WE are flying to SF this Sept and I know there are various airports in the area. I've found a good fare to San Jose? Is there any reason not to fly there? How long of a drive from there to SF?
I still have to check to see if rental car prices are the same.. at this airport vs SFO.

Anything I'm not thinking of, or don't know?
Should we pay more money to fly right into SFO?

Thanks for any advice.

You might also check the Oakland airport, since you can get into SF by public transit right from the airport.

Have fun in SF.

If you aren't going right into the city of SF, then it really doesn't matter if you use Oakland, SJ, or SFO airports.

If you plan to stay right in SF for a couple of days then a) you won't need or want a rental car, so (parking will be $25-30/day) b) you should fly into SFO, as transportation to your hotel will be faster & cheaper than the others. You can use public transportation from OAK, as noted above.

All the major rental car co's have outlets in SF proper, so when you need a car to hit the road you can pick one up there.

It's an hour from San Jose to SF. And....unfortunately, the only practical way to get there is by car. You can take BART from Oakland to SF...actually, you take a short bus ride from the Oakland airport to the BART station. SFO now has it's own BART station and you can be in downtown SF in 20 - 30 minutes whereas Oakland would take around 30 - 35 minutes. So the question is....how much cheaper are the flights into San Jose vs the cost, inconvenience and time it takes to get from San Jose to SF. Also...what are your trip plans? As was mentioned...a car IN SF would be expensive and a hassel. Parking is a HUGE problem.

Do you really need a car? If you are staying in sf proper, hotel parking charges can add up quickly (public garages are $20-30; hotel garage parking can be as much as $50/day!).

If you don't need a car, you should fly into SFO and take the BART to your downtown hotel. If you want to do day trips, you can still rent a car in DT for the day.

It's a huge PITA to get from San Jose to SF if you plan to spend the entire time in SF. Even more of a PITA if you fly out of San Jose.

OAK or SFO are the only real alternatives for a visit to SF, and I find SFO easier and more direct.

So, Kodi, you just clew in from Argentina and now you are Clying to SF ??

This does present a bit of an issue. What would be the purpose of the car? Are you taking a lot of day trips? Unfortunately, you will need a car for day trips to Napa, Monterey, etc. BUT, parking in S.F. is super expensive.

If you do end up with a car, flying into San Jose is okay. Keep in mind that traffic between the two cities is brutal in the a.m. and evening, so allow plenty of time.

If you don't need a car, I'm sure there is some sort of shuttle you can take from the San Jose airport to S.F. but Oakland or SFO would be more convenient due to BART access.

Scarlett, you see, my fingers ( or brain) aren't even working right yet!!!
Yes I'm 'crying' to SF in Sept. I've never been there. Finish one trip and start planning the next!!!

Thanks everyone. Actually we are staying in SF for 3 days then heading out for 2 weeks... down the coast, over to Death Valley, and up to Yosemite.
So we don't really need a car in SF for the first 3 days. ...thanks for pointing that out. So sounds like the best plan is to fly to and from SFO or Oakland, so we can rent our car in downtown SF and return it there and be able to use BART to get to the airport.
Sounds like getting to and from San Jose could present a problem of time and money.

Thanks for the advice.

Timewise - it'll be even better if you could get the car out of SF Airport the last day and continue on your southbound trip.

Otherwise you would most likely have to return the car in SF on your way back and then head out to the airport. Waste of a lot of precious last minute time.

Find out if you can pick up the car in SF and return it at the Airport for no extra charge. That'll be the best way to go.

I'm sorry, ET, but I have to disagree about trekking TO the airport to pick up a rental car. In my experience it's much easier and faster to just rent a car downtown and get on your way south.

J62: yes of ocurse, you're correct - it's easier to pick up the car downtown.

I was thinking of the drop off part.

If the car rental place doesn't allow them to drop off the car at the airport,then they will have to drive all the way back into San Francisco and THEN find their way back to the airport. This when they are trying to catch a flight.

so the best way is to find a rental company that will allow them to pick up the car in town but drop it off at the airport, with no additional drop off fees.

I'll keep this in mind. Picking up a car in the city and dropping it at the airport would be ideal.
I'll be sure to ask about the drop off charges , if any.

Thanks for the advice.

Hi Kodi, welcome home!

Here is the website for BART which you can review.

http://www.bart.gov/index.asp

Thanks Love. We are getting excited already. I'll check the site.

Me too Kodi! Are you finally rested from your long trip home?