Q) Do you pick up at the San Francisco Airport (SFO) or from airport-area hotels?
A) Incredible Adventures picks up at nearly every hotel in the city proper: hotels in SOMA, Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, the Financial District, the Embarcadero, and Lombard Street are all within our pickup radius! That said, we cannot pick you up (or drop you off) at the San Francisco Airport, or at any of the nearby airport hotels. Here’s why:
It’s a little-known fact that the San Francisco Airport (SFO) isn’t actually located in San Francisco proper! Because of our city’s unique geography (we’re bordered on 3 sides by water), there’s not a lot of space for things like airports, so it got placed approximately 13 miles to the south. San Francisco has mastered this complication fairly well, with several public transportation options (and many cabs and airport shuttles) to make sure folks visiting our fair city can get here.
Because of this additional space and the long haul to the city, many “Airport Hotels” have popped up in the South San Francisco, Burlingame, and Millbrae areas. These hotels are often less expensive than hotels in the center of the city, and are ideal for business travelers and people who are arriving or departing very early (or very late) from SFO.
Still, this 13 miles from the city can be quite a long way, especially in high-traffic commute hours. This means an added 20+ minutes each direction to get to these hotels, which cuts into the precious time we have to take our guests to see the amazing views of Yosemite Valley (or worse, it cuts into your wine tasting time)! Also, commercial vehicles like Incredible Adventures’ mini-coaches are required to have special permits before they’re allowed onto airport property. Because of this, we do not have pickups available from SFO or the surrounding area.
Q2) So…How can I meet your tour, then?
A2) You have several great options:
– Some airport hotels have a shuttle into the city, or to the airport (where you can catch BART easily). Check with your concierge or the front desk; they will be able to assist you in making the best choice of transportation.
– If you’re staying at an airport hotel with a car, we can suggest a local hotel in the city proper that has very reasonable flat-rate all-day parking. Contact us and we’ll give you directions.
– You can take a cab or Uber, but make sure you check the price before you go. It can sometimes be very pricey, so unless you have a large group and are splitting the fare, be careful!
– Our public transportation systems are very reliable and are a great way to get around. We often suggest taking BART into the city and meeting us right by the Powell St station at a central hotel meeting point (usually the Wyndham Parc 55, which is right next to the station), or taking CalTrain in to the San Francisco Station at 4th and Townsend. We know navigating a new city can be tricky; feel free to give us a call and our staff will be happy to help you figure out the right transportation for you!
