San Francisco public transport: tickets, passes and apps

For most visitors the answer is a Clipper card with stored value, or Clipper added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. One card covers Muni buses and Metro, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, ferries and the cable cars, and each operator charges its Clipper fare rather than the higher cash fare.

If you will ride only Muni and only for one day, a Muni day pass loaded on Clipper is the simplest buy: it starts paying off at about three rides and includes the cable cars, which cost more than a bus ride on their own. If you are in town for a week and riding daily, load a Muni 7-day pass instead.

Skip the paper Muni passport and skip buying single rides with cash on board: cash fares are higher and drivers do not give change.

Clipper is the regional stored-value card. Buy a physical card at ticket machines in BART and Muni stations, at some Walgreens and at the airport, then tap in and out on BART and Caltrain and tap on only for Muni. You can also add Clipper to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and top it up with a bank card, which avoids the plastic-card fee.

Contactless bank cards and phones work directly on Muni and BART: tap the reader at the gate or on the bus. Cable cars do not accept contactless bank cards, so you need Clipper, a Muni day pass or cash to the conductor. Cash on Muni buses needs exact change.

Useful apps: the official MuniMobile app for Muni tickets, the Clipper app for balances and reloads, the BART app for schedules and trip planning, and the Caltrain app for Caltrain tickets. Transit and Citymapper are the usual third-party planners.

San Francisco has no single city zone system for visitors to learn. Muni charges one flat fare inside the city, so a bus to Ocean Beach costs the same as a bus downtown. BART and Caltrain charge by distance, which is why a ride to Berkeley or San Jose costs more than a ride within the city.

That means the practical question is not which zone to buy but which operator you are using. Muni passes cover Muni only. If your trip includes Berkeley, Oakland, the airport or Silicon Valley, keep stored value on Clipper and let each operator deduct its own fare.

SFO: BART runs from the airport station into downtown San Francisco in about 30 minutes, with fares around US$10 to Powell Street including the airport surcharge (2026 estimate). The AirTrain connects the terminals to the BART station. A taxi or ride-hailing trip to downtown is roughly US$45–65 plus tip (2026 estimate).

OAK: BART connects Oakland Airport to the regional network via the Coliseum station, then into San Francisco; allow about 45–60 minutes and check the fare for your station pair (check).

If you land late or have heavy bags, a hotel near the airport for the first night is often cheaper than a midnight ride into the city. Otherwise BART is the default.

Tap out on BART and Caltrain. If you forget, the system charges the maximum fare for that line. On Muni buses you tap only when boarding.

Cable car queues at Powell and Market can run 45 minutes or more in summer. Walking two blocks to the California Street line, or riding a regular Muni bus up Nob Hill, is usually faster.

Muni Metro runs underground downtown and on the street further out, so the same line can be a subway or a tram depending on where you board. Check the direction before you tap.

Late nights: Muni Metro service is limited after about midnight, and buses run less often. Plan a ride-hailing trip for very late returns rather than waiting at an empty stop.