Starwood Preferred Guest - Advice on getting from SFO to W-SF

I will be spending a free friday at the W in San Francisco next month (both the Palace and the St Francis are sold out) and am trying to figure out the easiest and most economical way to get from the airport to the hotel.

Since I will just have a small bag with me, I can easily take public transportation. Does anyone happen to have a simple plan of how to do this.

I have checked the sfo airport website, and am even more confused than when I started.

Any info such as what the nearest subway stop to the hotel is, how to get easily get from the airport to the subway, etc.

All help is greatly appreciated!

[This message has been edited by MarshKing (edited 08-22-2000).]

http://www.quickaid.com/airports/sfo/company/2589.html

To get to BART from the San Francisco International Airport, take the SamTrans #BX Express bus. Board a bus on the center island, on the upper level of the International Terminal, or at the North Terminal. The bus will take you to the Colma BART station, where you can transfer to a BART train. SamTrans bus fare is $1.10 for adults, $0.50 for seniors and disabled, $0.75 for youth, and free for children under 6.

SamTrans BX Express buses depart the airport Monday through Friday approximately every 15 - 30 minutes from 6:11 a.m. to 11:33 p.m., Saturdays from 7:02 a.m. to 9:22 p.m., Sundays and Holidays from 7:16 a.m. to 7:36 p.m.

BART trains depart approximately every 15 minutes from the Colma BART station. There is no direct service from the Colma station to destinations on the Fremont Line or Richmond line during off peak hours. Passengers may transfer to a Fremont or Richmond bound train at any downtown San Francisco station.

check to see if Samtrans still runs the express bus into downtown from SFO. Its been several years since I've taken it, but it went from SFO to downtown, not too far from the hotel, for less than $2, and only made a handful of stops.

http://transitinfo.org/Sched/SM/KX/A/

Other option (and I apologize for not having more specific details, but it has been 4 mnths since my last visit and i forget quickly!)--

Catch the free CalTrain shuttle (same place as the SamTrans bus) and take it to the Milbrae CalTrain station. Take the train into San Francisco, get off at the last stop, the CalTrain depot. From there you will have to take the MUNI underground to the Powell St. station. The W is merely a few blocks away.

A bus called the SFO Airporter leaves from the terminal, in front of the lower level baggage claim area. There are three different routes that the Airporters serve. Buses leave every 20 to 30 minutes from 5 A.M. to midnight, and it will take 25 to 40 minutes for the trip downtown. Tickets ($10 one-way, $18 round-trip, $14 round-trip if return is on the same day) are sold at the desk in the baggage claim area, by the light blue pillar. The SFO Airporter bus stops at major Union Square Hotels such as the Westin St. Francis, Grand Hyatt, Sheraton Plaza, Nikko, Marriott, and the San Francisco Hilton.

Super Shuttle (800-BLUE-VAN) goes to Nob Hill hotels such as the Mark Hopkins, Ritz-Carlton, Mark Twain, Holiday Inn-Financial District, Park Hyatt, Moscone Center, etc. The Wharf Airporter serves the hotels along the waterfront, wharf, and Ghiradelli Square.