Section 4 of 8
Getting around
Caltrain, Muni, BART, Lyft bikes, rideshare, and robotaxis, and how to move around the city and the Bay.
You don't need a car in San Francisco. Between transit, bikes, and rideshare, you can get anywhere. The trick is knowing which option to use and setting the apps up correctly.
Trains and transit
- Caltrain: takes you from SF down to the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. SF to San Jose is about $10 (August 2026). Scan your card before entering and scan the same card when exiting, and you get some money back. Pay with a credit card or a Clipper card, which you can buy at the 4th Street Caltrain station.
- Muni: the tram and metro around the city. $3 for 2 hours (August 2026).
- Muni bus: slow, also $3 for 2 hours. One scan is valid for both the tram and the bus.
- BART: regional rail across the Bay.
Bikes and rideshare
- Lyft bikes: the fastest way across the city. A yearly membership is about $300 and gets you cheaper Lyft rides, free classic (not electric) bikes for 45 minutes, and heavily discounted electric bikes. Download the Lyft app.
- Lyft and Uber: rideshare and taxis. Sync your United account to earn miles on rides. Download the app once you are already in SF (ask someone for a referral), otherwise your region is set wrong.
- Waymo (robotaxi): more expensive during the day, but can be very cheap late at night when you're out.