Car Rental at 'San Francisco - Airport'

Airport location, terminals and transportation

San Francisco International Airport is one of the leading airports of the country. Passengers travel through it to Asian countries or back. The airfield is located 21 kilometres from San Francisco. The majority of the flights handled by the airport are the flights to other regions of the country, and only a third of them are international ones. This air terminal was one of the first airports in the United States to be equipped with fully automated baggage handling system. The airfield was founded in 1927. Its original name was Mills Field Airport, but in 1931, it was changed to San Francisco Municipal Airport. The airport started operating large-scale domestic passenger flights after World War II. SFO comprises 4 terminals.

The Red Line of AirTrain, SFO’s fully automated people mover system, connects the passenger terminals of the airport, short-term daily parking garages and the BART Station. The Blue Line of this people-mover system connects the terminals, the car park of the Rental Car Center, the parking garages and the BART Station. Trains depart from the BART Station to northern San Francisco, to the city center and to Pleasanton. Taxis wait for passengers on the arrivals/baggage claim level. Besides, passengers may take advantage of the shuttle minibus services. Public buses run from the airport to San Francisco, San Mateo and other localities. Several bus stops are situated in the territory of the airport.

Rental offices, how to find them, where to return car

The car rental companies are placed in San Francisco International Airport's Rental Car Center. The Consolidated Rental Car Center is within walking distance of the passenger terminal building, in the direction of the long-term parking lot on the north side of the Central International Terminal. In order to get to the Rental Car Center, one should proceed along San Bruno Avenue and turn to McDonnell Road. The offices of the firms are positioned on the 1st and the 4th floors of the Rental Car Center. The firms operate round the clock. The rental cars are returned to the same location where they are collected from.

At San Francisco International Airport, travellers can make use of the services of such companies as Alamo rent a car, Avis rent a car, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National car rental, and Thrifty. Such agencies as Fox and Payless Car Rental also cooperate with the airport, but their offices are stationed outside the airfield. A free shuttle transports the customers of these agencies from the SFO Rental Car Center to their car rental facility.

Long-term and short-term parking, hotels nearby

San Francisco International Airport offers several types of parking facilities, which include long-term parking lots and short-term/hourly parking garages next to the terminals. Valet parking service is provided in the parking lot of the Domestic Terminal. A shuttle runs regularly to the long-term parking lot.

A few hotels are nestled not far from the territory of the airport. These are the Best Western Grosvenor, the La Quinta Inn and the Fairfield Inn & Suites. These hotels are within 1 mile (about 1.5 km) from San Francisco International Airport. The hotels offer a free shuttle service and parking.