San Francisco - Alison Bing [228]
A clinic (650-821-5600; 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) can be contacted from white courtesy phones found on the lower level of the International terminal. Harmony Pharmacy ( 650-821-1313; www.harmonypharmacy.com; 9am-6pm) is available in Terminal 3’s Boarding Area F, after you pass through security.
All terminals have ATMs, and there is a currency exchange in the International terminal. Lockers (per 24hr $2) are located at all boarding areas, and there is luggage storage in the travel agency area, in the upper-level connector between the South and International terminals.
SFO is on the bayside of the peninsula, 14 miles south of Downtown San Francisco. Highway 101 connects the airport directly to Downtown. If you’re driving, the trip between the airport and the city can take as little as 20 minutes, but give yourself an hour during morning and evening rush hours. If you’re headed to the airport via Hwy 101, take the San Francisco International Airport exit. Don’t be misled by the Airport Rd exit, which just leads to parking lots and warehouses.
Transportation arrives and departs at the upper and lower levels, and color-coded zones identify the correct places to catch buses going to rental-car lots, long-term parking lots, other airports, and nearby hotels. This can be confusing, so read the terminal signs carefully before stepping outside. For transportation options to Downtown SF, see the boxed text.
OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Travelers arriving at Oakland International Airport (OAK; Map; 510-563-3300; www.oaklandairport.com), 15 miles east of Downtown, will have a little further to go to reach San Francisco. The least expensive way from the Oakland airport is via BART train and the AirBART shuttle (510-569-8310; adult/child & senior $3/1; 5am-midnight Mon-Sat, 8am-midnight Sun). The AirBART shuttle leaves both terminals every 10 to 20 minutes for the BART Coliseum Station; buy your AirBART shuttle ticket from the ticket machine before exiting the airport. Upon arrival at Coliseum Station, purchase your BART ticket ($3.80) from the machine for the 30-minute trip to Downtown San Francisco.
NORMAN Y MINETA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Fifty miles south of Downtown San Francisco, Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC; Map; 408-501-0979; www.sjc.org) is a straight shot into the city by car via Highway 101. The VTA Airport Flyer (bus 10; tickets $1.75; from 5am to midnight) makes a continuous run between the Santa Clara Caltrain station (Railroad Ave and Franklin St) and the airport terminals, departing every 10 to 15 minutes. From Santa Clara station, Caltrain (one-way $7.75; 80 minutes) runs several trains every day to the terminal at 4th and King Sts in SF.
Return to beginning of chapter
BICYCLE
San Francisco is fairly bike-friendly, but traffic Downtown can be dangerous; biking is best east of Van Ness Ave. For bike shops and rentals in SF, Click here; for bike rentals and tours in Wine Country, Click here. Bicycle rentals run $7 to $10 per hour, $28 to $50 per day, and over $100 per week. Bike prices start at about $200, with top-of-the-range models starting at $650; check shops and Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) for sales and used bikes. If you’re bringing your own, bicycles can be checked in boxes on Greyhound buses for $20 to $30; bike boxes cost $10. On Amtrak, bikes can be checked as baggage for $5.
Return to beginning of chapter
BOAT
The opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 spelled the near demise of ferry services across the Bay, but with the revival of the Embarcadero and reinvention of the Ferry Building as a gourmet dining destination, commuters and tourists alike are taking the scenic way across the bay after leisurely meals at Ferry Building eateries.
* * *
GETTING INTO TOWN
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit; 415-989-2278; www.bart.gov; 6am-11pm) offers a cheap,