San Francisco - Alison Bing [229]
Door-to-door shuttle vans pick up/drop off from any San Francisco location to/from SFO, and usually take some time circulating to different hotels to pick up more passengers. Call for a reservation for pick ups in SF; reservations aren’t necessary from the airport, since vans leave frequently from the baggage claim level outside all terminals. Companies include Super Shuttle (415-558-8500; www.supershuttle.com), Lorrie’s (415-334-9000; www.gosfovan.com), Quake City (415-255-4899; www.quakecityshuttle.com) and American Airporter Shuttle (415-202-0733, 800-282-7758; www.americanairporter.onsmartpages.com/services). Fares are $14 to $17 one-way.
SamTrans (800-660-4287; www.samtrans.com) express bus KX ($4.50, 30 minutes) or the slightly slower local SamTrans bus 292 ($1.75) leave from the BART station at SFO, and drop you at San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal (Map) in the South of Market area.
Taxis to Downtown San Francisco from SFO cost $30 to $45, plus tip, departing from the yellow zone on the lower level. Taxis at Oakland airport leave curbside and cost $60 to $70 to Downtown SF.
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Alcatraz Cruises (Map; 415-981-7625; http://alcatrazcruises.com; day tour adult/child/senior $26/$16/$24.50, night tour $33/$19.50/$30.50; call center 8am-7pm) has ferries departing from Pier 33 for Alcatraz every half-hour from 9am to 3:55pm, and at 6:10pm and 6:45pm for night tours. For tour details, Click here.
Blue & Gold Fleet Ferries (Map; 415-705-8200; www.blueandgoldfleet.com) operates ferries from the Ferry Building, Pier 39 and Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf to Jack London Sq in Oakland (one-way $7.75), Tiburon or Sausalito (one-way $11) and Angel Island. During the baseball season, a Giants ferry service runs directly from the landing at the Seals Plaza entrance to AT&T Park to Oakland and Alameda. Ticket booths are located at the Ferry Building and Piers 39 and 41 (Map).
Golden Gate Transit Ferries (Map; 415-455-2000; www.goldengateferry.org; 6am-9:30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun) runs regular ferry services from the Ferry Building to Larkspur and Sausalito (one-way adult/child under five years/senior and youth six to 18 years $7.85/free/3.90). Transfers are available to Muni bus services, and bicycles are permitted. Ferries from Larkspur to Giants games also run in baseball season; $8 one-way tickets are available at ferry terminal ticket windows.
Get to Napa car-free via Vallejo Ferry (Map; 877-643-3779; www.baylinkferry.com; adult/child under 6yr/senior & child over 6yr $13/free/6.50) with departures from Ferry Building docks about every hour from 6:30am to 7pm weekdays and every two hours from 11am to 7:30pm on weekends; bikes are permitted. From the Vallejo Ferry Terminal, take Napa Valley Vine bus 10 to downtown Napa, Yountville, St Helena or Calistoga.
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BIKING AROUND THE BAY AREA
Within SF: Muni has racks that can accommodate two bikes on some of its community-service routes, including 17, 35, 36, 37, 39, 53, 56, 66, 76, 91 and 108.
Marin County: bikes are allowed on the Golden Gate Bridge, so getting north to Marin County is no problem. You can transport bicycles on Golden Gate Transit buses, which usually have free racks available (first-come, first-served). Ferries also allow bikes aboard when space allows.
Wine Country: to transport your bike to Wine Country, take Golden Gate Transit or the Vallejo Ferry. Within Sonoma Valley, take Arnold Dr instead of busy Hwy 12; through Napa Valley, take the Silverado Trail instead of Hwy 29, with manic drivers U-turning for wineries and swerving for photo-ops. The most spectacular ride in Wine Country – and pretty much anywhere else we can think of – is sun-dappled, tree-lined West Dry Creek Rd in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley.
East Bay: cyclists can’t use the Bay Bridge,