San Francisco has many transit connections to cities and attractions around the Bay. Following are various ways for visitors, newcomers, and residents to get to the suburbs around San Francisco using bus, train, or boat.
MUNI and BART – Public Transit within San Francisco
Traveling within San Francisco by public transportation is easy. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI) provides buses, light rail, historic street cars, and cable cars to most places in the city. For a mere $2.00 (adult fare), visitors can travel all over San Francisco’s 49 square miles. Discount passes are available.
New schedules and some route adjustments were made in December of 2009. For transit information, call 311 in San Francisco and call 511 in the Bay Area.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) also makes limited stops within San Francisco: (BART shares the same Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center stops as MUNI, but on a different platform) and then travels south (stopping underground at 16th Street Mission, 24th Street Mission, Glen Park, and Balboa Park).
BART and Caltrain – Public Transit to Suburbs East and South
BART provides transit that connects with the East Bay (Oakland, Richmond, Pittsburgh/Baypoint, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Fremont) and with the South Bay (Daly City, San Francisco Airport, and Millbrae). BART fares vary according to the distance travelled. Tickets can be purchased at automated ticket vending machines within stations. Discount tickets can be purchased online, by mail, or from selected retail vendors.
BART travels directly to the San Francisco International Airport. To Oakland International Airport, get off at Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART station and take the AirBART shuttle( which travels every 10 minutes during the day).
Caltrain, the Peninsula’s commuter line, travels between San Francisco (station is at 4th and King Streets) and San Jose, stopping at over 20 stations in-between including Millbrae (for connecting with BART to SF Airport), Redwood City, Palo Alto, Burlingame, Mountain View, and Santa Clara. There is also service to Gilroy during weekday commute hours.
Fares on Caltrain depend on the number of zones travelled. Passengers need a valid ticket before boarding the train. Tickets can be purchased at stations, at ticket vending machines, and by mail or through the internet.
Golden Gate Transit – Public Transit to Marin
Golden Gate Transit (415) 921-5858) operates buses from San Francisco to various cities in Marin County. They also run buses to the start of hiking trails on Mt. Tamalpais.
Ferry Services –Public Transit to Marin and East Bay
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is the point of departure for boats going to Marin, Oakland, Alameda, and Vallejo. Golden Gate Transit operates ferries to Sausalito and Larkspur. The Blue and Gold Fleet operates ferries to Angel Island and Tiburon as well as boats to Oakland, Alameda and Vallejo.
Amtrak – Public Transit Around the U.S.
Amtrak does not run tracks in San Francisco, but it has a connecting bus that stops at the Ferry Building (Embarcadero Station on BART and MUNI). Trains board in Emeryville in the East Bay and go north towards Oregon and Washington, south towards Los Angeles and San Diego, and east towards the rest of the U.S.
Trip Planner
The easiest way to plan your trip is to dial 511 on the phone or access 511 through the internet. This free resource gives up-to-the-minute transit information, fares, and routes for the 9 counties of the San Francisco Bay Area.
To use the 511 Trip Planner, plug in your starting point, your ending point, the time of day you’d like to leave; and whether you prefer the fastest trip, the fewest transfers or the least amount of walking. The program will figure out the best way to reach your destination, listing the types of transit to take, the time to allow for each leg of the trip, and how much it will cost.
San Francisco’s MUNI and BART systems will take you where you want to go within the city. Commuter lines BART and Caltrain will connect you with suburbs south and east. Golden Gate Transit operates buses and ferries that go north. Blue and Gold Ferries go east.
Whether by bus, train, or boat, San Francisco offers convenient public transit to the suburbs of the Bay Area and beyond.
Virginia Balogh-Rosenthal - Virginia loves walking around the world’s great cities and riding their subways. Since becoming parents thirteen years ago, Virginia ...
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