SF ariport to Fisherman's Wharf

June 3, 2005 3:12 PM

I'm looking for recommendations for shuttle/comfy bus service from SF airport to the Fisherman's Wharf area. Quicker is more important than cheaper.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink to Travel & Transportation around San Francisco, CA (10 answers total)

BART worked for me.
posted by makonan at 3:21 PM on June 3, 2005

Best answer: BART isn't going to get you to Fisherman's wharf. It will get you downtown then you'll have to go above ground to catch either a cable car or MUNI. If quicker is more important that cheaper - take a cab. It'll be about 40 bucks. If not that quick and a bit cheaper is what you're looking for - I've had great luck with SuperShuttle - especially leaving the airport and going into the city. Not especially "comfy" - its a van - but well priced and delivery to your exact destination with a maximum of 2 other stops before your's.
posted by Wolfie at 3:28 PM on June 3, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks Wolfie. I should have also mentioned that I'm traveling with my wife and two-year-old daughter. Alone I'd do the BART and transfer. With family I'll probably go with SuperShuttle.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 3:37 PM on June 3, 2005

The only reasonably quick transportation from SFO is a taxi or having a friend driving around in circles at the arrivals stand. Besides, the airport is just about the only place in this town where a taxi will stop to pick people up; they're notoriously elusive in the city itself. You might as well take advantage of the only reliable cab supply we've got!

BART will not only be slow, but doesn't even put you within walking distance of the Wharf. Meanwhile SuperShuttle (and the other van services) are fairly uniform in how slow they are, and since they charge per person rather than mileage are really only cost effective for one or two people -- after that you're paying just as much as you'd pay for a cab, but taking three times as long to get where you're going.
posted by majick at 3:39 PM on June 3, 2005

Supershuttle will not be all that much cheaper, as they have an extra charge for each passenger. Also they may not be that fast, as they make multiple stops. I'd suggest you go with a cab or a limo service - like Wolfie said, it'll be about $40, but it will be direct and fast. You can search for limo services on google
posted by jasper411 at 3:42 PM on June 3, 2005

I always do the taxi if I don't have time for the BART. Those vans are slightly cheaper but seem to take longer. A cab goes right to your door direct. $40 sounds about right.
posted by mathowie at 3:43 PM on June 3, 2005

Response by poster: I'm convinced. Taxi it is. (Sorry for hitting the flag link.)
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 3:47 PM on June 3, 2005

If money isn't an issue how can a taxi not be the obvious choice? (What other suggestions were you thinking of?)
posted by Cosine at 3:53 PM on June 3, 2005

Super Shuttle can arrange for your own van if you have enough people or request it. It may not even be much more expensive to do that. I never do anything else when I fly into SFO or especially OAK. It's totally worth the money to me to go door to door without a lot of fake driving in circles and other BS. Schedule it in advance, they're waiting for you, you go. Done deal.
posted by autojack at 4:21 PM on June 3, 2005

Just to mention here that you can hire a towncar and driver for not much more than the taxi. The towncar and driver are a much, much nicer experience than a cab. I usually keep a driver on call/schedule when I'm in San Francisco because I've had really bad cab experiences and really outstanding driver experiences.

For the brave, you could rent a car...but it's like NYC, I'm not sure what you'd do with it once you got to your destination. :)
posted by dejah420 at 5:47 PM on June 5, 2005