Getting around in San Francisco 🛄

Getting around San Francisco, one of the most touristic cities in the United States, is quite simple. The city offers a wide variety of means of transport to move and climb its steep hills. Some of these transports are also attractions, such as Historic Trams and Cable Cars, the famous trams that go up the hills of San Francisco

Almost all means of transport (except trams and some city bus lines) offer the ability to transport prams and strollers, they also have reserved seats for elderly and pregnant women. Even the clubs and shops offer spaces for people with reduced mobility.

How to get around in San Francisco?

The city of San Francisco boasts a vast ed efficient public transport network, which covers both the central and peripheral areas. Despite its steep hills, the extensive public transport network makes the moving around the city very simple and fast. This has allowed San Francisco to become one of the most important cities in the United States, especially in terms of tourism.

Historic Trams

Historic trams are one of the best ways to get around San Francisco. This means of transport "was born" in 1982, when a festival was organized in the city that hosted various historical trams from various cities around the world.

The event was a great tourist success and since 1995 the Historic Trams, or Streetcars, operate regularly on a single line: the F Line. The tour starts from Fisherman's Wharf, and follows the entire waterfront where the other piers of the city are located.

Historic Tram Fares

The cost of a one-way ticket for adults (18 years and older) is $ 2,75 ($ 2,50), while for teens (5 to 17 years) and seniors (+ 65 years) the cost is $ 1,35 ($ 1,25). Children aged 0-4 travel for free.

The cost of the day pass for public transport without Cable Car use is $ 5. The subscription with the possibility of using Cable Cars costs for 1 day $ 23 ($ 12), for 3 days $ 34 ($ 29) and for 7 days $ 45 ($ 39).

In brackets the cost by purchasing the subscription with the MuniMobile application, on smartphone.

Cable Car

The San Francisco Cable Cars are the most folkloric means of transport of San Francisco. This funicular traction tram system was inaugurated on June 18, 1878 and was very valid, and still is, for climbing the steep streets of the Californian city.

Of the original 23 lines, only 3 lines are in operation today: Power-Hyde, Powell-Mason and California Street. Two connect Union Square with Fisherman's Wharf, while the third runs along California Street.

San Francisco is the only city in the world that maintains this means of public transportation. The Power-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines depart from Fisherman's Wharf and run through downtown San Francisco. It is advisable to go up at the beginning of the routes to find a place easily.

Tariffe Cable Car

The price of each trip by Cable Car is $ 7 and the San Francisco metro area public transit pass is not valid. There are 1-day passes for $ 23 ($ 12), for 3 days for $ 34 ($ 29), and for 7 days for $ 45 ($ 39). With the season ticket you can also use other public transport: Muni Metro and Historic Tram

In brackets the cost by purchasing the subscription with the MuniMobile application, on smartphone.

Muni Metro

Metro Muni is a hybrid system between tram and light rail running through the downtown area of San Francisco. The Muni Metro network has both above ground and underground stations. It is less used by tourists than trams and cable cars because it is less folkloric. Fares are those of the San Francisco metropolitan area.

Muni Metro fares

The cost of the day pass for public transport (without Cable Car use) is $ 5. The subscription with the possibility of using Cable Cars costs for 1 day $ 23 ($ 12), for 3 days $ 34 ($ 29) ) and for 7 days $ 45 ($ 39).

In brackets the cost by purchasing the subscription with the MuniMobile application, on smartphone.

Tram BART

The BART (Rapid Transit of the Bay Area) is a convenient means of transport to quickly reach the various places of the Bay and the San Francisco peninsula. The Bart primarily connects the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Daly City, Berkeley, Fremont, Concord, Richmond, Hayward, and Walnut Creek. The BART system is especially used by tourists for transfers from the airport to the center and viceversa.

BART rates

BART trams operate at different fares than Metro Muni or the San Francisco metropolitan area. Fares vary according to distance and routes.

Bus

As with the rest of the United States, getting around by bus is also more in San Francisco and California convenient and economical than the train. There are various bus companions that connect the various areas of the cities of San Francisco, the main one being SamTrans.

I connections with cities nearby are carried out by the Transit Golden Gate and Greyhound company, the latter is the main bus company in the USA and also makes connections with cities outside California.

Bus fares

The bus fares vary according to the distances and the online offers, present at the time of booking.

trains

The train is a good one alternative to reach the cities close to San Francisco or other cities in the United States. The main rail transport company, Amtrak, connects the city center with the suburbs and other cities of the USA. The Capitol Corridor and Coast Starlight trains, also from Amtrak, connect San Francisco to nearby cities.

Train fares

Transport rates vary according to the length of the route chosen.

Caltrain

The Caltrain is a commuter train system in the San Francisco Bay Area which connects the downtown area of San Francisco to San Jose.

Trains run every half hour on weekdays and every hour on weekends and holidays.

On the San Francisco - San Jose route there are 29 stations serving the various cities that the line covers.

Tariffe Caltrain

The cost of the ticket ranges from $ 3,75 for 1 zone to $ 15.00 for 6 zones, ie the complete route.

ferry

Ferries are one of the main means of transport of the San Fransisco Bay for over 150 years. With the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, ferries have lost much of their importance, but remain an important means of transportation for tourists, especially to reach Alcatraz.

Ferry fares

The main ferry company is the Golden Gate Ferry which connects San Francisco to Sausalito, Larkspur, and Tiburon. The cost of the ticket is approximately $ 12,50.

The other routes are to Vallejo / Oracle Park (cost approximately $ 14,60), to Richmond (cost approximately $ 9), to Harbor Bay (cost approximately $ 8,80) and to Alameda / Oakland / Oracle Park (cost $ 7) approximately).

Prices and various information in this article may change over time. Before using the various public transport, inquire on the official websites.

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