special luggage (instruments, bicycles, professional photographic equipment...) please check with the transport agency before booking.

How long does it take to get there? About 30 minutes on a day without too much traffic, and up to 40 minutes if you are unlucky. Your driver will wait for you for a maximum of 30 minutes. This does not mean you have to rush off the plane; your transfer driver will use your flight details to calculate how long it will take you to find and get to the meeting point.

Return transfer from your hotel to the airport

The same transport option is available for when your holiday is over and you want to get back to the airport stress-free, with a private transfer from your hotel in San Francisco to the airport.

You can book your private transfer from your hotel to San Francisco airport in advance to get everything organised and under control and take the stress out of airport days.

Book your San Francisco airport transfer to your hotel in San Francisco

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit): the most popular form of transport

BART Station, San Francisco International Airport| ©Ken Lund
BART Station, San Francisco International Airport| ©Ken Lund

The most popular method of public transport to get to San Francisco after landing is the underground or BART, which connects the airport to the city centre. There are three to four trains every hour, and it takes about half an hour to get downtown. To catch the BART, you'll need to go to the International Terminal, which is a short walk from Terminals 1 and 3.

You can also ride the AirTrain, which is free and departs from all terminals directly to the BART station. By the way, BART is San Francisco's underground system and will take you to all areas of the city. There are several types of tickets available, depending on the distance. They are also separated by age: blue for adults, orange for young people and green for seniors.

To get from the airport to the city centre as an adult, you can buy a Clipper card and a $9.15 ticket, or the BART Blue Ticket for $9.65.

How long does it take to get there? Around 30 minutes for both the outward and return journeys.

Book your private transfer from the airport to the hotel

Bus: the cheapest way

Blue bus|©munidave
Blue bus|©munidave

There are three SamTrans bus lines that will take you from the airport to the city: 292, 397 and KX. All three will take you to the Transbay Terminal, next to San Francisco's financial district. A ticket costs about $2.25 for the 292, 397, and the KX bus ticket costs $4. If you're looking for a cheap way to get to San Francisco from the airport, this is it.

How long does it take to get there? About 1 hour each way.

Book your private transfer from the airport to the hotel

Taxi or Uber: the more expensive option

Taxi in San Francisco|©bior
Taxi in San Francisco|©bior

I only recommend one of these two options if for any reason you can't book a private transfer from downtown, as it will give you all the advantages of a taxi but with the peace of mind of having it insured and for a better price. Roughly the cost of a taxi from the airport to San Francisco is $50.

How long does it take to get there? About the same as private transfers, except that you will have to wait for your driver. In total, about 40 minutes.

Book your private transfer from the airport to the hotel

Practical information for getting around San Francisco Airport

San Francisco Airport AirTrain| ©Rob Bertholf
San Francisco Airport AirTrain| ©Rob Bertholf

You've just landed at the airport, now what? Here are some key pieces of information and recommendations to give you a head start:

  • The AirTrain is free and connects the different terminals to parking areas, public transport stops and the car rental hub.
  • SFO has four terminals: Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are for domestic flights, and the International Terminal is divided into A and G terminals.
  • Each terminal has its own security checkpoint so my advice is to cancel any plans you have in a terminal other than the one you are arriving in. I'm one of those people who feels a little bit older every time I go through an airport security checkpoint, so I try to avoid them whenever possible.
  • To be honest though, the security checks at SFO aren't the worst thing in the world, they go pretty fast andthe queues aren't too long, and you can pay to skip the queue if you're in a hurry. If you're interested in what you're reading, look for the light blue CLEAR logo, you'll find it at every checkpoint.

You now have all the information you need to travel to San Francisco as if you've already been there, now enjoy your visit!

Book your transfer from the airport to the hotel in San Francisco

  • Private transfer
  • Price: From 41€.
  • Duration: Between 30 and 40 minutes
  • The most comfortable option: the driver will be waiting for you.
  • BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
  • Price: You can buy a Clipper card and a $9.15 ticket, or the BART Blue Ticket which costs $9.65 for the trip
  • Duration: 30 minutes
  • Frequency: Between three and four three trains per hour.
  • Bus (SamTrans company)
  • Fare: From $2.25 to $4.00 each way
  • Duration: About 1 hour each way About 1 hour each way
  • Lines 292, 397 and KX
  • Taxi or Uber
  • Price: $50
  • Duration: 40 minutes plus driver's arrival time