Buses to and from San Francisco Airport (SFO)

Those who wish to save more on their ground transportation upon arrival at San Francisco International Airport will be pleased to learn that SamTrans, will be more than happy to assist you. This is administered by the San Mateo County Transit District, which guarantees the customer satisfaction of all the passengers. It is in partnership with the Caltrain service, so you will find it easier to transfer from these trains to the SamTrans buses.

As part of the San Francisco International Airport Buses commitment to securing the safety of all passengers, it requests them to hold onto the railing of the bus while boarding to avoid accidents. Be familiar with the bus exits and be alert with the bus announcements for the next bus stop. There is no dress code implemented by the bus company, but those carrying strollers need to fold these before boarding it. Moreover, it has to be stowed under the seat to avoid inconveniencing other passengers. It is also expected that passengers will avoid eating or drinking inside the bus to prevent unwanted litters on the floor or the seat of the vehicle. There is a designated seat prepared for handicapped and senior citizens, thus passengers not classified under this category are advised to find a different seat on board. If it is inevitable for you to listen to your music while travelling, guarantee that it will not disturb other passengers. Speak at a minimum level over the phone and pull the stop request cord if you see your bus stop arriving at the next destination. Follow all of these restrictive rules and you will find your ride very enjoyable.

There are various types of fare offered by the SFO Bus, particularly that of SamTrans. These are the monthly pass, the Day Pass, the Local Ride Tickets, and the Change Card. The Day Pass is ideal for those who will only stay at San Francisco for a single day or less than a week. You can buy this from the bus operator and passengers are advised to state this before they insert any payment into the fare box. The Adult Day Pass costs $6.00, the Youth Day Pass costs $3.75, while those who are eligible for discount like handicapped and senior citizens may purchase it for only $3.00. Once you have this, it will allow you to ride all local routes within the day, which is great savings for anyone touring the city on a very tight budget. In any case, you have to be familiar with the scheduled trips of the buses to know when you have to wait for these at their designated bus stops.

Those who will be staying for a month at San Francisco may pretty much realize the benefits of purchasing a Monthly Pass. These gives you the liberty to have unlimited rides seven days a week for the entire month. It is valid for any of the routes that have the same ride value indicated on your pass. You may use it for higher ride value buses but you need to pay the difference in electronic cash using the Clipper card. For senior citizens and youth who wish to take advantage of the discounted rates, then they can do so by preparing their documents like Medicare care and student identification cards. Once this is presented, you may purchase the Monthly Pass at a rate of $25 for senior citizens and $36 for youth passengers. Local passengers without the privilege of these discounted rates will need to pay $64 in exchange for an unlimited ride at Route KX, 292, 391, and 397 located within the San Mateo country and Palo Alto. Those who wish to purchase the Local/SF Pass may need to pay $96 because these routes passes through 391, 397, and 292 that eventually travels out of San Francisco. This is perfect for those who wish to explore San Francisco and beyond. It is a cheaper alternative in comparison to hiring a taxicab and paying the tollgates during your journey. In any case, the SamTrans is also offering an unlimited pass on any SamTrans route that you may be very happy to purchase because it is only priced at $165. With this, you do not need to fall in line and pay additional fees because your card has limited use.

Those who have no intention of enjoying their trip of the city using bus rides permanently, may simply purchase tokens from the SamTrans headquarters located in San Carlos or at Safeway stores in Sam Mateo County, 4950 Mission St., and 3550 in San Francisco. Each of the token you will buy gives you access to one local ride. These adult tokens are sold at $16 for ten tokens, and youth tokens at $10 for ten. The good thing about these tokens is that they do not expire. You can purchase them in advance and just place them in your wallet in case you badly need a ride on any occasion and a taxicab is not around the corner.

In instances wherein you need purchased a car and inserted more cash in the fare box than what is required, the fare box will then issue you a stored-value change card indicating the amount of balance it contains. In turn, you can use this when purchasing future passes. Just make sure your change cards remain readable and will be used before the expiration date printed on it, otherwise it cannot be used. You may simply hold on to it and include it in your list of souvenir items as memories of your San Francisco experience.

You will find the SamTrans Public Bus Service at San Francisco International Airport Terminal 1. It is located at the Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level and is just at the curbside adjacent to Courtyard 2. If you will arrive from the International Terminal then simply proceed to Level 1 located at Courtyard A then turn to the curbside adjacent to Courtyard G to see the buses. Find the bus with the route that will pass through your destination and hop on board after purchasing your required tickets.