Search Flights from San Francisco to Manila

Located 21 km from the city center, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a major transit center for passengers, particularly those traveling from Asia. San Francisco International is the second busiest airport in California, following Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Every year SFO handles a significant number of both domestic and international flights. There are a variety of transportation alternatives passengers can utilize to get to and from the airport.  

San Francisco International Airport stands out for the comfortable and exceptional services it offers. The airport features services aimed at meeting your every need, from comfortable passenger lounges, to restaurants that offer a wide variety of cuisines and a vibrant array of stores where you can go shopping.

San Francisco International Airport is accessible by taxi, bus, train, rental car, and personal car as the airport contains parking lots that offer short-term and long-term parking options.

Train

There are two rail systems that you can use to get to San Francisco International Airport from the city center. The first is the rapid-rail system, the BART. The BART starts running in the early hours of the morning, providing easy and fast transportation between SFO and the northern and southern parts of the city.

The other rail system that you can use to get to SFO is the CalTrain. This train departs on the hour, every hour, every day of the week, until 10 pm. This train provides transportation between San Francisco and San Jose and SFO.

Taxi

One of the most convenient and fastest transportation alternatives to get to SFO from the city center is by taxi. Taxi fares are calculated based on the kilometers traveled. A taxi from downtown San Francisco can cost between 42 and 62 dollars and takes about 20 minutes. For more information on taxi companies and their contact information please visit San Francisco International Airport’s website.

Bus

SamTrans buses provide transportation between the San Francisco city center and the airport. These public buses are operated by San Mateo County and run between San Mateo, various parts of San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport. SamTrans lines KX, 292, 397, and 398 run directly to the airport terminals. Buses stop at the arrivals and baggage claim level of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 and at Level 1 of the International Terminal.

Rental Car

Renting a car is another transportation alternative to get to the airport. There are many rental car companies located in the city. You can drop off your rental vehicle at the Rental Car Center before your departure. From the Rental Car Center the AirTrain Blue Line provides access to the airport terminals and it operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Rental car companies that you can choose from include Alamo, Dollar, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, National, Budget, Fox and Thrifty.

Bike

San Francisco International Airport contains bike assembly stations and parking areas for those who want to access the airport by bike. The BART and SamTrans rapid rail systems provide passengers with bike/transit options and the airport features marked bicycle routes. Bike lovers can easily access the airport by bicycle.   

Airport Information

San Francisco International Airport is located 21 km from the city center. The airport covers an expansive area and operates domestic and international flights out of 4 terminals, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and the International Terminal. The AirTrain automated system provides free transportation between each terminal, as well as the Rental Car Center and BART station. The AirTrain Red Line links all terminals, terminal garages and the BART Station. The AirTrain Blue Line links the Rental Car Center with all terminals, terminal garages, and the BART Station. SFO also contains a variety of services and amenities to meet passengers’ pre-flight and post-flight needs.

The airport features health services in the terminals, rental car offices, banks, a lost and found, wireless internet, charging stations, clothing stores where you can go shopping, restaurants and cafes, the Aviation Museum & Library, rotating exhibitions, spa services, children’s play areas, free yoga rooms, a market, and much more. 

Known as the biggest city in the Philippines, Manila is a metropolis in the Metro Manila region that is composed of many different provinces. Malate, one of the sixteen towns that make up Manila, hosts hotels. While Ermita is the most frequent destination for tourists and entertainment, Intramuros is the historical part of the city. San Miguel and Sampaloc are university districts, while Paco is the capital of the working class. Manila, known as the heart of the education, business and transportation in the Philippines, is a delightful choice for tourists with its forests and for its spectacular islands. Ninoy Aquino International Airport welcomes travelers who want to visit this city.

In Manila, the most common vehicles used in urban transportation are the rail system and the bus. In addition, besides these most frequently used means of urban transportation, other older means of transportation such as phaetons, three-wheeled vehicles and mini-buses are also used. When you use public transport in the city, you can take advantage of single use tickets, or the special tickets that you can load money on. We advise you to buy these special tickets, especially if you travel frequently, so that you can save time avoiding the long ques to buy ticket every time.

Most means of public transportation does not depart in time, so we advise you not to rely on the schedules. The public transport is mostly very cramped and full. For this reason, we recommend that you protect your valuables during your travels. You can also use taxis and bicycles and phaetons that serve as taxis to travel faster and practically.

