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City Transportation

INFORMATION

The San Francisco Visitor Information Center , on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza at the end of the cable car line on Market Street (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-3pm; tel 415/391-2000, ), has free maps of the city and the Bay Area, and can help with lodging and travel plans. Its free San Francisco Book provides detailed, if somewhat selective, information about accommodation, entertainment, exhibitions and stores.

San Francisco’s two main post offices , with telephone and general delivery facilities, are at Sutter Street Station, 150 Sutter St (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm), and Rincon Station, 180 Steuart St (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm).

San Francisco is a rare American city where you don’t need a car to see everything. In fact, given the chronic shortage of parking downtown, horrible traffic and zealous meter maids who love to give expensive parking tickets, going carless makes sense. The public transportation system, MUNI , though much maligned by locals for its unpredictable schedule, covers every neighborhood inexpensively via its system of cable cars, buses and trolleys. Bikes are a good option, as marked bike routes - with lanes - direct riders to all major points of interest. Walking the compact metropolis is the best bet, with each turn revealing surprises. Often these are in the form of stunning homes and bustling marketplaces, but on killer hills, some angled at 30 degrees and all punishment on the legs. Wear comfortable shoes.

Municipal train lines

Muni F-MARKET LINE Restored vintage trolleys from other cities run downtown from the Transbay Terminal and Fisherman’s Wharf, up Market Street and into the heart of the Castro.

Muni J-CHURCH LINE From downtown to the edge of the Castro and on to the Mission and Noe Valley.

Muni K-INGLESIDE LINE From downtown through the Castro to Balboa Park.

Muni L-TARAVAL LINE From downtown west through the Sunset to the zoo and Ocean Beach.

Muni M-OCEAN VIEW From downtown west by the Stonestown Galleria shopping center and San Francisco State University.

Muni N-JUDAH LINE From downtown west through the Inner Sunset and to Ocean Beach, via the outer Haight.

From the Muni N-Judah line or buses #5 and #38, you can connect to bus #44 that goes by the De Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, California Academy of Sciences and Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park. A Muni transfer will get you discounts at these places.

Municipal Railway

The city’s public transportation is run by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , or Muni (tel 415/673-6864). A comprehensive network of buses, trolleybuses and cable cars run up and over the city’s hills, while the underground trains become streetcars when they emerge from the downtown metro system to split off and serve the suburbs. On buses and trains the flat fare (correct change only) is $1; with each ticket you buy, ask for a free transfer - good for another two rides on a train or bus, and a fifty-percent reduction on cable cars if used within ninety minutes. Local groceries have begun to vend single-ride tokens (80¢), which save money and take care of the annoyance of not having correct change. Cable cars cost $2 one-way (no transfers). Most of the streetcar lines (J, K, L, M and N) require proof-of-payment (meaning they can check your ticket), so hold on to a valid ticket, pass or transfer (they often do check) or you may be subject to a steep fine.

If you’re staying a few days, the Muni Passport is available in one-day, three-day and seven-day denominations ($6, $10, $15) and is valid for unlimited travel on the Muni system and BART stations within the city limits. A Fast Pass costs $35 for a full calendar month. Muni trains run throughout the night on a limited service, except those on the M-Ocean View line, which stop around 1am. Buses run all night, but services are greatly reduced after midnight. For more information , pick up the handy Muni map from the Visitor Information Center or bookstores.

Bikes are allowed on MUNI buses equipped with bicycle racks (on the front of the bus) and on Bay Area Rapid Transit, BART , except during peak commute hours.

Other Transportation Systems

Various other public transportation networks serve San Francisco and the Bay Area. Along Market Street downtown, Muni shares the station concourses with BART, which runs to the East Bay - including downtown Oakland and Berkeley - and outer suburbs. The Caltrain commuter railway (depot at Fourth and King, South of Market) links San Francisco along the peninsula south to San Jose. Golden Gate Ferry boats (tel 415/923-2000) leave from the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero, crossing the bay past Alcatraz to Sausalito and Larkspur in Marin County. Blue & Gold Fleet (tel 415/773-1188) sails to Sausalito and Tiburon from Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf. The Alameda-Oakland ferry (tel 510/522-3300) sails between Oakland’s Jack London Square, the Ferry Building, Fisherman’s Wharf and Pac Bell Park ($5 one-way) and, in summer, to Angel Island ($12 round-trip; daily late May-Oct).

Taxis ply the streets, and you can flag one down (especially downtown), but finding one can be a pain. Phoning around, try De Soto (tel 415/970-1300) or Yellow Cab (tel 415/626-2345). Fares (within the city) are roughly $1.70 for the first mile and $1.80 per mile thereafter.

If you fancy cycling , Avenue Cyclery, 640 and 756 Stanyan St (tel 415/387-3155) in the Haight, near Golden Gate Park, rents mountain or city bikes for $5 per hour, $25 per day. Downtown, for Golden Gate Bridge rides, try New World Sports, 1365 Columbus Ave, near Fisherman’s Wharf (tel 415/776-7801), and Blazing Saddles, on Fisherman’s Wharf on Pier 41 and at 1095 Columbus Ave in North Beach (tel 415/202-8888); both rent bikes for $5 per hour, $25-28 per day.

ARRIVAL

All international and most domestic flights arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), inconveniently located about fifteen miles south of the city. San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans) buses leave every half-hour from the lower level of the airport; the #KX express ($3) takes around 30 minutes to reach the Transbay Terminal downtown, while the slower #292 ($1.10) stops everywhere and takes nearly an hour. On the #KX, you’re allowed only one carry-on bag; on the #292, you can bring as much as you want provided you can carry it onto the bus yourself. The SFO Airporter bus ($12) picks up outside each baggage claim area every fifteen minutes and travels to Union Square and the Financial District. The blue SuperShuttle, American Airporter Shuttle and Bay Shuttle minibuses depart every five minutes from the lower level of the circular road and take passengers to any city-center destination for around $14 a head. Be ruthless - competition for these and the several other companies running shuttle service is fierce and queues nonexistent. Taxis from the airport cost $30-35 (plus tip) for any downtown location, more for East Bay and Marin County - definitely worth it if there is more than one of you. If you’re planning to drive, the usual car rental agencies operate free shuttle buses to their depots, leaving every 15 minutes from the upper level, but you have to load and unload your bags yourself. The car rental depot is located north of SFO and is too far to walk to. A shuttle train, now under construction, will alleviate this inconvenient system.

Several domestic airlines (Jet Blue and Southwest are two) and United fly into Oakland International Airport (OAK), across the bay. This is actually closer to downtown San Francisco than SFO, and is efficiently connected with the city by the $2 AirBART shuttle bus, which drops you at the Coliseum BART station. Get on BART and San Francisco’s downtown stops are fifteen minutes away ($2.75).

INFORMATION

The San Francisco Visitor Information Center , on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza at the end of the cable car line on Market Street (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-3pm; tel 415/391-2000, ), has free maps of the city and the Bay Area, and can help with lodging and travel plans. Its free San Francisco Book provides detailed, if somewhat selective, information about accommodation, entertainment, exhibitions and stores.

San Francisco’s two main post offices , with telephone and general delivery facilities, are at Sutter Street Station, 150 Sutter St (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm), and Rincon Station, 180 Steuart St (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm).