Originally Posted by
docbert
Firstly, BART has free parking over the weekends. So for a trip departing Friday (before 3pm) you can pay 1 day parking at BART, and park free until early Monday morning.
Not true.
It is true that BART has free parking during the weekend days. However, the standard daily parking policies apply that you can't park the car overnight. The only way you can park the car overnight at a BART Station is to obtain a Airport/Long Term Parking permit. BART issues parking permits even the parking fee is $0. Without the permit, all cars are subject to tow.
In the example you have mentioned, per BART's parking policies, the parking will be subject to a $28 parking fee as it starts at a "paid" time So there will be no free weekend parking. And the Airport/Long Term Parking is day-based, not time. So the time frame in question lasts 4 days.
Originally Posted by
docbert
For other trips when using the airport parking process, you can save a few dollars by paying the first days parking at the normal day rate ($3), and have your airport parking ($7/day) start on the second day (or if you leave on Friday, start on the following Monday).
Unless you can match up the time perfectly, it sounds like trouble more than saving money.
Originally Posted by
docbert
However even if you are using the Long Term Airport Parking for the whole stay, the rules are still that you are supposed to ride BART - although obviously the enforcement is harder in that case and the issue of the parking machine location isn't relevant.
Unless you parking at a BART station where Samtrans routes to SFO are available, I don't see how you you can avoid taking BART to SFO.