San Francisco Cruise Port Transportation
There are two airports located relatively close to the Port of San Francisco, which is located in the Embarcadero district of San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located approximately 14 miles from the cruise port, and Oakland International Airport (OAK) which is located across the bay, approximately 20 miles from the port. SFO is a larger airport, having many international and domestic flights daily, including those from Delta, Southwest and JetBlue. Compare Rates on Cheap Flights to San Francisco Oakland Airport is a much smaller airport, and is located further from the port but domestic airlines, including Allegiant and Spirit, fly into OAK.
San Francisco Airport & Cruiseport Shuttles
Shared shuttle service from SFO to the port average approximately $17 per person, but because the service is shared, multiple stops could mean the trip could take a long as 90 minutes. Reservations are not necessary at SFO, as vans wait for walk-up passengers outside the Departures/Ticketing area of the airport. Note: There are no San Francisco area hotels which offer shuttle service.
See here for San Francisco hotels close to the port. -
Shuttlefare.com - SFO -
Airport Express If you'd rather ride in luxury, a
private transfer is a great option.
Car Rentals in San Francisco
All national car rental companies are
available at the airports, but unless you have great directions, the streets can be a maze and parking can be extremely hard to find. If you do happen to find street parking, make sure you park properly, especially on a hill. If you are parked facing downhill, your parking break must be engaged and wheels turned toward the curb. If you are parked uphill, in addition to the hand brake, turn your wheels facing away from the curb. If you don't, you can be ticketed. The closest car rental companies to the port are located within the Hyatt Regency: -
Budget -
Avis San Francisco Taxis
From SFO to Pier 27, the main cruise terminal, is upwards of $65 for the 22 minute ride. Fortunately, the pier lies just within the taxi airport boundaries of 15 miles. If you need to go further than 15 miles (ie Fisherman's Wharf or Pier 39 shopping district) from the airport, you will be charged 150% (yes, that's right) of the metered rate. The cost from OAK will be approximately $20 more, but a 15% tip is customary. Fortunately, most taxis accept credit cards. Taxis are readily available outside either airport at the Ground Transportation areas and can drop you off directly at the cruise terminal.
Public Transit in San Francisco
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the least expensive way to get from either SFO or OAK to the port. On their website, they have a starting and ending point trip calculator. The closest transit station to Pier 27 is the Embarcadero station, which is just over a mile away, or approximately a 21 minute walk. Don't wait in line at the airport -
get a BART voucher from SFO. The nearest transit stop is at the Embarcadero/Sansome stop on the F Historic streetcar, which is directly across the street from the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal.
