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San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Location: The airport is situated 14 miles (23km) south of San Francisco.
Time: GMT –8 (GMT –7 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).
Contacts: Tel: +1 800 435 9736.
Transfer between terminals: AirTrain light rail service operates on two lines. The Red Line connects all terminals, garages and the BART Station; and the Blue Line, which also connects to the Rental Car Centre. AirTrain does not provide service to SFO's Long Term Parking Lot.
Getting to the city: The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Rapid Rail service connects the airport to the city centre, and provides a connection to the Caltrain commuter rail service at Milbrae Station, from where trains leave regularly to San Francisco downtown, costing about $2 and to San Jose. SamTrans Service, bus 292, leaves every 30 minutes for the city centre and suburbs costing US$1.75. There are also shared vans, which provide a door-to-door service and are cheaper than taxis. Reservations are sometimes needed for service after 11pm. Taxis cost about US$35 for an hour's ride to the city centre, very dependant on traffic. Airport employs are available at the taxi pick up area, outside all terminals, to help passengers.
Car rental: The AirTrain links the terminals to the rental car centre. Car rental companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, National, Thrifty and Hertz.
Airport Taxis: A taxi to the city centre takes about half an hour and generally costs around $40. Taxi drivers will expect a tip of $3 to $5.
Facilities: There are banks, bureaux de change and ATMs available. Facilities for the disabled are very good. Other facilities include baggage storage, medical clinic, bars and restaurants, duty-free, shops, childcare and baby changing facilities, post office, wireless Internet, tourist information and hotel reservations. There is also a museum, library, art gallery and an aviation history museum within the terminal.
Parking: Rates for short-term parking start at $2 per 20 minutes and increase to $33 per 24 hours. Other daily rates available range from $20 per day in the international parking area or $15 per day in the long-term lot.
Website: www.flysfo.com
See full guide to San Francisco International Airport

Oakland International Airport (OAK)

Location: The airport is situated 12 miles (19km) from Oakland.
Time: GMT –8 (GMT –7 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).
Contacts: Tel: +1 510 563 3300.
Getting to the city: The BART subway network links the airport to Oakland and San Francisco from the Coliseum/Oakland International Airport Station. The AirBART shuttle links the station to the airport every 10 minutes. AC Transit bus line 50 connects the airport with BART, line N connects to downtown Oakland and downtown San Francisco as well as to east Oakland, and bus line 58 connects to the Amtrak railway station at Jack London Square. From Jack London Square it is possible to link to the Alameda/Oakland ferry, which provides services to San Francisco's ferry terminal and Pier 39.
Car rental: The Rental Car Center is open 24 hours and has all rental companies in one location, including Avis, Budget, Hertz and National. A Rental Car Shuttle bus ferries passengers between the terminals and Rental Car Centre every 10 minutes.
Airport Taxis: Taxis and a shuttle service are available from outside the airport. Taxi services are provided by Friendly Cab (phone: +1 510 536 3000) and Veteran’s Cab (phone: +1 510 533 1900). The taxi fare to the city centre is about US$50.
Facilities: ATMs, restaurants and bars are available in both terminals. Duty-free shopping, a business centre and left luggage services can be found in Terminal 1. Passengers with disabilities are well catered for, but those requiring wheelchairs should contact their airline in advance.
Parking: There are four parking options at Oakland International - the Premier, Hourly, Daily and Economy lots. The Premier lots, for VIPs, are closest to the terminal and cost $3 for every half hour for the first five hours, and $36 for 5-24 hours. The Hourly lot is the next closest car park and is probably best for short-term or overnight parking. It costs $2 per half hour (up to 5 hours), or $32 for 5-24 hours. The Daily and Economy lots are furthest from the terminal, but offer the cheapest parking at $2 per half hour with a daily maximum of $22 and $16 respectively.
Website: www.oaklandairport.com
See full guide to Oakland International Airport

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