Muni Bus and other San Francisco, CA Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: If you are considering renting a car in San Francisco, think again. The city's compact size, many one-way streets, and difficult or expensive parking makes driving more of a hassle than it’s worth. The “Muni,” San Francisco’s bus and streetcar system, can be quite crowded and sometimes irregular, too. But it is cheap—only $1.50 (youth, senior, disabled: $0.50) with a free transfer, and takes you most everywhere. Tickets are sold on the bus (exact change required), or in Muni metro stations. Transfers last 90 minutes in any direction, although bus drivers often give you tickets with extra time. This means that for many trips you can go roundtrip for just $1.50!

If you plan to see a lot of San Francisco and stay for a few days, invest in a MUNI Passport (1-day: $11; 3-day: $18, 7-day: $24), which are for sale at the cable car turnaround, and other outlets. These passes include rides on the must-see cable cars, which are ordinarily $5 each way, so the pass quickly pays for itself! A monthly pass is also available for $45.

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Phone: (415)701-2323 or just 311
Website: www.sfmuni.com/

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: A city of one-way streets, near-vertical hills and kamikaze bike messengers, San Francisco puts visiting drivers to the test. There is little or no free parking. Parking can cost more than $30, even more if you move your car. For the most part, public transportation is your best bet. How ever, if you still insist on a car, here are some driving tips!

If you plan to take any day trips, visit the beach, Napa Valley or Monterey, then access to an automobile will be a virtual necessity. The highways are fairly easy to navigate although they can become congested, especially during commute hours.

The bay area is ringed by highways 101, 880 and 80. The Bay, San Mateo and Dunbarton bridges cross the bay between the peninsula and the East Bay. Marin county is linked by the Golden Gate bridge to San Francisco and by the Richmond bridge to the East Bay.

Highway 101 runs through San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, north to Oregon and south to Los Angeles. It is typically crowded and often slow. Highways 101 and 280 both take you to San Jose.

Highway 280 runs south from San Francisco parallel to Highway 101 and is much less crowded. It that wasn't enough reason to take highway 280, it is worth the drive just for the scenery. It was voted the nation's most beautiful freeway after all.

Highway 80 exits the city eastbound to the Bay bridge and deposits you in Oakland. Continue east and highway 80 leads to Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.

Highway 880 runs parallel to highway 101 on the eastern side of the bay.

I still would not recommend driving in the city. The confusing array of one way and two way streets, steep hills and narrow lanes all conspire to make driving an unpleasant experience at best. Parking is in short supply and expensive. There is little or no free parking!

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: While the Muni system provides the primary way for visitors relying on public transportation to get around the city, the BART rapid transit trains are your ticket into the city from both the San Francisco and Oakland International Airports, as well as an efficient way to get to some of the suburban areas south of San Francisco and the East Bay communities.

BART operates in downtown San Francisco street, in the lower level of the Market Street Subway, below the Muni Metro trains. The system runs as far south of San Francisco as Milbrae, and, on the east side of the bay, serves Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Pittsburg, Bay Point, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Fremont. BART fares are priced by the distance you ride, and the system is more expensive than riding Muni. Therefore, it is not really designed for travel within downtown San Francisco. However, for reaching the city from the airports, or for travel to other locations in the Bay Area, it is a fast, cheap way to get to your destination.

prices are: example ar trip from balboa park to embarcadero is $ 1:45; Daly City to Oakland airport is $ 3.85

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Phone: (415) 989-2278
Website: www.bart.gov/

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: the core of Muni’s streetcar fleet is a collection of old PCC “torpedo” cars, a 1936 design that virtually every big city rail system ran in the 1940s and 50s. They were probably the finest light rail cars ever built – sleek and quiet, they seemed to float down the tracks. The F Market & Wharves line is one of several light rail lines in San Francisco, California. Unlike the other LRV lines, the F line is operated as a heritage railway using exclusively historical equipment both from San Francisco's retired fleet as well as from cities around the world.

Despite its heritage status, the F Market & Wharves line is an integral part of Muni's intermodal urban transport network, operating at frequent intervals for 20 hours a day, seven days a week. It carries local commuters and tourists alike, linking residential, business and leisure oriented areas of the city. Unlike the San Francisco cable car system, standard Muni fares are levied.

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Phone: (415) 701-2323 or just 311
Website: www.sfmuni.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Trolley buses (also known as "trolley coaches" or "trackless trolleys") are rubber-tired vehicles with motors powered by electricity from overhead wires. "Trolley" refers to the trolley poles on the roof of the bus that are used to transmit the electricity from the overhead wires. Although their operations are less flexible than that of motor buses, trolley buses are more energy efficient, much quieter, and much less polluting. Also, they operate better on hills, require less maintenance, and are longer lasting than motor buses.

The basic fare for Muni Trolley Bus, like Muni buses, is $1.50.

