From San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Palo Alto

San Francisco International is the Bay Area's biggest airport and the one most overseas visitors land at. It sits on the bay shore about 20 miles north of downtown Palo Alto, at the top of the same Peninsula. Getting south is simple once you know the pattern: one airport train, one regional train and one commuter train. A car or a ride service gets you there faster, but only when the freeway cooperates.

This page walks through every option in detail, from the transit route to rental cars. It builds on our overview of getting to Palo Alto. If you are comparing airports, see the guides to San Jose airport and Oakland airport too.

The options at a glance

Drive times depend almost entirely on traffic. A Sunday morning run down US 101 can take under half an hour. The same trip at 5 p.m. on a Thursday can take more than an hour.

BART to Millbrae, then Caltrain

This is the classic transit route and the cheapest one. It has three legs.

1. AirTrain to BART. SFO's free AirTrain runs 24 hours and links every terminal. The SFO BART station is on the Departures and Ticketing level of the International Terminal, on the G gates side. From Terminals 1, 2 or 3, ride AirTrain to the Garage G/BART stop.
2. BART to Millbrae. Board a train bound for Millbrae. It is a short ride. BART's Tap and Ride system accepts contactless bank cards and phone wallets at the fare gates, so you no longer need a Clipper card for BART. Clipper cards are also sold from machines at the SFO station.
3. Caltrain to Palo Alto. At Millbrae, BART and Caltrain share one station. Walk across to the Caltrain side and take a southbound train to Palo Alto or California Avenue. Tap your card on the Clipper validator on the platform before you board and again when you get off.

Millbrae is in Caltrain Zone 2 and both Palo Alto stations are in Zone 3. That makes it a two zone ride. In October 2026 the adult fare for two zones was $6.25, according to the Caltrain fares page. Caltrain's fare tables list a rise to $6.50 for two zones from January 1, 2027. BART charges its own distance-based fare for the SFO to Millbrae leg. Check bart.gov for the current amount.

Timing the transfer

The connection at Millbrae is the weak link. Caltrain runs four trains an hour at peak times and two an hour off peak and on weekends. BART and Caltrain publish a joint Millbrae transfer timetable, last revised for BART's August 10, 2026 schedule change. It highlights the trains that connect well. Look at it before you land so you know whether to hurry or grab a coffee.

Evenings need extra care. After 9 p.m., Caltrain says a BART shuttle train runs every 15 minutes between Millbrae and SFO only, with a cross-platform change at SFO for trains to San Francisco. Caltrain also warns of delays of up to 30 minutes on Sunday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. while BART modernizes its train control system. If you land late, leave a generous buffer or use a ride service.

Weekend Caltrain service is local only, with trains about every 30 minutes. That is slower than the weekday express trains but still reliable. Our Caltrain guide explains fares, Clipper and the train types in more depth.

SamTrans buses, including the overnight 397

SamTrans is San Mateo County's bus system and it serves SFO around the clock. For a trip to Palo Alto, one route matters most.

• Route 397 is a limited overnight service. SamTrans lists it as running from San Francisco to the Palo Alto Transit Center and SFO says it stops at the airport late at night. It is slow, but it is the only one-seat public ride from the terminals to Palo Alto. It ends right beside the Palo Alto Caltrain station.
• Route 292 stops directly at the terminals during the day and evening. It is useful for trips to nearby Peninsula towns rather than to Palo Alto.
• ECR Owl is another late night route. SFO describes the late night routes as heading north to San Francisco and Daly City and south to Palo Alto.

At the terminals, SamTrans buses stop on the Arrivals and Baggage Claim level of Terminal 2 at the center island next to Courtyard 2 and at Terminal 3 at the curb next to Courtyard 4. At the International Terminal they stop on Level 1 at Courtyard A and at the curb next to Courtyard G. In October 2026 SamTrans listed an adult fare of $2.25 in cash or $2.05 on Clipper. Confirm times on the SamTrans airport service page, since overnight trips are few.

Uber, Lyft and Wingz

Ride apps are the most popular choice for visitors with luggage. SFO is strict about where drivers can stop.

