How to Get Around Union Square & San Francisco
Getting Around Union Square & San Francisco
There are a great many choices in getting around in San Francisco. You will find listed below the main sources of transportation for San Francisco and when best to use them.
Modes of Transportation
BART BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Underground Transportation
BART SF Airport
Cable Car
The San Francisco Cable Car is one of San Francisco's defining attractions. Steeped in wonderful history, the San Francisco Cable Car is still a treat to ride and an excellent way to experience the City of San Francisco. Street Car, Cable Car, what's the difference?
You can purchase your ticket on the cable car via their app at Get MuniMobile App or here is a location finder you can use to find a physical location to purchase your ticket/s ahead of time.
Cable Car Turn-Around in Union Square
Fares for the Cable car are: Adult & Youth (ages 5-17) $6.00 each way. $3 for seniors or those with disabilities.
1-Day Visitor Passport - $22
3-Day Visitor Passport - $33
7-Day Visitor Passport - $43
Caltrain COMMUTER TRAIN
Caltrain can take to and from the Peninsula and San Francisco and all the way to Gilroy. There is all the information you will need on the following web site for Caltrain.
Ferry
There are 3 ferry systems that are used for transportation as well as site seeing and there are two specifically for site seeing. The Golden Gate, Blue & Gold and Baylink ferries offer commuters and others transportation between Sausalito, Larkspur, Tiburon, Alameda, Oakland or Vallejo and San Francisco. They also have other site seeing cruises as well. The Blue & Gold fleet even has a trip to Alcatraz. The Angel Island/Tiburon Ferry is a ferry taking you to Angel Island and back. The Red & White Fleet is primarily a cruise or site seeing line. Click on the links below and explore all the wonderful sea-going opportunities.
Limousines
San Francisco
South Bay - San Jose
Peninsula
North Bay
Wine Tour
Greater Bay Area & Beyond
Muni STREETCARS, BUSES in San Fransisco
Muni includes buses, light rail and street cars. Technically the Cable Cars are part of Muni, but operate much differently. Thus we have put Cable Cars in their own section.
A single ride fare on Muni is good for 90 minutes of travel, whether it be on a single route or a trip with multiple transfers across buses and light rail. For more information on how exactly it works.
Fares for the Cable car are: Adult & Youth (ages 5-17) $6.00 each way. $3 for seniors or those with disabilities.
Adult Fare - $2
Youth (ages 5-17), Seniors, Disabled - $0.75
1-Day Visitor Passport - $14
3-Day Visitor Passport - $22
7-Day Visitor Passport - $28
Airport Transportation shuttles, vans, shared, hotel, door to door
Airporters, Shared Ride Vans and pre-arranged Vans - Many of these can be reserved Online and some you can just hop on at the airport. Some of them are door to door and some of them take you to a general area.
| Advanced Airporter | (415) 504-6411 |
| Airport Express | (415) 775-5121 |
| American Airporter Shuttle | (415) 202-0733 |
| BayPorter Express | (415) 467-1800 |
| East Bay Connection | (925) 945-0268 |
| Go Lorrie's Airport Shuttle | (415) 334-9000 |
| Marin Airporter | (415) 461-4222 |
| Marin Door to Door | (415) 457-2717 |
| Quake City Shuttle | (415) 255-4899 |
| San Francisco City Shuttle | (415) 822-2648 |
| Super Shuttle | (415) 558-8500 |
Taxis
San Francisco has a robust taxi system and if you are vising San Francisco and staying at a hotel, it is best to not rent a car and rely on taxis, Muni, cable car or BART. Most hotels in San Francisco charge around $75 a night to park your car and give you in and out ability.
Catching a cab at certain hours of the day or in less trafficked areas of The City can be challenging. However, with all the new smart-phone apps and a few tips - getting around The City without a car is the most efficient, inexpensive and convenient choice.
Catching a cab in a highly trafficked part of The City can be as easy as just hailing one from the street. In very busy times or where cabs are not so prevalent on the street, taxi stands, where you can line up and taxis also line up is your best bet. Most hotels in the main areas of San Francisco have a doorman who can hail you a cab. It is customary to tip the doorman. You don't have to be a patron of the hotel.
Rates, Safety Tips & Where to Find a Cab in San Francisco
Taxi Tips
Comparisons between Lyft, Uber & Regular City Taxis
RATE COMPARISONS
The apps for Lyft & Uber will give you the best rates when it is not a time period in which their surge pricing occurs. This can happen when there is an unusual demand and is usually related to calendar celebration events like New Year's Eve or big events occurring in the The City or at the airport when a large flight or a number of flights lands. In those cases you would benefit from taking a regular cab which has static prices - although they may be hard to find as the "demand" is taking place. Another time to beware of is during rush hour on raining days or evenings.
AIRPORT CAB TIP
At the airport when hailing a cab, know that the regular cabs cost considerably more than Uber or Lyft does, especially if you are traveling a bit of a distance. However, if there are a lot of people looking for rides at any one time - Uber and Lyft will have a very expensive surge pricing in effect. One way to avoid that is to wait a little bit or if you don't have to pick up your bags - hurry to be one of the first out there!
APPS
City Pass, Bikes & Maps
CityPass Info
Muni & Cable Car 7 Day Passport + Attractions
CityPass Includes
California Academy of Sciences
Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise
Aquarium of the Bay or Monterey Bay Aquarium
Exploratorium or De Young Museum
7 Days FREE RIDES on Muni & Cable Cars