Getting around San Francisco: public transport, passes and taxis

Pick by distance and time of day. Muni covers the city; BART is the fast link to the airport and the East Bay; ride-hailing fills the gaps after about 22:00.

Muni runs buses, trolleybuses, the Metro subway under Market Street and the historic streetcars on the Embarcadero. A single adult ride is around US$2.50–3, and a Muni day pass costs roughly US$5–6, so it pays off from about three rides. A weekly pass is worth it on a five-day-plus stay. Cable cars are priced separately at about US$8 a ride; a day pass that includes them costs more.

BART is distance-based: a short hop in the city is a few dollars, SFO to downtown is around US$10. Caltrain runs down the Peninsula to San Jose. Ferries to Sausalito, Tiburon, Alameda and Oakland are a pleasant crossing rather than a cheap one.

Load everything on a Clipper card or the Clipper app, or tap a contactless bank card where readers accept it. Clipper also covers BART, Caltrain, ferries and most regional buses, which is why it beats buying paper tickets.

From SFO, BART is the default: about 30 minutes to Powell Street or Montgomery, running from early morning to around midnight. From Oakland airport, a connector train links to BART. A taxi or ride-hailing run from SFO to downtown is usually US$50–70 plus tip and tolls, and can take longer than the train in traffic.

For day trips, Caltrain reaches Palo Alto and San Jose, ferries reach Sausalito and Tiburon, and BART covers Oakland, Berkeley and the East Bay. Muir Woods, Napa and the coast need a car, a tour or a long bus-and-shuttle combination; see the day trips page for what actually works in a single day.

A sightseeing day on Muni with a day pass is one of the cheapest ways to see the city. Add a cable car ride and a ferry and the day climbs; add ride-hailing everywhere and it climbs fast.

San Francisco is 11 km by 11 km, but the hills change the maths: a 25-minute walk on the flat can become 45 minutes uphill. Use the map's elevation, not just the distance. The Powell–Hyde cable car queue at Powell and Market can run an hour in summer; board at the Hyde Street end or ride the California Street line instead.

Muni is frequent on main corridors and thin on the hills and in the southwest. After about 22:00, buses run less often; ride-hailing is the practical option. Fog and rain slow everything, and rain brings surge pricing.

A car is a liability for city days: meters are short, garages are expensive, and smash-and-grab theft from parked cars is common at tourist lots and trailheads. If you rent for a road trip, pick the car up on the way out of town, not at the start of your stay.

Daytime Muni and BART are busy and ordinary. Late at night, sit near the driver or in a busy car, and use well-lit stops. Some downtown stations and the Civic Center area feel rough after dark; if that matters to you, take ride-hailing door to door. Pickpocketing is rare but happens on crowded cable cars and buses — keep phones and wallets zipped.