• Domestic terminals: Lyft and Uber pickups are on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage. Each terminal has its own zone in the garage core. Terminal 1 uses zones A/B and B. Terminal 2 uses C and D. Terminal 3 uses E, F and F/G.
• International Terminal: pickups are at the center island zones 12 to 17 on the Departures and Ticketing level roadway.
• Wingz picks up on the Arrivals level of the domestic terminals at marked doors.
• Accessible rides: riders who request a wheelchair accessible vehicle can be picked up at the domestic terminal curb.

SFO stations uniformed coordinators at the pickup zones from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Request your car only once you have your bags and are walking to the zone. Our page on robotaxis and rideshare covers pricing patterns and how service works once you are in Palo Alto.

Waymo robotaxis

Waymo started rides at SFO on January 29, 2026, at first for a select group of riders. Pickups began at the Rental Car Center, which you reach on the AirTrain. In October 2026 SFO's own page still described Waymo as available for select users in the final phase of a pilot. Waymo says its Bay Area service covers the Peninsula from San Francisco down to San Jose, which includes Palo Alto. Open the Waymo app before your trip. If the app offers SFO pickups to your account, it will show the exact meeting point.

Taxis

Taxis wait at the center island taxi zones on the Arrivals and Baggage Claim level of every terminal. Coordinators work the zones from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wheelchair accessible taxis are available through the coordinator or by dialing *1107 from an airport courtesy phone. SFO requires drivers to accept fares to all Bay Area destinations.

Fares run on the meter. A $6.00 exit surcharge applies to San Francisco taxis leaving SFO. The airport also allows 150 percent of the metered rate for destinations more than 15 miles beyond San Francisco or the airport boundary, so agree on the fare basis before you set off. Details are on SFO's taxi page.

Shuttles and private transfers

Do not expect a shared airport van to Palo Alto. SFO's scheduled airporters serve Marin, Monterey and Sonoma counties, not the mid-Peninsula. The free hotel shuttles only run to hotels near the airport in towns such as Millbrae, Burlingame, San Bruno and South San Francisco. They are handy if you land late and want to sleep near SFO before heading south in the morning.

A prebooked private transfer fills the gap. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a sign and drives you to your door for a price fixed in advance. It costs more than a rideshare but removes any surge pricing and garage hunting. You can book a meet and greet SFO pickup or compare fixed price transfers before you fly.

Renting a car at SFO

All the on-airport rental brands share one building, the SFO Rental Car Center at 780 N. McDonnell Road. Take the AirTrain Blue Line from your terminal. SFO lists Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt and Thrifty there, with Fox reached by a free shuttle from the center. Avis, Budget and Hertz list 24 hour counters, while others close between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., so check your company's hours if you land late.

On the way home there is a useful extra. SFO runs a free Remote Bag Check at the Rental Car Center for domestic flights on several airlines, so you can drop bags before you ride the AirTrain. It is on Level 1 and SFO lists its hours as 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. To shop rates across brands, compare SFO rental car prices before you book.

Driving routes from SFO

Two freeways run south from the airport to Palo Alto.

• US 101 south is the direct route. It follows the bay shore through San Mateo and Redwood City. Exit at University Avenue for downtown, Embarcadero Road for the east side of downtown and the Baylands, or Oregon Expressway for Midtown and California Avenue. Parts of 101 in San Mateo County have express lanes that need a FasTrak toll tag, so ask your rental company how it bills tolls.
• Interstate 280 south is a little longer and usually calmer. From the airport, take Interstate 380 west to reach it. Exit at Sand Hill Road for Stanford and west Menlo Park or Page Mill Road for Stanford Research Park.

Weekday rush hours are heavy in both directions. Leave SFO before 3 p.m. or after 7 p.m. if you can. Once you arrive, read our guide to parking in Palo Alto, since downtown garages have time limits and some hotels charge for parking.

Arriving in Palo Alto

Trains and the overnight bus both end at or near the Palo Alto Transit Center at 95 University Avenue. Downtown hotels are a few minutes away on foot. Read about staying downtown if you still need a room, or browse our wider guide on where to stay. The downtown guide covers where to eat after a long flight. If your plans center on campus, our Stanford visitor guide explains the free shuttle up Palm Drive.

Frequently asked questions