Search Flights from San Francisco to Rotterdam

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. 

There are many ways to get to the city center from Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Immediately after landing, you can see the shuttle, bus and taxi stops right next to the exit. There are also car rental companies that you can easily access within the airport. Public transportation cards used by the Dutch are not usable by the visitors unfortunately.  If the visitors want to use public transport, they can buy standard one-way tickets, or if they use public transport frequently, they can get a visitors’ card validity for 4 or 5 years. It is possible to get these cards from the newsagent at the airport. In order to use these cards for train travel, extra credit is required. Transportation is free for children between 0-3 years old.

If you have any questions about public transport, you can contact the information center within the airport.

Bus

There are three different bus companies in Rotterdam; RET, ARRIVA and Conexxion. Among these, the most widely used company is RET. Although these companies commonly use the same bus stops, it is not possible to transfer between buses from different companies. If you turn left at the exit of the airport, you can reach the departure point of the services within a short walking distance.

The bus number 3, departing from this point, arrives at the center of Rotterdam in about twenty-five minutes. The bus is moving every ten minutes during the day and every half an hour during the evening hours. If you want to buy a single ticket, you can get the ticket from the bus driver. Other RET buses passing through the city center include bus number 38 travelling between Schiedam Center and Kerkhoflaan, bus number 40 from the city center to Delft Buffer station and bus number 44 from Zentral to Zuidplein.

It is possible to reach many other bus services from the central districts of the city. There are also night busses called BOB-bus providing access to well-known entertainment centers of the city operating on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Shuttle

Shuttle number 50, departing from the same point, takes you to Meijersplein metro station in about ten minutes. The shuttle departs every half an hour, both during the day and in the evening.

Metro

The metro is the most widespread and most widely used alternative for transportation within the city and to neighboring cities. Metro provides access to every corner of the city from the city center. Once you reach the Meijersplein metro station from the airport, you can reach The Hague in about twenty-five minutes using the E-line.

The E line provides transportation between Rotterdam and The Hague city centers. From the city center of Rotterdam you can reach the Beurs, Slinge, Rhoon, Tussenwater and Spijkenisse centers with the D line in the direction of De Akkers. You can transfer from the Beurs station to lines A, B and C.

You can transfer to C line from the D line and reach the direction of De Terp or De Akkers following Parkweg, Troelstralaan, Vijfsluzien and Pernis stops.

The lines A and B, which you can get by transferring from the D line from the city center, are travelling to the north of Rotterdam. You can travel to Binnenhof via line A and Nesselande by line B, or you can reach the Schiedam Center in the west by taking the other direction.

Tram

Another option you can choose to travel within the city is the tram. From the airport to the city center, there are trams 4, 7, 8, 20, 21, 23, 24 and 25 which travel to different parts of the city.

Water Vehicles

You can reach New York Hotel from the places near the city center such as Leuvehaven and Veerhaven by water taxi which you can find about every ten minutes around the Maas River. You can also travel between Erasmusbrug / Spido, Katendrecht, St. Jobshaven and Heijplaat-RDM stations by taking the ferry called Aquliner.

Train

The Rotterdam city center railway station connects other means of public transportation such as buses, metro and trams, as well as connecting different cities with the railways. The train is a good option if you want to travel between the cities quickly and at reasonable prices.

Intercity Direct

Intercity Direct train travels from Rotterdam Central Station, stopping only at Schiphol, to Amsterdam Central Station in about forty minutes. In addition, the Intercity Train arrives in Amsterdam via Delft, Laheyne, Leiden and Schiphol.

Taxi

If you are looking for a faster and more convenient way to reach your destination, taxi is a good alternative. It is possible to book a taxi via phone before your flight, or to find you’re a taxi at any hour from the taxi stop located in Rotterdam The Hague Airport. However, it should be noted that taking a taxi is not an economical alternative in Rotterdam.

Car Rental

If you are looking for an independent, fast, and more flexible option in the city, we would recommend you to rent a car. You can find the best car rental companies in various points of the city or at the airport, and rent a car.