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How to get to San Francisco by bus

Routes54
Trips per day292
bus lines3
Stations4
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About San Francisco

Located in the heart of Northern California's Bay Area, San Francisco is a geographically small but culturally huge city known for its historic cable cars, active waterfront, and the eclectic mix of hippies and techies who call it home. While it might be one of the most expensive U.S. cities to live in, San Fran can actually be very cheap to visit, and there is no shortage of unique sights to see.

If the city's omnipresent fog (nicknamed "Karl the Fog" by locals) takes a break, the best views and Instagram photo ops of the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge are found in Golden Gate Park. Stroll through the oldest Chinatown in North America to find the perfect dim sum, or if you and your boo prefer a little Full House moment, try a romantic picnic at Alamo Square Park in front of the Victorian "Painted Ladies." After all, San Francisco is one of the best vacation destinations for couples.

Since the city is condensed onto a small peninsula, exploring by bike is an efficient and scenic way to get around. When you’re ready to travel beyond city limits, San Francisco is a convenient hub for trips throughout Northern California. It's actually the first stop on Wanderu's West Coast Wine Tour, with the next stop, obviously, in Napa Valley. Whether traveling by bus, train, or through either of the two nearby airports, San Francisco is a can't-miss destination.

Station Information

Salesforce Plaza - SFOBLT-0

Image credit: 146109843@N05

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Behind a modern curved façade lies San Francisco’s commuter hub, the Salesforce Transit Center. This gateway to downtown San Francisco and the entire Bay Area welcomes tens of thousands of passengers every day. Finding your way around is easy thanks to more than 270 digital displays with transit information. The Salesforce Transit Center serves as a bus station for Greyhound and Amtrak Thruway buses, as well as several public transit options for convenient connections. A standout feature of the Salesforce Transit Center is a public five-acre rooftop park which gives travelers an open space to relax. Rotating food trucks, cafés, carts, and pop-up retail make this a dynamic and vibrant destination in itself.

Popular bus stations in San Francisco:

  • Caltrain Station - 5th & Townsend St

  • Salesforce Transit Center

  • 700 Beach Street

  • San Francisco, California

What bus companies travel to San Francisco, California?

Located in California, San Francisco is accessible by bus from 54 other cities. You can choose from 292 daily scheduled trips when you search for buses to San Francisco on Wanderu. Greyhound usually has the most buses on any given day.

Looking for other ways to get there? Train tickets to San Francisco are also available.

Bus companies serving San Francisco

BusRoutesAvg. TimeAvg. Price
FlixBus US31416h 2m$101.06
Greyhound5410h 16m$64.39
Amtrak Thruway117h 36m$81.94
  • FlixBus US is the American branch of German bus company FlixBus, known for providing sustainable, affordable, and modern bus travel. The company offers cheap bus tickets to popular urban destinations throughout the United States. FlixBus US buses include many amenities, including comfortable seats, free WiFi, power outlets at every seat, and an online portal for free entertainment.

  • Greyhound is the largest nationwide bus carrier in the United States, offering cheap, safe and reliable service across the country. Greyhound has become a household name, serving over 16 million passengers per year with daily trips to over 2,400 destinations. Greyhound buses are outfitted with power outlets, free WiFi, restrooms, and air conditioning for your comfort.

  • Amtrak Thruway, also known as Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach, is a system of intercity passenger buses operated by Amtrak to connect train stations to areas that are not served by the carrier’s railroads. On the bus, passengers can enjoy comfortable reclining seats with leg rests and access to onboard restroom facilities.

Which bus carrier has the best service to San Francisco?

Based on customers travel reviews, travelers who booked on Wanderu rave about traveling to San Francisco by bus with Megabus giving them a 3.8 rating out of 5.

Travelers also mentioned that OurBus had the most comfortable bus service to San Francisco taking into account the seats and amenities that OurBus offers. They rate OurBus a 4 out of 5 when it comes to just how relaxing and enjoyable their experience was onboard.

If you are looking to arrive to San Francisco punctually, travelers suggest that Megabus has the best on time performance on their bus schedules to San Francisco, rating them a 4.2 based on their on time arrivals.

Frequently Asked Questions

$5.49 is the cheapest price for a bus ticket to San Francisco, according to recent searches on Wanderu. You can use our search to check if this price is currently available on buses from your city to San Francisco. In the last month, buses from Richmond to San Francisco had the lowest average price at $6.49. The bus from Richmond to San Francisco also tends to start at relatively low prices.

The busiest bus station in San Francisco is Caltrain Station - 5th & Townsend St. There are several other active stations in addition to this main station. The most popular bus stations in San Francisco are:

  • Caltrain Station - 5th & Townsend St
  • Salesforce Transit Center
  • 700 Beach Street
The closest airport to San Francisco is San Francisco Intl Airport (SFO), it is located 10.9 miles from the city center of San Francisco.
San Francisco ranks number 11 among most popular bus destinations in the region. It also ranks number 153 in United States. San Francisco has the second most number of destinations in California that are connected to San Francisco by bus service. Each day 87 direct bus schedules arrive in the San Francisco.
The population of San Francisco is 864816. San Francisco ranks number 5 in terms of population in California and number 61 in all of United States.
Bus tickets to San Francisco range from $5 for a short trip to San Francisco, while a 60 to 200 mile bus trip to San Francisco starts at , and a longer trip by bus to San Francisco can be as cheap as . Looking to travel across state or province lines? A trip from out of your region will be as low as $28.
Solo travelers choose to travel by bus to San Francisco for its affordable fares and because of the safe and convenient experience that they note in their reviews.
The closest bus station to the city center of San Francisco is Caltrain Station - 5th & Townsend St, located just 1.2 miles away. Select Caltrain Station - 5th & Townsend St as your arrival if your plans call for exploring the downtown area of San Francisco. Search on Wanderu and in the search results you can filter travel options by arriving or departing station.

Wanderu is the simplest way to book bus and train travel.

With just a quick search on Wanderu, you can compare bus and train schedules and prices from hundreds of travel companies in one convenient place to find the trip that works best for you. Wanderu’s simple checkout process makes it easy to book cheap bus and train tickets hassle-free and with no additional fees. Most importantly, as Wanderu is an official partner of all leading bus and train companies, we always have the best bus and train deals out there.

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