SFO Question
May 25th, 2008, 07:41 PM
#1
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SFO Question
I have a flight departing SFO at 11.22 on a Friday morning. Being an international flight, we have to check in 2 hrs before. Will we be caught in peak hour traffic? How early should we leave? Will be staying at Columbus Ave at SF.
May 25th, 2008, 08:11 PM
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Do you have a lot of luggage?
If not, you could take public transportation. Take the F line to the Ferry Building, then take BART to SFO.
Or you could take a taxi to a BART station and get on BART from there.
Click on the downtown map to enlarge it:
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm
Otherwise, you could take a taxi all the way from the hotel to the airport. About a half hour to 45 minute ride.
For international flights, if you are going economy class, plan on being at the airport a couple of hours before flight time. If you are going business or first class you could cut the time down to an hour or an hour and a half before flight time, since your check in time will be faster.
To be on the safe side, I'd leave the hotel by 8:30am and no later than 9am.
There are some very good restaurants in the international terminal at SFO where you can catch breakfast once you're safely checked in.
Have a safe flight!
If not, you could take public transportation. Take the F line to the Ferry Building, then take BART to SFO.
Or you could take a taxi to a BART station and get on BART from there.
Click on the downtown map to enlarge it:
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm
Otherwise, you could take a taxi all the way from the hotel to the airport. About a half hour to 45 minute ride.
For international flights, if you are going economy class, plan on being at the airport a couple of hours before flight time. If you are going business or first class you could cut the time down to an hour or an hour and a half before flight time, since your check in time will be faster.
To be on the safe side, I'd leave the hotel by 8:30am and no later than 9am.
There are some very good restaurants in the international terminal at SFO where you can catch breakfast once you're safely checked in.
Have a safe flight!
May 25th, 2008, 11:28 PM
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Thanks for your suggestions guys. We will be returning car at SFO. We always go with Avis where there is a drop off, so no issue. It is just the morning traffic rush that's worrying me.
May 26th, 2008, 02:34 AM
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Personally I would leave the hotel at 8:00am Nyetzy. Drive to SFO, return the rental car, walk to the terminal, check in (how long will the check in line be?). After security you can have coffee and breakfast and relax. But I am one that can not stand feeling rushed and stressed if I am running late when flying somewhere so I would rather give myself some extra time in case of any problem. Anyway that is what I would do. Best regards.
May 26th, 2008, 04:37 AM
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Go to my room? HUH? As you can see by the first response other than mine, the supposition was NOT that they were driving themselves and would be returning a car. Isn't that a VERY important piece of information? I sure think I asked without the least bit of snarkiness!
And now we have some good answers that never could have been given until we knew they were driving and had to allow time to return a car. I'm with LoveItaly on this. To be at the check-in by 9:22, I'd leave downtown by 8. Much better to have too much time than not enough.
And now we have some good answers that never could have been given until we knew they were driving and had to allow time to return a car. I'm with LoveItaly on this. To be at the check-in by 9:22, I'd leave downtown by 8. Much better to have too much time than not enough.
May 26th, 2008, 06:08 AM
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If there are two of you, and you have plenty of time, you can drop one person and your luggage off at the terminal, then you return the rental car and take the tram back to your terminal. Its better to have plenty of time than cut it short and have to worry.
May 26th, 2008, 06:53 AM
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Hi, Nyetzy:
Might I make a suggestion?
Why not stay at an airport hotel? You can return the car the night before without all the luggage. Then take the hotel airport shuttle back to the hotel. Next morning take the hotel shuttle TO the airpot.
By staying on Clumbus, I take it you mean either the Marriott or the Holiday Inn Express. Both these hotel chains have airport hotels, if you are concerned about getting or using hotel points.
Might I make a suggestion?
Why not stay at an airport hotel? You can return the car the night before without all the luggage. Then take the hotel airport shuttle back to the hotel. Next morning take the hotel shuttle TO the airpot.
