Getting around · Hub guide

Getting around San Francisco

How to get around San Francisco without a car, with Muni and BART fares, cable car tips, ferries, getting in from SFO, and when driving makes sense.

Updated October 20264 min readLocal guide

San Francisco is one of the easiest American cities to visit without a car. It is compact, Muni buses and trains cover the whole city and BART links downtown with the airport and the East Bay. Parking is expensive and hard to find, and car break-ins are common.

Fares on this page come from SFMTA and BART at the time of writing and can change. Check SFMTA fares and BART fares before your trip. For the bigger picture, start with the San Francisco visitors guide.

Muni buses, trains and streetcars

Muni is the city’s transit system. It runs buses, the Muni Metro light-rail lines, historic streetcars and the cable cars. An adult single ride is $2.85 when you tap a Clipper card, a contactless bank card or a phone, and $3 in cash. A single ride is good for 120 minutes of travel. Youth 18 and under ride regular Muni service free.

The F Market and Wharves line is a favorite with visitors. Vintage streetcars from around the world run along Market Street and the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Passes

A Muni Day Pass costs $5.70 and covers buses, trains and streetcars, but not cable cars. If you plan to ride the cable cars, look at a Visitor Passport, sold for one, three or seven days, which includes cable cars. You can buy passes on the MuniMobile app or load them on Clipper.

Cable cars

San Francisco’s cable cars are the last manually operated cable car system in the world and a moving National Historic Landmark. Three lines run: Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason and California Street. A single ride is $9, with no transfers.

Lines at the Powell Street turnaround can be long. To skip them, board at a stop further up the line or ride the California Street line. Our cable car guide covers routes, the best seats and what to expect.

BART

BART is the regional rail system. In San Francisco it runs under Market Street and through the Mission, and it reaches SFO, Oakland, Berkeley and other East Bay cities. It is the fastest way from the airport. A ride from SFO to the downtown stations takes about 30 minutes and costs $11.80. You can tap a contactless bank card or phone at the fare gates.

Getting in from the airport

• From SFO, take BART from the International Terminal station. Trains run directly to Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery and Embarcadero stations.
• Taxis and ride-hailing pickups are at marked zones outside each terminal.
• From Oakland Airport, take the BART connector to Coliseum station, then a BART train into San Francisco.

Ferries

Ferries leave from the Ferry Building and Pier 41 for Sausalito, Tiburon, Oakland, Alameda and other towns around the bay. A ferry ride is one of the cheapest ways to get out on the water and see the skyline. Check San Francisco Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Ferry for routes and fares. The Alcatraz ferry is separate and must be booked through Alcatraz City Cruises.

Walking and biking

Most central neighborhoods are walkable, but the hills are real. Plan routes around the steepest streets, or ride a bus up and walk down. The waterfront from the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf and Crissy Field is flat and good for walking and biking.

Bay Wheels bike share has docks across the city, including electric bikes. JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park is car-free, and the former Upper Great Highway along Ocean Beach is now Sunset Dunes park, open to people on foot and on bikes.

Driving and parking

You don’t need a car in the city. Rent one only for day trips to Muir Woods, Napa or the coast. If you do drive:

• Never leave anything visible in a parked car, not even for a few minutes.
• Curb your wheels when you park on a hill. It is the law.
• The Golden Gate Bridge charges a toll southbound only, into San Francisco, and has no toll booths. Pay online or through your rental company.
• Read parking signs closely. Street cleaning and residential permit rules are strictly enforced.

More guides

• San Francisco cable cars
• San Francisco visitors guide
• Where to stay in San Francisco
• Golden Gate Bridge guide
• Alcatraz tour guide
• San Francisco neighborhood guide

Photo credits

Featured image: Grendelkhan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Cable cars: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0; Ferries: JaGa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.