Passengers can transfer from Muni Trolley Bus to Muni buses and vice versa, as well as to and from the F line historic streetcars; however, passengers must use the front door on these other vehicles. Passengers can also transfer to cable cars at Powell and Embarcadero stations, though an extra fee must be paid to ride this popular tourist attraction. Four of the downtown subway stations shared by all six lines are also stations on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, and some of the lines also have surface stops at or near the Glen Park and Balboa Park BART stops. While passengers can transfer at these stations, the two systems have different fare regimes and a new fare is usually required when transferring. The monthly MUNI pass, dubbed the FastPass, may be used on BART within San Francisco

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Phone: (415) 701-2323 or just 311
Website: www.sfmuni.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: As in New York and other cities, San Francisco taxis signal their availability by the lighted sign on top of the cab. When the sign is illuminated, the taxi is available.

Like in other Cities in the World, San Francisco also has a fair share of fake or "Bandit" taxis and to spot them, here are the ff guide: The words "San Francisco Taxi Cab" appear on the side and rear of cab, A small metal license plate is on the dashboard and A driver’s ID visible from the backseat.Popular tourist areas like Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square have a greater concentration of cabs than do outlying areas of the city. If you can’t hail a cab on the street, try the nearest major hotel for a taxi queue.

Popular tourist areas like Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square have a greater concentration of cabs than do outlying areas of the city. If you can’t hail a cab on the street, try the nearest major hotel for a taxi queue. For less populated areas, Phone a Taxi! make a call to one of the dispatch numbers listed below.

Taxi Cab Companies:
Arrow Cab Company
(415) 648-3181

DeSoto Cab Company
(415) 970-1300

Luxor Cab Company
(415) 282-4141

Metro Cab Company
(415) 920-0700

Yellow Cab
(415) 333-3333

Veterans Cab Company
Main: 415-648-4119

Taxi Fares

First 1/5th of a mile: $3.10
Each additional 1/5th of a mile or fraction thereof: $0.45
Each minute of waiting or traffic delay: $0.45
Airport surcharge: $2.00
Passengers pay for bridge tolls.
For distances 15 miles or farther outside the city limits, taxis will charge 150 percent! of the metered rate.

Tipping: Tip 15 to 20 percent of the total fare.

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Website: www.infotaxi.org/city

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Transbay Terminal is a transportation complex serves long-distance buses and transbay buses from San Francisco north to Marin County, east to the East Bay, and south to San Mateo County and to Sacramento, Reno, Lake tahoe Area.

Terminal for Muni (San Francisco Municipal Railway): F-5-14L-38-38L-42-45-46-108
Golden Gate Transit routes (Marin and Sonoma Counties): 10-20-50-60-70-80;
AC (Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District or East Basy Counties) Transit Routes: B, C, CB, E, F, FS, G, H, J, L, LA, LC, M, MA, NC, NL, NX, NX1, NX2 NX3, NX4, O, OX, P, S, SA, SB, U, V, W,Z
Sam Trans routes (San Mateo County Transit District): 5M-7B-16F-17F-19F-41F

It is Located at Fremont Street between Mission and Howard St. SOMA, San Francisco, CA 94105

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Phone: (415) 597-4620
Website: www.transbaycenter.org/, http://www.transitinfo.org
Other Contact: Fax: 415-597-4615

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Since 2000, the Renovated Airport is really a Jewel in the Bay Area but since it is always foggy in the bay area, there are cases of flight delays due to it. The airport is composed of four terminals (1, 2, 3, and International) and seven concourses (A through G) arranged in a ring. Terminal 1 (Boarding Areas B and C), Terminal 3 (Boarding Areas E and F), and the International Terminal (Boarding Area A) handle domestic flights. The International Terminal (Boarding Areas A and G) handle international flights.

San Francisco International Airport is located approximately 13 miles south of San Francisco, near the junction of Highways 101 and 380.

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Phone: (1-800) 435-97-36;(650)821-82-11
Website: www.flysfo.com/

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Korean Airlines is largest airline based in South Korea, it operates a network that links Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America to its hub at Incheon International Airport and its domestic hub at Gimpo International Airport.It flies to about 110 cities in more than 30 countries worldwide. The Asia/Pacific region and the US account for most of its traffic. The airline extends its network as part of the SkyTeam global marketing and code-sharing alliance, which is led by Delta Air Lines and Air France. (Code-sharing allows carriers to sell tickets on one another's flights.)

Incidentally, it provides the cheapest fare to South Korea
(where I recently went last june)

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Phone: +1-800-438-5000 (Toll Free)
Website: www.koreanair.com/

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Northwest primarily operates a hub and spoke route system with hubs in Amsterdam, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Tokyo. Northwest is the world's sixth largest airline in terms of domestic and international scheduled passenger miles flown and the U.S.'s sixth largest airline in terms of domestic passenger miles flown. In addition to operating one of the largest domestic route networks in the U.S., Northwest carries more passengers across the Pacific Ocean than any other U.S. carrier hence it is a favorite of asians like me for transpacific flights and the easy accruage of air mileage in its Worldperks program.

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Phone: 1-800-225-2525
Website: www.nwa.com/