Addiction Health Services Research Conference

Travel and Transportation

We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco!

San Francisco, CA is a popular tourist destination, known for its cool climate, steep hills, beautiful Bay and ocean views, and unique Victorian architecture. It is home to iconic landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, the Painted Ladies, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Chinatown district.

Conference Venue

The Palace Hotel San Francisco

2 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Tel. 415-512-1111

Traveling to SF

By Plane

The San Francisco Bay Area has three major international airports – San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland International Airport (OAK), and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC).

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

SFO is the largest and preferred airport for visiting San Francisco.

Distance to downtown San Francisco: ~15 miles

Once you land at SFO, there are a handful of ways to travel into the city. Common options are:

  • Ride-share (Uber or Lyft). The designated ride-share pick up and drop off location at SFO is on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage. Fares vary greatly depending on traffic and demand but may average around $50. A typical ride is approximately 30 minutes.
  • Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). There is a BART stop in International Terminal G at SFO. Board the San Francisco/Antioch train, and get off at the Montgomery Station, which is 1 block from the Palace Hotel. A round-trip from SFO to downtown San Francisco is $21.10 ($10.55 one-way) and approximately 30 minutes. Purchase your ticket before entering the train.
  • SamTrans buses. Bus SFO 292 runs between SFO and downtown San Francisco. There are SamTrans bus stops at Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and the International Terminal. Once on the bus, get off at the Mission St. and 3rd St. bus station, which is 0.2 miles from the Palace Hotel. Cost is $2-$5 one-way for adults. A typical ride is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

For additional options and details on traveling to the city from SFO, please visit Transportation Basics: How to Get Around San Francisco.

Oakland International Airport (OAK)

OAK is located in Oakland, CA, just across San Francisco via the Bay Bridge. This airport is not as large as SFO but offers many value-based alternatives for those traveling to the Bay Area.

Distance to downtown San Francisco: ~19 miles

Once you land at OAK, there are various ways to travel to downtown San Francisco. Common options are:

  • Ride-share (Uber or Lyft). Terminals 1 and 2 at OAK have designated pick up/drop off locations. A typical ride from OAK to San Francisco is approximately 45 minutes and approximately $60, though fares vary greatly depending on time and demand.
  • Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). The BART station at OAK is located across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim. Take a train to the BART Coliseum station and transfer to a San Francisco-bound BART train. Get off at the Montgomery station, which is 1 block from the Palace Hotel. A round trip from OAK to San Francisco is $24 ($12 one-way) and takes approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Purchase your ticket before entering the train.

For additional options and details on traveling from OAK to San Francisco, please visit Transportation Basics: How to Get Around San Francisco.

San Jose International Airport (SJC)

SJC is located in San Jose, CA, in the South Bay near Silicon Valley. This airport is the furthest away for San Francisco-bound travelers.

Distance to downtown San Francisco: ~46 miles

Once you land at SJC, there are multiple options for traveling to downtown San Francisco. Common options are:

  • Ride-share (Uber or Lyft). Terminals A and B at SJC have designated pick up/drop off locations. A typical ride from SJC to downtown San Francisco is approximately 60 minutes. Fares vary greatly depending on time and demand but may average around $90.
  • Caltrain. To get to Caltrain from SJC, take the Airport Flyer-VTA Route #60 bus to the Santa Clara Transit Center and transfer to Caltrain. Once on Caltrain, get off at the 4th and King station, which is 1.2 miles from the Palace Hotel. A one-way Caltrain adult ticket from SJC to San Francisco is $10.50. Purchase your ticket before entering the train. Rides are 60 minutes or longer depending on the train selected (e.g., bullet, limited).

For additional options and details on traveling from SJC to San Francisco, please visit Transportation Basics: How to Get Around San Francisco.

By Train

Amtrak offers a variety of travel options. You can get to San Francisco by Thruway bus connections at Emeryville, CA.

Four railway options are:

For more information on Amtrak Thruway, please visit Amtrak Thruway Connecting Services Multiply Your Travel Destinations, as well as Transportation Basics: How to Get Around San Francisco.

Getting Around SF

Muni Bus

Muni is San Francisco’s bus and metro system. Google Maps and SFMTA Trip Planner are excellent tools to help you plan your trip.

Bus stops will have a shelter, yellow paint on a signpost, or white paint on the street.

Board with the MuniMobile ticketing app or with your prepaid Clipper Card. Clipper Cards are reloadable and may be used across various Bay Area transit services, including BART, Muni buses, cable cars, San Francisco Bay Ferries, and other services. A single ride costs $3 ($2.50 with MuniMobile/Clipper Card). You may also board with a valid 1, 3, or 7 consecutive day Visitor Day Pass. You can transfer from one bus to another, which is free for two hours after you purchase your ticket.

Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Market St. & New Montgomery St. station (2 min walk)

Muni Metro

There are six Metro light rail lines that go inbound towards downtown San Francisco/Caltrain Depot and outbound towards various places. Similar to the Muni bus, plan your trip using the Metro Map to find the nearest metro. 

Metro stops are located both under and above ground. If you are boarding underground, make sure you are using the Muni Metro machines to purchase tickets and not the BART machines. When above ground, Clipper Cards, MuniMobile, and exact change are accepted. A single ride costs $3 ($2.50 with MuniMobile/Clipper Card).

Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Market St. & New Montgomery St. station (2 min walk)

Cable Cars

Cable cars were invented in 1873 by Andrew Hallidie to climb the hills of San Francisco, and they are one of the most historic forms of public transit. Many cities once had cable cars, but today, San Francisco’s Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, and California Street lines are the only ones left in the world. They run from 7am to 10pm, Monday through Sunday. A single ride costs $8. You can pay with exact change or via the MuniMobile app or a Clipper Card.

There are three lines you can choose from:

  • California Line
    • Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: California St. & Montgomery St. station (8 min walk)
  • Powell-Mason Line
    • Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Powell St. & Geary St. station (10 min walk)
  • Powell-Hyde Line
    • Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Powell St. & Geary St. station (10 min walk)

Streetcars

Streetcars are one of the most historic forms of transportation in San Francisco. They run from 7am to 11pm, Monday through Sunday. A ride costs $3 for an adult ($2.50 with MuniMobile/Clipper Card). You can pay with exact change or via the MuniMobile app or a Clipper Card. You can transfer from one streetcar to another, which is free for two hours after you purchase your ticket.

The historic “F” line has trams that are over 150 years old.

Closest stops to the Palace Hotel: 

  • Market St. & 2nd St. station (3 min walk)
  • Market St. & New Montgomery St. (2 min walk)

PresidiGo Shuttle

The PresidiGo Shuttle system provides free and accessible transportation to and around the Presidio from two routes in the city, Monday through Sunday, 6am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends.

  • Downtown Route
    • Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: 298 Market Embarcadero BART station (10 min walk)
  • Southhills Route
    • Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Take the Downtown Route Shuttle at 298 Market Embarcadero BART station (10 min walk) to connect to the Southhills Route

Rideshare

On-demand car services, like Lyft and Uber, are available in San Francisco. To use either of these services, you must first download the respective app, register an account, and set up your payment information. Once your account is fully set up and you are ready to request a ride, you will go into the app and set a pick-up location and destination. Within minutes, you will be matched with a driver that will pick you up and help you reach your destination. Fares and travel times vary according to demand, local traffic and distance from pick-up location to destination. Note that with Lyft and Uber, you are also able to schedule rides in advance.

Bikes

The Bay Wheels Bike Share Program makes it easy to get around San Francisco on two wheels! Bay Wheels provides 4,500 bikes and more than 6,000 docks for them across San Francisco. Bay Wheels is operated by Lyft. You will need to download the Lyft app, register an account and set up your payment information.

A single ride is $3.99 for 30 minutes, then $0.30 per minute after that on a classic bike.

A day pass is $15 and includes unlimited 30-min classic bike rides within a 24-hour period. Any ride longer than 30 min is an extra $0.30/min. 

Closest bike station to the Palace Hotel: 598 Market St. (2 min walk)

Ferries

A ferry is a great option for traveling to areas near San Francisco. 

The Golden Gate Ferry is available for those wanting to visit Angel Island State Park, Larkspur, Sausalito, and Tiburon. All Golden Gate ferries depart from Gate B at the north side of the Ferry Building (15 min walk from the Palace Hotel). 

The San Francisco Bay Ferry is available for those wanting to visit Alameda, Oakland, Richmond, Treasure Island, and Vallejo. This ferry operates out of the three gates south of the Ferry Building (15 min walk from the Palace Hotel). 

To pay for your ferry ride, use a Clipper Card, access San Francisco’s Bay Ferry mobile app, or purchase a paper ticket at the ferry ticket office. 

Car Rentals

Prices will vary depending on the number of days for which you are renting the car and the type of car you are renting (e.g., compact, sedan, SUV). Rental car reservations can be made in advance or upon arrival at your designated airport. Below are links to rental car information for each of the three airports in the Bay Area:

BART

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the fast, low-cost, traffic-free way to get to San Francisco and other cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. BART serves the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Oakland International Airport (OAK).

You may purchase a ticket or a Clipper Card at a BART station ticket machine. BART stations are conveniently located in many of the Bay Area’s most popular destinations such as Union Square (Powell St.); SFMOMA (Montgomery St.); Asian Art Museum (Civic Center); SF Ferry Building (Embarcadero) or the University of California (Downtown Berkeley).

During peak hours 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM PT daily, trains operate every 5 minutes. For information, click here. You can also look up fares and schedules online.

Closest stop to the Palace Hotel: Market St. & New Montgomery St. station (2 min walk)