Search Flights from San Francisco to Chisinau

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. 

Located along the river Bâc, Chisinau is the capital and most developed and populated city of Moldova. Chisinau International Airport opens its doors to passengers who want to visit Chisinau, Moldova's main industrial city. Chisinau is divided into two main regions, the old part of the city and the new part of the city, which is considered the city center. Stefan cel Mare Street is considered the city center, which also includes Stefan cel Mare Park.

The only train station in the city is the Chisinau railway station, which is located in the city center. Although the city is surrounded by railway networks, transportation by train is only offered to the surrounding areas, outside of the city. There is also no metro network that provides transportation in the city. Buses, just like trains, are also not a method of urban transportation. Trolleybuses and minibuses, known as “rutiera” make up the main network of urban transportation in Chisinau.

There are ticket collectors present on public transportation vehicles. There are single-use tickets available for purchase however if you are staying longer in the city we would recommend buying a monthly ticket. Other, perhaps more convenient, transportation alternatives within the city include traveling by taxi or rental car.

There are a variety of transportation alternatives available to get to the city center from the airport including minibuses or private airport shuttle services. These options might include a transfer so if you want a direct alternative that provides door-to-door transportation you could take a taxi or rent a car.

Shuttle

Chisinau International Airport's own private shuttle provides transportation to the city center from the airport. The shuttle provides transportation to the following stops, Dacia Street, Decebal Street, Yuri Gagarin Street, C. Negruzzi Street, Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt Street, and Dimitrie Cantemir Square. These shuttles are very reasonably priced and run every 40 minutes.

Minibus (Rutieră)

Minibuses are the most convenient option to get to the city center from the airport. Minibuses cost the same as the airport shuttle services do, however they run more frequently than the shuttle does. Minibuses run every 10 minutes. Minibus line 165 stops at Dacia Ave, Trandafirilor, Decebal Street, Yuri Gagarin Ave., Dimitrie Cantemir Street, and Ismail Street.

Ticket prices are quite affordable but if you have a large suitcase you might have to pay an extra fee. Once you exit the arrivals area make a right towards the parking area at the end of the building. The white minibuses are located there.

If you come across a vehicle in motion you can raise your hand to hail it. Usually there is an assistant sitting next to the driver. If there is an assistant in the vehicle, and the vehicle does not have an automatic door system, the minibus doors are opened by that assistant.

There aren’t that many designated minibus stops but drivers will usually stop wherever you want to get off. Nevertheless, new regulations may restrict this possibility.

Some minibus lines in the city serve more than one route and some routes run parallel to each other. There is a route display screen next to the minibus line number to help indicate which way the minibus is traveling. By tracking this display you can easily find out which direction the minibus will travel in.

Trolleybus

Unfortunately there isn’t a trolleybus line that provides direct transportation from the airport to the city center. However, once you arrive in the city center via shuttle or minibus you can transfer to a trolleybus to get to your final destination in the city. The trolleybus system is one of the most important public transportation networks in Chisinau.

There are twenty-two trolleybus lines that operate in the city. These lines include, line 1 the str. Bariera Sculeni – str. Sarmizegetusa route, line 4 the Gradina Botanica – str. Zelinski route, line 5 the parcul "La izvor" route, line 17 the Schinossa 1 route, line 20 the str. Dokuceaev route, and line 28 the or. Durlești – bd. Gagarin route, all of which connect with the Chisinau railway station or to other areas of the city where you can easily transfer vehicles.

Bus

Traveling bus isn’t a source of urban transportation in Chisinau. However, buses are a popular alternative for transportation between cities and to other countries. So if you want to travel to nearby areas from Chisinau, then traveling by bus is a convenient option. There are 3 bus terminals in Chisinau, the Central Station, Gara de Nord and Gara de Sud.

Train

Just as with buses, trains provide transit services between cities or between countries. Located in the city center, the Chisinau Central Railway Station provides public transportation services to Romania, Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries.

Taxi

There are three taxi companies that operate at the airport. Pricing is quite expensive compared to public transportation alternatives. However, unlike other cabs, you can talk to the driver in advance and try to negotiate the fare. Although the taxi system is much better than it was before, there are still some problems. For example, taxi drivers can come up with a variety of excuses to charge extra fees. If you are going to get in a cab at the airport, instead of getting in a cab from the stop, trying getting in a cab that is dropping off a passenger. They might be more reasonable when it comes to the fare. We would recommend negotiating or agreeing on the fare with the taxi driver beforehand.

Rental Car

Another way to get to the city center from the airport is by rental car. There are various rental car offices located at the airport. You can also reserve a vehicle in advance by making a reservation online.