San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK) are both about 30 minutes away from from the Annual Meeting hotels by car, and both are served by BART trains that connect to downtown San Francisco. You may also consider San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), about 50 miles away from San Francisco.
Getting Around San Francisco
Traveling around San Francisco, there are two transit systems that you are likely to use.
BART vs Muni
BART is the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. This regional rail system includes five color-coded lines that connect the entire San Francisco Bay area. If you plan to stay outside of San Francisco or do some exploring further afield, BART might be your best option.
Muni is the local San Francisco transit system that encompasses the entire network of city buses, Metro lightrail trains (underground subway and above ground), historical streetcars, cable cars, and more. If you want to explore near downtown, you’ll hop on Muni.
Cable Cars & Streetcars
San Francisco is famous for its iconic historic modes of transportation. Cable cars and streetcars are different: cable cars are propelled by underground cables, while streetcars are powered by overhear electrical wires. But both systems are operated by Muni.
The only remaining streetcar route is the F line streetcar. A complete trip along this route hits all the major points of interest: originating in the Castro, it travels along Market Street to the Embarcadero, then turns north and terminates at Fisherman’s Wharf. The fleet of vintage cars that service this route are all different, and include some that were built as long ago as 1896 and as far away as Moscow and Japan.
San Francisco’s historic cable cars are the world’s last manually-operated cable car system, and have been in use since 1873. There are three routes: the California line starts at California and Market and terminates at Van Ness Avenue; the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines both start at Powell and Market and terminate at different locations in Fisherman’s Wharf.
Clipper Card
How will you ride? Clipper. This payment system is accepted by nearly every regional transit system in the Bay area, including BART and Muni—so, you can use Clipper to ride the streetcars and cable cars as well. Purchase a physical, reloadable card or add Clipper to your mobile wallet to use your phone as your train ticket.
Accessible Transportation
San Francisco is committed to ensuring accessibility for everyone with special needs. Passengers with disabilities are eligible for reduced fares on most mass-transit trips, and most buses and underground Metro stops downtown are accessible. Street-level trains in the neighborhoods have accessible stops located at major destinations and transfer points. All streetcars are accessible. For more information about accessibility in San Francisco, visit the Mayor’s Office on Disability at sfgov.org/mod.