By staying on Clumbus, I take it you mean either the Marriott or the Holiday Inn Express. Both these hotel chains have airport hotels, if you are concerned about getting or using hotel points.
May 26th, 2008, 07:05 AM
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Wow, easytraveler, your suggestion sounds like a good one to someone who has an early morning flight (and I've done that myself for a 6:30 AM flight), but not for a flight almost at noon? Sorry, I just don't get why anyone would want to give up a final night IN SanFrancisco to stay at an airport hotel.
May 26th, 2008, 07:24 AM
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Patrick: regardless of where the passenger stays the night before, he/she has to be at the airport TWO HOURS before flight time for an international flight. That places the time of arrival at SFO at 9:30am - without the need to return a car.
If they have to return a car then they should arrive at SFO at 9am at the latest.
Which means they have to start out no later than 8:30am.
So, what is there to enjoy in San Francisco before 8am on the day of an international flight? The sunrise? Jogging along the bayshore at 7am? The Marriott at the airport is right along the bay too. In fact the Marriott at the airport is a lot nicer than the Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf.
Anyhow, Nyetzy, it's your choice. Mine was just a suggestion.
If they have to return a car then they should arrive at SFO at 9am at the latest.
Which means they have to start out no later than 8:30am.
So, what is there to enjoy in San Francisco before 8am on the day of an international flight? The sunrise? Jogging along the bayshore at 7am? The Marriott at the airport is right along the bay too. In fact the Marriott at the airport is a lot nicer than the Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf.
Anyhow, Nyetzy, it's your choice. Mine was just a suggestion.
May 26th, 2008, 07:29 AM
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My daughter just took an international flight to New Zealand from SFO, and said the 2 hours they alloted for check in was just right (they did have extra time). It was on a Sunday at 9pm. I wouldn't get there any later than 2 hours before the flight.
I think Patrick's question was right on, and that Kal was just kidding around.
I think Patrick's question was right on, and that Kal was just kidding around.
May 26th, 2008, 07:40 AM
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Moi
I think it was the comment "Are you walking to the airport?" that made me snert peppermint tea.
NeoP and I are big boys and we can take it anyway we like.
I'm sure Fodor's ain't our first rodeo.
Billaaaayyyy....are you crazy?
I'm thinking 8:20, 8:21.
Being a nervous nellie flyer especially on Intl flights even tho it's a reverse commute I'd leave SF at 7 and even then have to breath in a brown paper bag.
Ask Mrs Kal.
I think it was the comment "Are you walking to the airport?" that made me snert peppermint tea.
NeoP and I are big boys and we can take it anyway we like.
I'm sure Fodor's ain't our first rodeo.
Billaaaayyyy....are you crazy?
I'm thinking 8:20, 8:21.
Being a nervous nellie flyer especially on Intl flights even tho it's a reverse commute I'd leave SF at 7 and even then have to breath in a brown paper bag.
Ask Mrs Kal.
May 26th, 2008, 07:51 AM
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Easytraveler, you missed my point. It's just that it is easy to get up and get to the airport leaving at 8:30, and as you said what are you going to miss anyway -- might as well be returning the car and taking a shuttle that morning as you aren't losing any "valuable" vacation time. But why would you want to give up the evening and night before in San Francisco to be returning a car, shuttling to an airport hotel and probably having dinner in the airport area -- when you could be in the city having a great time. To me, that's cutting your vacation time short by half a day.
May 26th, 2008, 08:27 AM
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Neo: they don't HAVE to give up a night on the town.
Unless they get rip-roaring drunk (which really isn't advisable anyhow the night before a flight of 14+ hours - think of the thirst factor), they can make it to the airport hotel just as easily as getting back to Columbus street.
Most airport rental car lots close at midnight.
Most dinner places in SF stop serving after 9pm.
They can catch the last rental car shuttle bus to the airport if they feel like squeezing things down to the last minute, then call the hotel to pick them up from the airport.
