Search Flights from San Francisco to Kochi (India)

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. 

Cochin International Airport is located in a suburb of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala in India and is about 37 kilometers from Kochi city center. Cochin Airport is the fourth largest airport in India and is also the worlds first fully solar-powered airport. There are 3 terminals at the airport where domestic and international flights are made. At the airport you can withdraw money from ATMs and exchange currency.

From Cochin Airport to Kochin city center you can take a taxi and a bus or rent a car.

Taxi

From Cochin Airport you can travel to Kochi city center or the surrounding cities by taxi at any time of the day. At Cochin Airport taxis are run through a Cooperative Society controlled by CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited) and run on a pre paid taxi system. There are fully computerised and automated pre paid taxi counters at both the international and domestic terminals in the airport. You can decide the type of taxi you want from these meters as a normal passenger car or larger vehicle. If you wish you can rent large and high standard vehicles such as UBER - OLA and you can also pay for a limo if you wish from the pre paid counters. While taxis from outside can drop off passengers at the airport, only CIAL taxis are allowed to pick up passengers from the airport. When you get off the plane, you will get a receipt from the taxi counter and then you want to go to the pre-paid taxi stand and get your taxi.

The standard fare for a taxi from the airport to city center is 19 Indian Rupees per km for a non-conditioned car. 23 Indian Rupees per km for an air conditioned vehicle. The minimum fee is approximately 400 rupees. You can also use pre-paid taxis for tours and daily hire basis. The most convenient transportation to the city center is by taxi and you can travel to the city in about half an hour. Some of the taxi fleets with a counter at Cochin Airport are Kochi Taxi, Vayu Travels, Dayz, Gezi India.

Bus

You have two alternatives of buses from Cochin Airport to the city center. The first alternative is buses that depart from the terminal at the entrance of airport at frequent intervals. White - blue buses (fast), green - red buses (without stopping, faster) express running buses which run every 10 to 20 minutes and stop at bus stops near the city center. The fare you will pay for transportation by buses like this is approximately 1.5 USD.

The other alternative is the bus that runs from outside the terminal which are the orange Volvo buses. The first bus starts at 07.50 in the morning and runs every half an hour and costs about 70 Indian rupees. The difference between these buses from the express buses are that they provide a more comfortable journey and they are air-conditioned. The buses stop at Aluva, Kalassery and Vytilla, and reach Kochi city center in about 30 to 40 minutes.

Rent a Car

If you prefer to travel to the city center by renting a car, you can choose from the car rental companies AVIS and Zoom at the airport. Let us remind you that when you rent a car foreigners are asked for an international driving license. You can reach the city center from the airport in about half an hour and the airport has access to all three national highways NH 47, NH 17 and NH 49.

Other Alternatives

To protect the interests of CIAL taxis the three-wheeled local cars are not allowed into the airport. If you want to make a more economical transfer from the standard taxi fares, you can travel to the nearest train stations such as Angamally or Aluva for a price ranging from 50 to 100 rupees and take the train to the city center from there. Just to add, it is difficult to find such a vehicle early in the morning and late in the evening.