San Francisco International Airport to San Francisco

BART Yellow Line (Antioch–SFO/Millbrae)

Frequent rapid rail from SFO International Terminal directly to downtown San Francisco BART stations including Civic Center, Powell St, Montgomery St and Embarcadero; typical travel time to downtown is about 30 minutes. Service runs daily with reduced frequency late at night—check BART schedule for exact first/last trains and overnight gaps, especially after midnight.cite

Caltrain via BART transfer at Millbrae

From SFO, take a Millbrae-bound BART train then transfer to Caltrain at Millbrae Station for service to San Francisco (4th & King) and connections to Muni for downtown. Useful mainly for travelers continuing along the Peninsula; trains run daily but with less frequent evening and weekend service.cite

SamTrans Route 292

Local bus from SFO terminals to San Francisco via North McDonnell Road, serving southeastern neighborhoods and continuing to downtown along Mission Street. Operates day and evening hours and is a lower-cost but slower alternative to BART; overnight coverage is supplemented by ECR Owl and 397 routes.cite

SamTrans Route 397 (Owl)

Overnight bus service between SFO and San Francisco via Daly City and Mission Street when rail service is not running. Provides key late-night/early-morning connectivity to the city center but runs only once per hour, so check schedules in advance.cite

SamTrans Route ECR Owl

Night bus running along El Camino Real corridor with stops at or near SFO and limited service north toward Daly City and connections into San Francisco. Intended as backup overnight public transport when other routes are sparse; verify exact stops and times before travel.cite