Since the city's main attractions are close to each other, it is possible to walk. In addition, there are ferryboats within the city that can be reached from many ports in the Port Area near the Pasig River. If you want to travel to neighboring cities, you can also take advantage of intercity bus and train services. One of the biggest problems of Ninoy Aquino International Airport is that the inter-terminal transportation is not very strong. Unlike many airports, you cannot reach the terminals of the airport, which has four terminals, on foot.

To travel between the terminals you need to get buses and jeepneys, and pass through crowded streets. While Terminal 1 is used for international flights, Terminal 2 serves to flights of Philippine Airlines. Terminal 3 hosts domestic flights, while Terminal 4 hosts eligible flights and international flights rarely.

Bus

Buses depart from the immediate exit of the arriving passenger section and take the passengers to many parts of the city. In some cases, you may need to transfer to a train, based on your destination. At some times the buses can be very crowded. Under normal conditions, different buses operate to different parts of the city; but some buses can change their route at certain times and travel through many parts of the city. These buses are going to Manila, as well as to the cities of Makati and Quezon. Besides, buses are among the frequently preferred options for urban transport.

The bus lines offer an important public transport alternative, which is used to reach to the points where the train lines do not reach, serving the whole city.

Jeepney

Land vehicles, which are called Jeepneys in the Philippines, can carry a large number of passengers and they are used as minibuses. Jeepneys, which are usually very crowded, are the most popular public transport services in the country. These have gained a traditional iconic character with their special decoration. You can use Jeepneys to reach many of the places you want to go in town. You can easily find Jeepneys near buses at the airport exit. These vehicles provide transportation services from the airport to many parts of the city, just in the case of buses.

Train (Light Rail System)

Train is a cheap, fast and practical means of public transport that is not affected by the traffic jam,. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remind that trains are as crowded as all other means of public transport. Trains, known as LRT (Light Rail Transit System), travel throughout the entire Metro Manila region, including Manila. Although it uses a light rail system, the infrastructure is quite similar to that of metro. The train lines do not provide a direct service to the airport.

But you can transfer to these train lines from most buses and jeepneys coming from the airport. There are two different train lines in the light rail system. The green line, LRT 1, starts at Baclaran Station, in the southernmost part of city, and travels up to the Roosevelt Station, in the north of the city, following the road by the Manila Bay, in the west of the city. The blue line, LRT 2, runs parallel to the Pasig River, traveling to west from the east. This line provides transfer opportunity to green LRT and yellow MRT (metro) lines.

Metro

Metro, just like train, does not provide a direct transport service to the airport. It is possible to transfer to the trains from buses and jeepneys departing from the airport. The Metro, known as the MRT (Metro Rail Transit System), operates similarly to the light rail system. The MRT line is known as the third (yellow) line. With this line, you can transfer to LRT 1 line at Roosevelt Station. This line connects to Taft Avenue Station, the southern tip of the green line, on the southernmost part of the city, starting from the North Avenue Station, which is the first stop after the transfer, and continuing to the south of the city in the east direction. In short, it is possible to say that LRT and MRT lines draw a circle around the city, being connected from the very center of this circle.

Railcar

PNR (Philippine National Railways), the orange line, is operating on the heavy rail system with a single carriage engine, called railcar. These vehicles depart every half an hour and are usually preferred for transportation between neighboring cities in Metro Manila region.

Taxi

The most comfortable option to get to the city from the airport is, of course, taxi. However, taxi fares are much higher compared to public transport. The airport taxis are usually yellow. These taxis, controlled by the center, have the authority to stop at the entrance of the airport. Apart from that, we recommend that you stay away from the taxis serving to the hotels in the city. These taxis can cost you much higher than the taxis you can find on the street. Make sure that the taximeter is working during your journey; the drivers who understand that you are foreigners can try to charge you over normal by not turning on the taximeter. The taxis known as Pedicab, bikes mounted in cabins for two, can be used for short distances. However, we recommend you not to take these without a local with you unless you are very obliged to, for your safety. Tricycles, the three-wheeled taxis, are a practical option for traveling to the areas where it is difficult to reach with public transport. Pedicab and Tricycle vehicles have stops in central areas of the city.

Car Rental

If you do not want to spend time in the crowds of public transport and you will travel frequently, you can rent a car from the Rent a Car offices located at the airport or book your car online before your flight. However, we remind you that the traffic inside the city can sometimes be very cramped.