How to easily get from SFO to downtown San Francisco

In the tech world of San Francisco you could take a ride share… but the real answer for how to get from SFO to downtown San Francisco is by train.  Public transportation to San Francisco is the easy and affordable solution. 

Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links. What does that mean you ask? I may earn a small commission, but you won’t pay any extra. These links also help fund and support my page.

After touching down at San Francisco International Airport you will either collect your luggage, or travel straight to the AirTrain on level 2. 

SFO Airport AirTrain

If you’re new to SFO, the AirTrain is the internal San Francisco Airport train that connects all terminals.  You will need to get on this train from the domestic or international terminals and head to the International Garage G/BART stop on the AirTrain.

There are two AirTrain routes, a red line and blue line. The red line runs just through the terminals, while the blue line goes out to the rental car center and extended long-term parking lot.  From the terminals the blue line will stop at the Garage G/BART stop before leaving the main part of the airport.  Just make sure you are paying attention and get off in time, otherwise the full blue line loop takes 25 minutes. 

After you get off the AirTrain, you will head straight to the BART entrance where you get your ticket to go from SFO to downtown SF.  

BART San Francisco train service

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the regional train service that connects the entire Bay Area from San Francisco to Oakland, north to the East Bay, and down to San Jose. 

There are two trains that connect SFO to downtown San Francisco, the Red Lines and Yellow Line.  The Yellow Line ends service at SFO, so it is the easier of the two lines going from the San Francisco airport to downtown. The Red Line has one more stop after SFO, where it terminates in Millbrae.  So make sure you are getting on the Red Line towards San Francisco/Richmond. 

You can find more information on the BART, plus a San Francisco BART map here. 

BART to SFO airport schedule

The BART runs from SFO to downtown San Francisco about every 5 minutes during the day.  

The train is in service from around 5am to midnight on weekdays, 5:45am to midnight on Saturdays and 8am to midnight on Sundays. 

How to pay for your ticket from SFO to San Francisco

Paying for the BART is incredibly easy, all you have to do is tap to pay at the machine with your credit card or phone (using ApplePay or GooglePay).  Once you reach your destination, then you will tap the same card (or phone) to exit the station, and you will be charged for the distance from SFO to downtown San Francisco. 

The cost from SFO to the Civic Center/Union Plaza BART Station in Downtown San Francisco was $11.80 per person for a one way ticket in June of 2026.  When you compare this to a $40 or more ride share, this is a significant cost savings, and you don’t have to worry about traffic. 

Tap to pay vs Clipper Card

The Bay Area has a regional public transportation card called the Clipper Card, which allows you to digitally add money to your “card” for use on the BART or the Muni (San Francisco Municipal Transit).  It’s essentially a digital pre-pay card. 

Note, the Clipper card does not work with the visitor day pass.  If you plan to use buses, trams and cable cars throughout your day in San Francisco, then get the separate Muni day pass or visitor passport (good for 1, 3 or 7 days).  But if you only think you’ll only use transportation once or twice per day, then I would skip the pass and the Clipper Card and just tap to pay as you go.  

How long is the BART from SFO to downtown San Francisco? 

It can take around 10 minutes to get from the airport terminal to the BART station via the SFO train. 

Once you get on either the Red or Yellow Line, it is about 30-35 minutes into the city center, depending on your stop.

BART Stations in downtown San Francisco

There are four BART stops in the main downtown corridor area: Civic Center/Union Plaza, Powell Street, Montgomery Street and Embarcadero.  

The Majority of hotels downtown are in or around Union Square or the SoMa district.  The Powell Street station is the closest station to Union Square, and from there it will either be a short walk, bus ride, taxi or ride share to your hotel. 

Check out my review of this SoMa Boutique Hotel

SFO to downtown San Francisco FAQs:

Additional posts on San Francisco, CA