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San Francisco International Airport (SFO) can be a daunting airport to navigate, but with a little planning, it can be a breeze. The airport offers a range of transportation options to get you to your destination, including the AirTrain with its Red and Blue Lines, as well as terminal parking garages and a BART Station. The airport also provides luggage carts with hand brakes to assist with your bags, and walking is always an option with all terminals connected via secure walkways.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Transport within the airport | AirTrain's Blue Line, AirTrain Red Line, airport luggage carts, elevators, escalators, passenger skybridge |
| Rules for AirTrain | No eating, drinking, or smoking; set hand brake on luggage carts; service animals and animals being shipped are allowed if crated |
| Getting to Terminal 1 Gates B | Walking is the best way |
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What You'll Learn
Getting to the Rental Car Center
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a Rental Car Center located at 780 N. McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA. The Center is a convenient, central location for travellers to pick up and drop off rental cars.
To get to the Rental Car Center from the airport terminals, take the AirTrain Blue Line. The AirTrain is a fully automated people mover system that operates 24 hours a day, providing frequent service throughout SFO. AirTrain stations are located in all terminals, terminal parking garages, and the Rental Car Center. The ride to the Rental Car Center is short, taking only 5-7 minutes.
If you are renting a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, follow the signs to the fourth floor of the Rental Car Center, where you will find the Enterprise branch.
If you are returning a car to Enterprise, follow the signs to the Rental Car Center and look for the Enterprise rental return lane. Park your car, remove your personal belongings, and lock the car. Drop your keys in the drop box in front of the rental car return booth. After that, you can board the AirTrain to get to the airport terminals.
The SFO Rental Car Center also offers a complimentary Remote Bag Check service for domestic flights on Alaska, American, Delta, and JetBlue. This service is available daily from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Level 1 of the Rental Car Center.
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Walking between terminals
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a somewhat circular layout in its central area, with gates located in piers that extend outward. All terminals are connected via walkways both pre and post-security, so you can walk between all terminals without leaving security. However, note that the airport does not have a central airside area, so walking between terminals may not always be the fastest option.
If you are looking to walk between Terminal 1 and the International Terminal Gates B (Gates B1–B27), this can be done by walking. The same goes for Terminal 3 (Gates E2–E13 and F5–F22, United) and the International Terminal. If you are looking to get from the International Terminal to Terminal 2 (Gates C1–C11 and D1–D18), the best way to travel is via AirTrain.
If you are travelling between International Terminals A and G, you will have to walk through all other terminals, so it may be faster to leave security and clear it again at the other terminal.
To get from Terminal 2 or 3 to the AirTrain, take the elevator or escalator to Mezzanine – Level 3 and walk across the passenger skybridge. From the International Terminal Main Hall, you can access the AirTrain stations near the A and G Gates by taking the elevator or escalator to Level 4.
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Using the AirTrain Red Line
San Francisco International Airport's AirTrain system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and is completely free to use. The AirTrain is composed of Innovia APM 100 cars, which are also used in airports in Tampa, Denver, Atlanta, and Seattle, among others. The APM 100 cars are operated automatically under Bombardier's Cityflo 650 Communications-based train control signalling technology.
The AirTrain operates on two lines: the Red Line and the Blue Line. Both lines run every four minutes. The Red Line, which is the focus of this article, travels in a clockwise loop around the central terminal area. The loop takes about nine minutes to complete. The Red Line connects all terminals, terminal garages, and the BART Station. If you are travelling within the airport, you can walk throughout, although it takes about 25 minutes to walk the entire loop through the domestic and international terminals.
To access the AirTrain Red Line from Terminal 1, 2, or 3, take the elevator or escalator to Mezzanine – Level 3 and walk across the passenger skybridge. If you are coming from the Domestic Parking Garage, take the elevator or stairs to Level 5. The AirTrain system is located outside of the sterile area of each terminal, meaning passengers must exit and re-enter through a security checkpoint when using the AirTrain to travel between terminals.
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Using the AirTrain Blue Line
San Francisco International Airport's AirTrain provides free, 24-hour service with departures every four to eleven minutes. The AirTrain is wheelchair accessible, with designated spaces at each end of the cars and elevator service at all stations. The system is located outside the sterile area of each terminal, so passengers travelling between terminals must exit and re-enter through security.
The AirTrain operates on two lines: the Red Line and the Blue Line. The Blue Line travels in a counterclockwise loop, serving the same stations as the Red Line in reverse order, and also proceeding to Westfield Road, the Rental Car Center, and long-term parking. The entire loop takes about 25 minutes to complete.
If you are travelling to or from long-term parking, the Rental Car Center, or Westfield Road, you will want to take the Blue Line. The Blue Line stops at all terminals and terminal garages, as well as the BART Station and the Grand Hyatt at SFO, before continuing on to its final destinations.
The AirTrain Blue Line is especially useful for travellers who are picking up or dropping off rental cars, or who need to access long-term parking. The Rental Car Center is located next to the parking garage, so travellers can easily walk between the two areas after disembarking from the AirTrain.
Overall, the AirTrain Blue Line provides a convenient and efficient way to navigate San Francisco International Airport, especially for travellers who need to access the Rental Car Center or long-term parking. With its frequent departures and accessibility features, it helps travellers move between different areas of the airport with ease.
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Rules and regulations on the AirTrain
The AirTrain at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a fully automated people mover that operates 24 hours a day on two lines: the Red Line and the Blue Line. The AirTrain is accessible and allows rented baggage carts on board. It is funded by a fee charged to rental car customers and there is no charge for passengers.
The Red Line operates in a clockwise loop around the central terminal area, with a journey time of approximately nine minutes. The Blue Line operates in a counter-clockwise loop, serving the same stations as the Red Line in reverse order, and also proceeds to West Field Road, the Rental Car Center, and long-term parking. The Blue Line journey takes 25 minutes for a round trip. Both lines run every four minutes.
The AirTrain did not originally provide access to long-term parking; passengers had to take a free airport shuttle bus between the airport terminals and parking areas. However, an extension to the AirTrain service began operating in May 2021, providing direct access to the long-term parking garage.
To use the AirTrain to travel between terminals, passengers must exit and re-enter through a security checkpoint as the system is located outside of the sterile area of each terminal.
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Frequently asked questions
You can find driving directions to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Waze or MapQuest.
The AirTrain has a Red Line and a Blue Line that can take you to different parts of the airport. The Red Line connects all terminals, terminal garages, the BART Station, and the Grand Hyatt at SFO. The Blue Line connects the Rental Car Center, Long-Term Parking, all terminals, terminal garages, the BART Station, and the Grand Hyatt at SFO.
The Red Line takes about nine minutes to complete its loop, while the Blue Line takes about 25 minutes.
Yes, you can use luggage carts on the AirTrain. For your safety, make sure to set the hand brake on the cart once you board.
The best way to get there is by walking.
