Airport Guide for San Francisco International Airport

• Fair
• Current Temperature: 12 C°
• Min : 11 C°   Max : 19 C°
• Sunrise : 7:17 am    Sunset : 7:18 pm

  February 10, 2012  

Lying next to San Bruno and the Bayshore Freeway, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is roughly 14 miles / 22 km south of central San Francisco and is also close to the city of Oakland. Currently California's number two airport and priding itself on short wait times, San Francisco has just welcomed the regional-based Virgin America airline, with its headquarters based nearby in Burlingame.

Available transport options at San Francisco Airport are plentiful in supply and link the downtown district and Union Square, Chinatown, the Financial District, Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights and the gay capital of Castro, amongst other destinations. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains are especially popular onsite, with the SFO BART Station being situated in the departures area of the International Terminal.

Transfer between terminals: AirTrain light rail service operates on two lines. The Red Line connects all terminals, garages and the BART Station; and the Blue Line, which also connects to the Rental Car Centre. AirTrain does not provide service to SFO's Long Term Parking Lot.

Car rental: The AirTrain links the terminals to the rental car centre. Car rental companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, National, Thrifty and Hertz.

Airport Taxis: Taxis depart from the designated taxi zones outside the arrivals and baggage claim level of each terminal, and uniformed taxi coordinators are stationed there from 7am to 1am to assist passengers. A taxi to the city centre takes about an hour and generally costs around US$35.

Facilities: There are banks, bureaux de change and ATMs available. Facilities for the disabled are very good. Other facilities include baggage storage, medical clinic, bars and restaurants, duty-free, shops, childcare and baby changing facilities, post office, wireless Internet, tourist information and hotel reservations. There is also a museum, library, art gallery and an aviation history museum within the terminal.

Parking: A long-term car park is situated two miles (3km) north of the airport and is linked by a free shuttle bus service. Short-term parking is available at the airport.