Taking Bart from SFO with luggage
 

DH and I are arriving in San Francisco in two weeks. We were planning on getting from SFO to our hotel near Union Square using Bart. Just wondering how easy this will be seeing we each have one large suitcase and a carry on. Has anyone here done it. We are staying at Inn on Union, I think the Powell St station is the closest. Would taking a Uber be a better option?

We have often "done it" from SFO to the Embarcadero stop and a nearby hotel. Does that large suitcase have wheels? As I recall there is an escalator up from the platforms at Powell Street. WHICH hotel, Nelsonian???????? Be helpful to know that so we could look up the exact distance from the station entrance.

As to Uber or a taxi, those might end up being a faster method; the BART fare per person is probably going to be around $9.00 without any discounts

We did something similar a few months ago, stayed at the Sir Francis Drake. It's quite close to the Inn. I think Powell is closest, you'll have a bit of an incline but not bad.

Sorry for my misread of your post, Nelsonian; that hotel is 3/10ths of a mile from the Powell Street station, uphill as Sludick notes.

As I recall, Sir Francis Drake is a bit farther up the block, but right at the point it gets steeper. As long as you have wheeled luggage and are able to walk, it's really a pretty short distance. I only found it confusing coming out of the Powell Station - pay attention to the signage to make sure you don't end up on the wrong side of Market Street.

The Inn is around the corner from the Drake

We live one BART stop past the SFO stop & take BART into The City quite frequently. No problems with BART. LOTS of people with all kinds of luggage getting on & off at SFO. Ticket costs $9.65 per person. Only problem is that the escalator to the street level and the elevator are sometimes not working at the Powell station. Of course, a taxi will get you into the city faster if there are no major traffic back-ups. We live so close to SFO that we always take a curbside non-Uber taxi home and we almost never have any significant wait for a taxi.

Stu Dudley

It's a shlep, but it's only a 4-block shlep, so yes, fairly easily done. When you get to the Powell Street Station, exit at "Hallidie Plaza". When you get to the top of the escalator, turn left and walk 4 blocks. Be sure you keep your valuables close to your body, the first block (near the cable car) is extremely crowded and therefore risky from a theft/pickpocket standpoint.

You will be very tired and jet lagged from your long flight. Perhaps take a taxi, Uber or shuttle to your hotel.

I'd just take a taxi in from SFO -- it will cost a little more than BART, but walking up that hill (it isn't steep on that part of Powell but is still up hill) with major luggage and all the foot traffic around the cable car turntable, Union Sq, etc - it will be a schlepp.

LOL, Janis..."a LITTLE more?" But I agree with you that a taxi is often worth the money. But, i would never assume that somebody is necessarily going to be "tired" and "jet lagged."

Don't take a taxi, take Lyft. A taxi will cost about $55, Lyft about $29.

>>But, i would never assume that somebody is necessarily going to be "tired" and "jet lagged."<<

I figured the OP is flying in from NZ -- if so, the chances are they will be quite tired . . .

I've done that trip a half dozen times on Bart and walked to a hotel a block further up Post than the Inn at Union. It's a very doable schlep. If Lyft is $29 and Bart for two is $19-ish, I'd probably do Lyft. Especially if it were raining or hot.

Thanks everyone all reassuring, We will probably take Bart, rather than a taxi. We enjoy doing this stuff, I was concerned about how much room there was for luggage on the train, but doesn't appear to be a problem.

DH is looking at Google maps, he says we need to walk up Post St, but you seem to be saying go on Market St.

Maybe I missed this... but what time of day? As far as room for the luggage this would be easier mid-day than during commute hours.

You will exit the station onto Market Street, turn left on to Powell Street and walk for four blocks. Then turn left onto Post from Powell.

Or at least that is what I've have done.

obxgirl's directions are accurate with one clarification. When you exit the station at Hallidie Plaza, you will be at the northwest CORNER of Market Street and Powell Street. Just bear left onto Powell Street and walk 4 blocks. You'll never actually walk ON Market Street.

>>We will probably take Bart, rather than a taxi. We enjoy doing this stuff<<

A good portion of the BART is underground. The portion that is above ground - you'll probably wish that it wasn't. Not scenic. The taxi into The City is somewhat scenic - with a view of the Bay & across to Oakland, and the San Francisco skyline.

I'll apologize in advance for the "mess" around the Powell station and the Cable Car area - with all the vagrants. It's a shame that this Powell area will be your introduction to San Francisco. My cousin and his 10 year old daughter visited us a few years ago from Denmark, and they were both frightened when they got off BART at Powell. They live in Copenhagen.

Stu Dudley