San Francisco Airport Parking

If you are heading out of town, be sure to check out the many options for San Francisco airport parking. You may be surprised at the wealth of choices available at a variety of rates.

Parking is easy at the San Francisco Airport.

Redesign and construction at the San Francisco International Airport resulted in a significantly more efficient and comfortable airport. The airport can now move people and baggage more quickly, even with increased security features.

The parking facilities now include a combination of parking options with a wide variety of convenience, benefits and rates. Whether you are just going to the airport to pick up Uncle Henry or leaving on a month-long adventure, there are many parking opportunities available. If you don't want to park at the airport, you can find good values on safe and private parking at lots nearby.

Even with the increase in parking facilities, garages can fill up quickly during holiday travel periods. Be sure to check local radio stations for their reports on available airport parking.

If you are looking for a place to park while you pick up Uncle Henry, look for daily/hourly and short term parking in the garage structures adjoining the airport. These garages charge rates based on 12-minute and 24-hour increments. You can also use these conveniently-located parking garages for short duration trips. The convenience of parking close will cost you more than if you parked away from the airport in long term parking.

International Garages A and G are designed for the traveler who wants the convenience of parking at the airport but wants to pay less than if they parked closer to the airport in the Domestic Parking Garage. Garages A and G provide quick access to all terminals. The International Terminal is a short walk through the pedestrian tunnels. The Domestic Terminals can be reached by a quick ride on AirTrain, the airport's people mover.

The garage for "Domestic Parking" is a 5-level structure located in the center of the airport. The garage provides access tunnels to all the terminals, making it a quick weather-safe walk from the terminal to the garage. You can locate the garage by following the Domestic Terminal signs under the International Terminal and watching for the "hourly" parking signs pointing to the entrance of the garage.

Travelers who plan to be away a few days or longer can enjoy the lower rates of the long term parking facilities. These facilities are provided both by the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and in private parking facilities around the airport area.

This indoor parking garage is the nearest parking facility to the airport. It is located north of the airport on South Airport Boulevard. It can be reached from either the South Airport Boulevard Exit off Highway 380 or the San Bruno Avenue/San Francisco International Airport Exit off of Highway 101. Just follow the signs to "Long Term Parking."

The garage is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Free shuttle busses run every 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the time of day, to carry you from the garage to the check-in areas of all airlines. When you are ready to return to your vehicle, priority loading zones are located at each terminal where the free shuttle bus will pick you up and take you back to your vehicle.

During the morning hours, between 4:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. daily, participating airlines offer the opportunity to check your bags and get your boarding pass for domestic flights right at the long term parking garage, before you get on the shuttle bus to the airport. The cost is $2 to $5 depending on the number of bags checked. Participating airlines include:

• AirTran
• Alaska
• American
• Continental
• Delta
• Horizon
• JetBlue
• Northwest
• Ted
• United
• US Airways

There are many private long term parking lots available in the area. The larger lots are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All offer a free shuttle service to and from the airport. Some lots offer special benefits for the traveler ranging from free coffee, donuts and newspapers to car washing and detailing. Some of the larger private long term parking lots include:

• SkyPark - 1000 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno
• Parking Co. of America - 160 Produce Avenue, South San Francisco
• Park N' Fly - 101 Terminal Court, South San Francisco
• Anza Park & Sky - 615 Airport Boulevard, Burlingame

If you are in a hurry, SFO has several parking services designed for the traveler who doesn't have the time or inclination to park their own vehicle. Both services are available on Level 4 of the Domestic Garage. Just follow the signs to ParkFAST and ParkVALET:

This parking area provides an automated entry and exit system, so there are no lines or cashiers. Just swipe your credit card or ParkFAST member card.

You don't have to park at all with this valet service. Just pull into the designated area and a valet will hand you a complimentary copy of the Wall Street Journal before taking your vehicle and parking it in the Domestic Garage. You can drop off your vehicle between 5 a.m. and midnight. You can retrieve your vehicle 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The SFO parking garages offer a variety of payment options. All options provide a printed receipt before you leave the garage. Payment options include:

• Ticket and Cash – This is the most traditional option. You are provided a ticket when you enter the garage area. When you are ready to leave, you drive to a cash exit booth where you insert the ticket into a machine and pay the cashier.
• Ticket and Credit Card – In this payment option you are provided a date and time-stamped ticket when you enter the garage area. When you leave, you just insert the ticket and your credit card. Your garage fee is automatically charged to your credit card.
• Credit Card In and Out – In this option you use the same credit card to enter and leave the garage area, with your garage fee automatically charged to your credit card when you leave the garage area.

If San Francisco Airport parking is not going to work for you, consider these options for parking-free travel from SFO:

• Take a cab or limo
• Take BART or MUNI
• Convince a family member to drop you off and pick you up at the airport. For security reasons they won't be able to wait for you at the curb. If they have a long wait until your flight arrives and don't want to park in short term parking, they can always wait five minutes away in the Cell Phone Waiting Lot on San Bruno Avenue next to the SFO long term parking garage. A kiosk is available with flight arrival information.

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