San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport is located next to the city of San Bruno, which is around 14 miles south from the city center in San Francisco. At the San Francisco International Airport one will find many transportation options to the airport and there is ample parking at the airport. The airport serves many domestic and international flights, especially to the Far East. The airport is the second busiest in the state of California, the 14th largest in the United States, and the 23rd largest in the world. San Francisco International Airport is the major hub of both United Airlines and Virgin America. The airport is right off U.S. Route 101 and also has its own Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station, which travels to many destinations in the Bay Area. There is a wide range of accommodation options around the airport as well as in the city of San Francisco itself. San Francisco International Airport has many facilities and services at the airport for passengers and guests and also features the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum and the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library. San Francisco International Airport has also temporary, as well as permanent, art exhibitions spread throughout the airport.

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San Francisco International Airport has four terminals, which are terminals 1-3 and the International Terminal. Terminals 1-3 at the airport form a circle with a parking garage in the middle. Connecting each of the terminals is the AirTrain transit system that operates 24 hours a day. Walking between the terminals is possible, as they are not spread far apart. Each of the terminals at the airport serves airlines and has business facilities, shops and restaurants, and newsstands. There are two sets of gates at the International Terminal, which are A1- A12 and G91 - G102. There are three sets of gates at Terminal 1, which are gates 1-17 (Rotunda A), 20-26 (boarding area B), and gates 40-48 (boarding area C). There are two sets of gates at Terminal 3, which are 60-67 (boarding area E) and gates 69-90 (boarding area F). The AirTrain stations for the terminals are on level 5 of the parking garage.

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The journey time by car from San Francisco International Airport to the city center in San Francisco takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic. The airport is just off US Highway 101, also called James Lick Freeway / Bayshore Freeway, as well as the other major interstate highways of 1-280 and I-380. The airport is located just south of the suburbs of South San Francisco, east of San Bruno and Millbrae, and north of Hillsborough and Burlingame. The airport is about a 50-minute drive north to Oakland over the Bay Bridge and about a 45-minute drive south to San Jose.

To get to the airport from the north drive on Highway 101 heading south and take the airport exit for the terminal buildings and the short-term parking area. Take the San Bruno Avenue exit to reach the car rental area and long-term parking area

To get to the airport from the south, Palo Alto and San Jose, drive north on Highway 101 and take the airport exit for the terminal buildings and the short-term parking area. Take the San Bruno Avenue exit to reach the car rental area and long-term parking area.

To get from the car rental area to Highway 101 turn right driving on McDonnell Road and then take a left on San Bruno Avenue until you merge onto Highway 101 heading either north towards San Francisco or south towards Palo Alto and San Jose.

To get to the airport from the car rental area take a right driving on McDonnell Road and then left on San Bruno Avenue. Merge onto Highway 101 heading south and take the airport exit.

To get to the car rental area from the airport turn right on Highway 101 heading north towards San Francisco and take the San Bruno Avenue exit. Take a left heading down McDonnell Road until you reach the car rental area.

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There are many transportation options available from San Francisco International Airport. These transportation options can take you from the airport to the City of San Francisco and the surrounding areas. At the airport there are the transportation options of BART, CalTrain, bus services, shuttle buses, limousine services, and taxis. There is a train that circulates the airport called the AirTrain that connects the terminals, the car parking areas, car rental areas, and the airport BART station.

The BART metro train is the least expensive way to travel to San Francisco and to other destinations in the Bay Area. BART tickets are available at the BART station and accept both cash and credit cards. The San Francisco International Airport BART runs Monday - Friday between 4 AM and midnight, on Saturday between 6 AM and midnight, and Sunday between 8 AM and midnight.

Near the airport there is the San Francisco Millbrae CalTrain railway station. To get to the station form the airport you can take the CalTrain shuttle bus. The trains make several stops on its journey at train stations in Palo Alto and Stanford. This railway system does not head north to San Francisco.

San Francisco International Airport has San Francisco Airporter buses available that travel to San Francisco and other destinations in the Bay Area. These buses depart from outside the Baggage Claim area and depart every 12-30 minutes. These buses are in operation from 6:20 AM to midnight every day. Besides the BART these buses are the cheapest way to get to your destination in the Bay Area. There is a bus stop outside of Terminal 3 (near Courtyard 4) and the International Terminal (near Courtyard A).

There are many taxis available at San Francisco International Airport. The taxis are outside the Baggage Claim area of Terminals 1 and 3, as well as at level 2 of the Arrivals area at the International Terminal. You should use the official SFO taxis to make sure you are safe and not overcharged. The taxis begin at a basic fare but there are other charges for driving late at night and on the holidays and for luggage. You should check the fare to your destination beforehand so there are no misunderstandings. Some taxis at the airport accept credit cards.

There are hotel shuttles and shared vans available at the airport. The shared vans offer door-to-door service and are located at both the Departures and Ticketing levels of the terminals. There are many courtesy hotels shuttles available and you should check with your accommodations to see if they have this service available.

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There are many facilities available at San Francisco International Airport for both passengers and guests. There are business facilities, currency exchange desks, Internet access, a full service bank, airline lounges, information desks, and ATM machines. These facilities are located in the airport's terminal buildings.

The airport information desks are located on level one of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, as well as on levels 2 and 3 of the International Terminal. These airport information desks can give you information such as directions, general information about the airport, transportation, storage and shipping services, travel insurance, and up to date flight arrival and departure times. Many of the staff at the information desks are multilingual. The airport information desk telephone number is (+1) 650-877-0422.

There are many ATM machines located throughout the airport and a full service bank, which is located in Terminal 3 and open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 4 PM and Saturday between 8 AM and12 PM. There are many public telephones, mobile phone rental areas, post office boxes, and stamp machines located at the airport. There are also several many bureau de change outlets that can give you up to date currency exchange rates.

The airport has business and conference facilities at the airport. The business facilities are located at the International Terminal. The business services available are fax machines, photocopying machines, Internet access, meeting rooms, computer workstations, and telephones. There is also Internet conference capabilities at the airport.

San Francisco International Airport is well equipped to handle disabled passengers and guests. There are telephones for people with hearing problems, disabled parking spaces, and toilets for the disabled, and wheelchair access throughout the airport. If any disabled person needs special assistance they should contact the airport beforehand at (+1) 650-877-0227.

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San Francisco International Airport offers many eating and shopping options. These options are located in each of the terminals at the airport. There are duty free shops located in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. There are both retail shops and specialty shops located at the airport. There are gift shops, newsstands, clothing shops, cosmetic shops, and souvenir stands and shops spread throughout the airport. Just a few of the shopping options are Aviation Inc, Discovery Channel Store, San Francisco Bay Traders, San Francisco Wine Gourmet, San Francisco Wine Country Gourmet, and Sunset Shades. The airport has drinking and eating options with cafes, fast food outlets, coffee shops, restaurants and bars. Just a few of the eating and drinking options are Ebisu, Starbucks, Peet's Coffee and Tea, Harbor Village Kitchen, Il Fornaio's Caffe del Mundo, Jamba Juice, Pizza Hut, Noah's Bagels, and California Pizza Kitchen. There are many great international cuisine restaurants located in the International Terminal. Located throughout the airport there are also many vending machines.

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San Francisco International Airport offers many parking options. There is short term-parking, long-term parking, valet parking available, as well as many parking spaces for the disabled. The highways around the airport can become busy, especially during the morning and late afternoon rush hours, so you need to give yourself plenty of time to park you can and make your flight.

The short-term parking at the airport is located near the terminal buildings. Near Terminal 1 there are the parking areas of A, B, and C. Near Terminal 2 there is the D parking area and near Terminal 3 are the E, F and G parking areas. These short-term parking areas can be used for the pick-up and drop-off of passengers. The A and G parking areas are near the International Terminal. There are per hour parking fees and there are regular links from the Airtrain, which can take you from these parking areas to the terminals at the airport.

There are also long-term parking options at the airport. The long-term parking areas are located near the San Bruno East exit right off Highway 101. There are courtesy shuttle buses that can take passengers from the long-term parking area directly to the terminals at the airport.

There is also valet parking at the airport. This valet service lets passengers park their car outside of the airport and the valet service will then park their car. The car will then be ready upon the passenger's arrival. You can find the valet parking service near the parking garage area of the domestic terminals.

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There are many accommodation options near San Francisco International Airport. Many of the hotels that are near the airport are located along South Airport Boulevard, which is only one mile away from the airport. There are many well-known hotel chains around the airport. Many of these hotels, as well as some in San Francisco and surrounding areas, offer courtesy hotel shuttle buses. These shuttle buses can take you to the airport from your hotel and pick you up and take you to your hotel. Check with your accommodations you are staying at and see if these shuttle buses are available. The hotels that are within 1.5 miles of the airport are the Best Western Grosvenor Airport SFO Hotel, Clarion Hotel San Francisco Airport, Comfort Inn Airport West Millbrae, La Quinta Inn SFO Airport, San Francisco Airport Marriott, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites, Embassy Suites SFO Airport Hotel, and Hampton Inn San Francisco Airport Hotel.

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There are many accommodation options in San Francisco from cheap hotels and hostels to 5 star luxury hotels. There are several nice hotels, as well as very cheap motels, in the downtown district. The tourist area of the city is Fisherman's Wharf where you can find many types of accommodations.

If you are looking for quaint B&B's you can head to the Height Ashbury area and along Fulton Street and Divisadero. The Castro district of San Francisco is very colorful and hosts many parades and festivals each year. There are many B&B's guesthouses, and hotels in the Castro district. There are affordable hotels in the Mission district, which is the Latino area of the city and has a happening nightlife. Other areas of the city that you can find accommodations are the Marina, North Beach, and Civic Center.

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