Save Time and Money: Visit San Francisco on BART

San Francisco, California is one of the world's most diverse and vibrant metropolitan areas, and anyone who has ever tried to drive into the city knows that the traffic frequently moves at a crawl. Add a weekend sports event and it comes to a complete stop. Upon arriving in the city, a driver quickly discovers that there are more than eight cars for every one parking space in San Francisco (including both garage and street parking). Parking garage prices can be high. 

Many commuters avoid the glut of cars on the freeways by taking public transit, but what about tourists who aren't familiar with the local systems? Not a problem. Try using Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, the rail system that serves the entire San Francisco Bay Area. BART traverses not only the city of San Francisco, but also the east bay, south bay, and peninsula areas. Get schedules, prices, and more at www.bart.gov. Passengers can connect easily with bus and other rail systems including Amtrak, Caltrain, San Francisco Municipal Transit , Golden Gate Transit and AC Transit.  

Do you want to reach San Francisco from California's Central Valley? Take the Amtrak Capital Corridor or San Joaquin line to the Richmond, California station, where Amtrak meets BART. From the Silicon Valley, take Caltrain north to Milbrae, where Caltrain meets BART. From Marin County, race across the bay in a Golden Gate Transit ferry. What if you are flying into the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or the Oakland Airport? Take BART directly from the SFO to downtown San Francisco, or a short shuttle bus ride from the Oakland Airport to the MacArthur BART station.

With gas prices through the roof and parking at a premium, leaving the car behind to take the train can save you money as well as time. The BART ride from Richmond to the downtown Embarcadero station costs only $4.00 and takes 25 minutes! Embarcadero station is only steps away from the famous Ferry Building and fabulous Farmer's Market. Enjoy the great restaurants, entertainment, or take a ferry to Alcatraz all without worrying about parking.

Just two more stop on BART, or an extra five minutes, takes you to Powell Street station. Step off the train and into the shopping mall. Take the escalator up into Nordstroms or Bloomingdales. Or, walk outside to experience San Francisco’s most popular attractions including the cable cars, Union Square, Yerba Buena Gardens, the Moscone Convention Center and the City's Theatre District. So if you are planning to drive to San Francisco for a weekend visit, or assume that you need to rent a car at the airport, think again. There are plenty of inexpensive and easy alternatives.

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