The other alternative - if they plan to party until 2am in the morning - is to park the car at the airport hotel, pay the parking fee, and then return the car the next morning.
Whichever way, it'll be best to fill up the gas tank before going to the airport hotel. There may not be too many gas stations open at 3am in the morning.
If it were me, I'd rather not go through the stress of negotiating city traffic to get to the airport on a morning of the flight, but rather do it the stress-free way by staying near the airport. Besides, now you're talking about negotiating city traffic after partying until 2am in the morning.
Nyetzy: how old are you anyhow? The younger you are the more you should Patrick's options, those are adrenaline rushes for sure. The older you are, the more you should consider less stressful ways to handle this. (Just partially kidding! )
Unless they get rip-roaring drunk (which really isn't advisable anyhow the night before a flight of 14+ hours - think of the thirst factor), they can make it to the airport hotel just as easily as getting back to Columbus street.
Most airport rental car lots close at midnight.
Most dinner places in SF stop serving after 9pm.
They can catch the last rental car shuttle bus to the airport if they feel like squeezing things down to the last minute, then call the hotel to pick them up from the airport.
The other alternative - if they plan to party until 2am in the morning - is to park the car at the airport hotel, pay the parking fee, and then return the car the next morning.
Whichever way, it'll be best to fill up the gas tank before going to the airport hotel. There may not be too many gas stations open at 3am in the morning.
If it were me, I'd rather not go through the stress of negotiating city traffic to get to the airport on a morning of the flight, but rather do it the stress-free way by staying near the airport. Besides, now you're talking about negotiating city traffic after partying until 2am in the morning.
Nyetzy: how old are you anyhow? The younger you are the more you should Patrick's options, those are adrenaline rushes for sure. The older you are, the more you should consider less stressful ways to handle this. (Just partially kidding!
)
May 26th, 2008, 09:03 AM
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Thanks easytraveler, I'm over 60, and I guess you've just said that the way I do things would be the way young people do them. (insert happy face here). I'm all with you about avoiding stress in the morning, which is why I love your idea if you have an early morning flight -- but nearly noon? Stress to do a half hour drive with an entire morning to do the half hour drive and return a rental car? I may be old, but I'm not feeble or incompetent!
Meanwhile, let's also not forget that if you're spending the night at an airport hotel, you'll have to check out of your SF hotel by noon the day before. Forget taking a shower or changing clothes for dinner, and start to worry about storing your luggage in your car -- or having to circle back to your hotel to pick it up later. Be sure to be changed for dinner at noon and then spend the whole afternoon without a base to work out of (unless it's the trunk of your car). This is what I call losing half a day of vacation. And most people do drink at dinner in SF. Sorry, but the stress of driving to the airport after drinks and/or a bottle of wine at dinner is MUCH greater than having to be on the road at the crack of 8:30 AM! I personally don't like to drive after drinking. However, I suppose if your primary goal is to be near the airport 12 hours before your flight, then you could give up having a nice meal and wine the night before. After spending all afternoon sightseeing or whatever in your dinner clothes, you probably won't want to go to a nice place anyway. It's certainly not MY style!
Meanwhile, let's also not forget that if you're spending the night at an airport hotel, you'll have to check out of your SF hotel by noon the day before. Forget taking a shower or changing clothes for dinner, and start to worry about storing your luggage in your car -- or having to circle back to your hotel to pick it up later. Be sure to be changed for dinner at noon and then spend the whole afternoon without a base to work out of (unless it's the trunk of your car). This is what I call losing half a day of vacation. And most people do drink at dinner in SF. Sorry, but the stress of driving to the airport after drinks and/or a bottle of wine at dinner is MUCH greater than having to be on the road at the crack of 8:30 AM! I personally don't like to drive after drinking. However, I suppose if your primary goal is to be near the airport 12 hours before your flight, then you could give up having a nice meal and wine the night before. After spending all afternoon sightseeing or whatever in your dinner clothes, you probably won't want to go to a nice place anyway. It's certainly not MY style!
