San Francisco International (SFO)
San Francisco Airport Transfer Guide
Pre-book a private transfer from SFO: your driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name sign, at a fare fixed when you book.
- Driver tracks your flight
- Fare fixed when you book
- ✍ Name sign in arrivals
Pre-book your pickup
From
San Francisco International (SFO)
Where are you going?
Prices are shown when you choose your car and time.
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SFO is 21 km south of Downtown San Francisco — typically a 25-50 min drive on US-101 depending on traffic. Oakland (OAK) airport is across the bay (35 km, mainly domestic + Southwest). San Jose (SJC) is 60 km south for Silicon Valley arrivals. SFO's BART rail link is widely used — $11.05 from SFO to Powell Street in 30 min, every 15-20 min — and is genuinely the smart play for solo travellers / downtown hotels. For families, hotel-not-near-BART, or late-night arrivals: pre-booked transfer to Union Square / Embarcadero / Mission.
- Airport
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Distance
- 21 km Downtown SF / 35 km OAK / 60 km SJC (Silicon Valley)
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Where can your driver take you from SFO?
Transfers you can pre-book from San Francisco airport. Tap one to see cars and prices.
San Francisco airport transfer options compared
Journey times from the table below; traffic and time of day change them.
| Option | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Pickups (pre-booked) | Fixed fare when you book | 25–60 min | Meet-and-greet, English driver, fixed fare, flight tracked. |
| Kiwitaxi (pre-booked) | Fixed fare when you book | 25–60 min | Marketplace, instant quote. |
| BART rail to Downtown | $11.05 | 30 min | SFO direct → Powell/Embarcadero/Civic Center. Every 15-20 min. |
| Uber / Lyft | $35–80 | 25–60 min | Surge during tech-conference weeks + evening peak. |
| Taxi (metered) | $50–80 | 25–60 min | Metered, no flat rate. Reliable but no flight tracking. |
| SamTrans bus | $2.25 | 60–80 min | KX bus to Transbay Terminal. Cheap, slow, luggage-stressful. |
Skip the taxi queue in San Francisco
Your driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals in San Francisco.
Top destinations from SFO
Union Square / Downtown / SOMA
21 km via US-101, 25-50 min.
Fisherman's Wharf / North Beach
Northern SF, 28-55 min through downtown.
Mission / Castro
Slight detour off 101, 25-45 min.
Marina / Pacific Heights
Western SF, 30-55 min.
Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, MTN)
South of SFO, 25-50 min on US-101 south.
From landing to the door
How your San Francisco pickup works
1
2
3Ride straight there
No taxi queue and no haggling: the fare was fixed when you booked.
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One driver, door to door
From SFO your driver takes you straight to San Francisco's centre, the station or out to nearby towns in the region, with no changes on the way.
- Your driver tracks your flight and waits if you land late
- Fare fixed when you book
- Met in arrivals with a name sign
Sketch, not to scale.
Booking tips for San Francisco
- → BART from SFO is genuinely good — $11.05 to Powell Street, 30 min — only beat for groups of 3+
- → Tech-conference weeks (Dreamforce, WWDC, Apple events): pre-book 2+ weeks ahead, premium typical
- → For Silicon Valley arrivals: SJC airport is 25 min from Palo Alto vs SFO 35 min — pick SJC if possible
- → 101 northbound can hit 60+ min Friday afternoons
Complete your trip
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Bags before check-in?
Leave your luggage in San Francisco and explore hands-free.
Luggage storage in San Francisco
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Data when you land
An eSIM gets you online to message your driver without roaming charges.
Airalo eSIMsSan Francisco airport transfer FAQ
BART or pre-booked transfer from SFO?+
BART: $11.05, 30 min to Powell/Civic Center/Embarcadero, every 15-20 min. Pre-booked transfer: 25-50 min, door-to-door. For 1-2 people with light luggage + Downtown hotel: BART is excellent value. For 3+ people, heavy luggage, hotels far from BART stations (Marina, Russian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf): transfer is better total value.
SFO vs OAK vs SJC?+
SFO: largest, all international long-haul, 21 km to Downtown SF. OAK (Oakland): 35 km east via Bay Bridge, cheaper Southwest flights, BART access. SJC (San Jose): 60 km south, best for Silicon Valley, lower fees so cheaper flights. For Downtown SF: SFO wins. For East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland): OAK. For Palo Alto/Mountain View: SJC.
Why is SFO traffic so unpredictable?+
US-101 is the only major freeway connecting SFO to the city — when there's a closure or accident, alternatives (I-280, El Camino) add 30+ min. Friday afternoons + tech-conference weeks are worst. Pre-booked transfers lock in fixed price regardless; Uber surge can spike 1.8-2.5x during disruptions.
Late-night SFO arrival — BART still running?+
BART runs until 00:00 weekdays / 21:00 Sundays (and 21:00 last train Sundays is a notable limitation). For post-midnight arrivals: BART unavailable, Uber surge typical, pre-booked transfer is the safest play. Yellow cab queue at SFO can be 20-40 min late at night.
Ready for San Francisco?
Your driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals in San Francisco.
Mobile data for the United States
Get mobile data for the United States set up before you land.
Luggage storage in San Francisco
Leave your bags somewhere secure in San Francisco and see the city hands-free.
Airport lounges at San Francisco Airport
Wait for your flight in a lounge — one membership covers lounges at airports across the country and worldwide.
Airport transfers in other cities: