Is it hard to get around San Francisco?

Downtown San Francisco is easy to navigate. It's compact and fairly walkable, with multiple easy-to-use public transit options. However, due to its windy, hilly streets and pricy parking, driving around San Francisco is not recommended unless you plan on traveling outside the city itself.



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The best ways to get around San Francisco are on foot and by using public transportation. Most of the popular attractions are within walking distance of the city center, and the large municipal transportation system (called the Muni) operates bus and streetcar lines, leaving little need for your own set of wheels.

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Safety is BART's top priority. To help keep passengers and our employees safe, BART has more than 4,000 working cameras throughout our system and we are working very hard to increase both sworn officers and ambassador presence.

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The average price for this trip is $40. Open the Uber app and input San Francisco CA in the “Where to?” box. The price estimate for each ride option will appear; scroll to see what's available. Prices will vary based on time of day and how many riders are making requests.

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In the Bay Area, most neighborhoods in cities like San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland score high marks on the walkable index, mostly due to robust transportation networks and high numbers of pedestrian-accessible intersections.

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As one of the most walkable, bike-friendly and transit-connected cities in America, San Francisco is best explored by foot, on bike and on Muni, the city's public transportation system. We're here to help you get around San Francisco.

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San Francisco International Airport (SFO) BART trains connect SFO with downtown San Francisco, downtown Oakland and many other Bay Area destinations. BART is the best way to avoid sitting in Bay Area traffic. Trains depart from the SFO International Terminal, and it's just 30 minutes to downtown San Francisco.

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While SF is geographically small there is a lot of up and down to it. It's much better to suss out the public transit than trying to walk everywhere. Walking to the Golden Gate Bridge or Presidio is enjoyable. Walking back from the Golden Gate Bridge or Presidio with sore feet isn't so enjoyable.

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You can walk or bike across the 1.5 mile art deco-inspired bridge and enjoy sweeping panoramic views to the Pacific, Marin Headlands, San Francisco Bay to the sparkling lights of the city. It's a unique way to experience San Francisco — and best of all, it's absolutely free!

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WHAT TO WEAR
  • Always layer. ...
  • If you must buy a sweatshirt, get anything related to the 49ers. ...
  • And save those Google or Facebook T-shirts. ...
  • Still, think casual... ...
  • ... ...
  • Leave your umbrellas at home. ...
  • Don't, under any circumstances, call the city San Fran. ...
  • Do stroll around Chinatown, but don't make it a dining destination.


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For glitz and glamour and some cutting-edge culture in the SoCal sunshine, it's got to be LA. But for a smaller-town feel with big-name sights, you're best off in San Francisco. Better still, rent a car, drive the spectacular coastal highway that connects the two, and take in both cities on one trip.

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NBC Bay Area reporter Sam Brock checked prices in and around San Francisco last summer and found that UberX prices easily beat out taxi cabs, especially for longer trips. Pretty much the only time when taxis might be cheaper than a ride-hailing service is when dynamic pricing is in effect.

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