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Getting Around San Francisco
Looking for information about the public transit systems of San Francisco? Well, San Francisco has one of the best public transit systems in America, and we hope that this guide will give you all the information you need.
Summary: ​
Last Updated September 23, 2025
Bus & Metro (Light Rail)
San Francisco has both buses and light rail metro systems, and both are operated by muni. Both options can take you to many places across the city, but the bus has a lot more stops. Here is more information.
Fares
There are several fare options, but happily, since buses, metro, streetcars and cable cars are all operated by muni, you may have an option in which one ticket does it all! Of course, check what is included in your pass first.
​Tickets ranges:​
$2.85 to $3.00 for a Adult (ages 19-64) Single Ride (120 minutes of travel)
$5.50 to $5.70 for a Day Pass (allowing to rides buses, trains* and streetcars)
$86 to $104 for a Monthly Pass for a Adult (ages 19-64)
Youth aged 18 and under can ride for free on all regular Muni vehicles (cable car excepted). Seniors (65+) and People with Disabilities can obtain discounts.
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Please refer to the "Paying Section" for more details. You may also visit the official SFMTA website for up to date and detailed information on fares.
Note
If in San Francisco, you plan on visiting the major places such as the Golden Gate, Palace of Fine Art or Golden Gate Park, the bus line 28 will probably be your best option.
BART (Bay Area Transit System)
The BART is a train that serves all of the San Francisco Bay. If you do not have a car, it can be a very practical way of going from the airport to Downtown San Francisco, and all over the Bay Area.
Fares
Unlike other transportations systems, BART can be paid only with a Clipper Card or a Mobile payment app like Apple/Google Pay. The physical Clipper Card costs $3 for adults, and can be reloaded for free on your phone or at a BART station. There is no defined fare, since the fare is based on the distance traveled.
Children 4 and under can ride for free. Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with the Youth Clipper card. Senior 65 and over get 62.5% off with the Senior Clipper card. These can be obtained by mail, or at multiple locations across the Bar Area.
RTC/Access Clipper card is a version of Clipper providing 62.5% off to passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities.
For more information on BART discounts, you can visit the official discount page on the website of the BART.
Note
The BART is often criticized for security concerns. Although some lanes are safe, riders should always be careful.
Cable Car
The cable cars are the iconic transportation system of San Francisco and had rendered years of loyal services. Nowadays, it is mainly a tourist attractions. But don't worry, it is a good one.
To ride a cable car, you either need to go at the car turntables (beginning or end of each route) or look for a brown-and-white car sign post. The waiting time to get a cable car can be long (departs every 10 - 20 min), and the placement within the car is based on a first arrived first served system. Therefore, if you would like to get on the outside of the car, you should be among the first in line.
What is the best cable car line?
There are three different cable car lines which all offer different experiences.
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California Cable Car
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Powell/Hyde Cable Car
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Powell/Mason Cable Car
We cannot really say that one cable car line is better than another – it is a subjective question. However, the Powell & Hyde has the best reputation as it offers unique views on the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz Island during the ride. This line also stops at Lombard Street.
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Fares
You can have access to cable cars as part of a pass including more transportations types. However, if you look to take only a cable car, the fares are the following:
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Single ticket ride – $9.00
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Senior/ Disabled: 9pm - 7am – $4
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Youth 4 and under – Free
Ferry
The San Francisco Bay Ferry is both a practical way of moving around the Bay Area, and a great ride to enjoy views of the area. There are 7 regular routes:
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Oakland & Alameda
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Alameda Seaplane
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Harbor Bay
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South San Francisco
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Vallejo
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Alameda Short Hop
Fares
Prices vary depending on the route you decide to take. The prices range from $1.10 to $9.90. It is free for childrens under 5, and discounts are also available for senior, youth, medicare cards or DMV disabled parking placards.
You may either pay with the app of the San Francisco Bay Ferry, Clipper or a paper ticket.
Please visit the official website of the Bay Ferry for the most detailed information.
Note
The ferry works on a first come, first served basis.
Streetcars
Another iconic transportation type of San Francisco, there are only two streetcar lanes – the E and F. Both pass next to major points of interest in San Francisco.
Fares
The fares for the historic streetcar are similar to the fares of Muni Bus and light rails. Please refer to the fares subpart of the Bus & Metro section for more information.
For more information on historic streetcars, you can visit the Market Street Railway website.
Paying
For any person meeting San Francisco’s transportation systems for the first time, paying can be a bit tricky. There are many options, and the following section will try to go over these. One important point to keep in mind is that there are two main companies when it comes to paying; Clipper and Muni. The two options have their advantages which we will adresse:
Clipper
The clipper card can be used to pay for most transportations’ type. You can either buy a physical or virtual one. To get a physical one, you can either buy one directly at a BART station, or buy it online and get it mailed to your house (if you live in the U.S.). To buy a virtual one, you have to download the clipper app on which you will be able to add a card which will then be added to your apple/google wallet (depending on your phone). Finally, if you desire to buy a physical card and then make it virtual, it is possible. Nonetheless, if you decide to transition your card from physical to virtual, the physical version will not work anymore.
One big advantage of the clipper card is that it can be used for most transportation as long as you have a pass on it. On the clipper app, you will have the possibility to buy passes from different companies to add on your cart. If your card is physical, be careful as the process to add the pass on the card can take 24H or more.
Muni
Except for the BART and San Francisco Bay Ferry, most public transit systems in San Francisco are managed by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni). They have their own app (the MuniMobile app) on which you can buy passes, and which you can use to pay for all transportations managed by Muni. If you come with a group, the app allows you to have multiple tickets/passes on a single smartphone. The big downside with this option is that you cannot pay the BART with it. However, if you do not plan on taking the BART, this should not be an issue for you.
One big advantage of the clipper card is that it can be used for most transportation as long as you have a pass on it. On the clipper app, you will have the possibility to buy passes from different companies to add on your cart. If your card is physical, be careful as the process to add the pass on the card can take 24H or more.
How to get to downtown San Francisco from the airport?
If you are coming to San Francisco by plane, you may wonder how to get to the city since the airport is not exactly nearby. There is more than one answer to this question. Some ways to get from the airport to the city include:
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Driving: Whether you order a Taxi, Uber, Lyft or just drive yourself, you can get to the city by car, usually via the I-280N or US-101 N. It generally takes about 30 min, but that can vary depending on the traffic.
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BART: A BART station is located in the airport area. It can easily be accessed from the airport terminal with the airport’s train. A BART ride from SFO airport to the Embarcadero station takes around 30 min and costs around $11. There are multiple stations in downtown SF, most of them will require you to take the red or yellow line.
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SamTrans: The company SamTrans offers bus ride from the airport to the town. You may visit their website (click here) for more information.
Plan to stay multiple days in San Francisco?
As you can see, transit in San Francisco can be a bit complicated when it comes to pay. However, if you come to understand it, you will see that it is also very convenient. If you plan on visiting the city for multiple days and plan on using the transit system, we encourage you to take a look at the Visitor Passport pass which exists in a 1, 3 and 7 Day Version. These passes allow you to ride on pretty much all types of transportations unlimited for the duration of the pass.
