Getting around · New in SF

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. Schedules: https://www.caltrain.com/schedules/pdfs
Muni: the tram and metro around the city. $3 for 2 hours (August 2026). More info: https://www.sfmta.com/muni-transit
Muni bus: slow, also $3 for 2 hours. 1 scan is valid for both the tram and the bus.
BART: regional rail across the Bay.

Bikes

Lyft bikes: the fastest way across the city. A yearly membership is about $199 and gets you cheaper Lyft rides, free classic (not electric) bikes for 45 minutes and heavily discounted electric bikes. Download the Lyft app. More about Lyft bikes.

1 Unlock

Open the Lyft app (or tap your Clipper card) and scan the QR code on the bike.

2 Ride

Hop on and go. Classic bikes are free for 45 minutes with a membership; ebikes are discounted.

3 Park

Dock it at any station for free, or lock an ebike at a public bike rack for a small fee.

How Lyft bikes work.

Taxis

Uber.
Lyft. Tip: sync your United account to earn miles on rides. The Lyft app also unlocks the Lyft bikes. You can use my referral link for a discount: https://www.lyft.com/ride-with-lyft?invite=COOREVITS97407
Waymo: self driving cars from Google. Expensive during the day, often cheap after midnight. You can use my referral link for a discount: https://waymo.smart.link/4pcoqniy5?code=JULIEGXT4
Robotaxi (Tesla): sometimes very cheap.
Zoox (Amazon): add yourself to the waitlist to get access.

Always ask someone for a referral and only download each app once you are in the region, so you get the discount.