Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
24
Getting Into Town
From the Airport
San Francisco International
Airport (SFO)
SFO (www .flysfo.com) consists of four
main terminals: N orth ( Terminal 3),
South (Terminal 1), Central (Terminal 2),
and I nternational. The baggage lev el of
each terminal also houses an information
booth. Bank of America operates a branch
on the mezzanine level of the North termi-
nal, and y ou can locate A TMs on the
upper lev el of all terminals. The number
for
general infor mation
is
&
650/821-
8211;
for
transit infor mation
call
&
650/817-1717.
The traveler's informa-
tion desk in each terminal can also giv
time, tell an airline emplo yee; the airline
will provide a wheelchair . Speed up secu-
rity by
not wearing metal
objects
such as
big belt buckles. I f y ou've got metallic
body par ts, a note fr om y our doctor can
prevent a long chat with the security
screeners. Keep in mind that only
ticketed
passengers
are allowed past security.
Federalization has stabiliz ed
what you
can carr y on
and
what y ou can 't.
The
general r ule is that sharp things ar e out,
nail clippers are okay, and food and bever-
ages must be passed thr ough the X-ray
machine—but that security screeners can't
make y ou drink fr om y our coffee cup .
Bring food in y our carr y-on rather than
checking it, as explosiv e-detection
machines used on checked luggage hav
e
e
you information on ho
w to get wher
e
been kno wn to mistake food (especially
chocolate, for some r eason) for bombs.
Travelers in the U.S. are allowed one carry-
on bag, plus a “ personal item” such as a
purse, briefcase, or laptop bag. Carr y-on
hoarders can stuff all sorts of things into a
laptop bag; as long as it has a laptop in it,
it's still consider ed a personal item. The
Transportation S ecurity A dministration
(TSA) has issued a list of r estricted items;
check its w
you're going.
To access the R ental Car Center fr om
the Airpor t terminals, take the AirT rain
Blue Line, which operates daily 24 hours a
day. AirTrain stations are located in all ter-
minals, par king garages, the R ental Car
Center, and SFO' s BAR T station. I f y ou
need a car seat (r equired for childr en who
weigh less than 60 lb .), inquire when y ou
make y our r ental r eservations. O nce y ou
have loaded up the v ehicle, follow the air-
port signs to H ighway 101 N orth to driv e
into San Francisco. Stay toward the left so
that you don't end up on I nterstate 280. If
your destination is U nion S quare, N ob
Hill, or S oMa, exit at 4th S treet. Traffic
is manageable until r ush hour , fr om 3
to 7pm.
If you aren't driving, you can reach your
destination b y taxi, shuttle, and BAR
2
ebsite (
www.tsa.gov
) for
details.
Airport screeners may decide that y our
checked luggage needs to sear ched b y
hand. You can now purchase luggage locks
that allow screeners to open and r e-lock a
checked bag if hand-searching is necessary.
Look for Travel S entry cer tified locks at
luggage or trav el shops and B rookstone
stores (you can buy them online at www .
brookstone.com). These locks, appr oved
by the TSA, can be opened b y luggage
inspectors with a special code or key . For
more information on the locks, visit www.
travelsentry.org. I f y ou use something
other than TSA-approved locks, your lock
will be cut off your suitcase if a TSA agent
needs to hand-search your luggage.
T.
Taxis
pick up passengers at the center
island outside the baggage claim lev el of
the airpor t. The 14-mile driv e to U nion
Square takes 20 to 30 minutes depending
on the time of day and should cost around
$35 plus tip.
Shuttle vans
offer door-to-door service
from the airport, but the driver may make
up to thr ee stops befor e r eaching y our
hotel. Shuttles pick up passengers from the
