May 3, 2013, 1:32 pm
Last edit by: RichardInSF
Short term parking:
ParkSFO
Pros:
QuikPark
Pros:
Burlingame Airport Parking (ParkBAP)
Pros:
Anza
Pros:
BART
Pros:
SFO Long Term Parking and Lot D
** The shuttle buses look exactly the same! One says 'Lot D', the other says 'Long Term Parking' (likely no longer a concern? see below re: AirTrain)
SFO Long Term Parking
Pros:
Cons:
SFO Long Term Parking Lot D
Pros:
ParkSFO
Pros:
- Generally highest rated by FTers
- Fast and regular shuttles
- Quick & easy access from 101 freeway
- Register for emails to receive monthly coupons
- Coupons for 1 free with 3+ days, 2 free with 5+ days, 3 free with 7+ days, and 4 free with 9+ days parked in a single stay.
- Coupons are blacked out during Thanksgiving, Xmas, and other peak periods
- www.parksfo.com/coupons/
- June 2013 Coupon
- Often full or forced to valet at higher rate
- More expensive than other off-airport options, especially if no coupon
- Reservations required or risk likely being turned away at entry
- Price listed online does not include tax and fees (which is around 16%)
QuikPark
Pros:
- Online reservations
- Relatively cheap
- must prebook online for best rate and bring printout to give to attendant
- Slow shuttles
- Even with a reservation, sometimes fill up and hard to find a spot
(note: if you book on-line and the lot is full, they will find you a space-you will be stopped at the gate but all you have to do is show them your pre-paid receipt)
Burlingame Airport Parking (ParkBAP)
Pros:
- Consistently one of the cheapest, especially for weekly rates.
- Generally do not have to prebook to get the best rate.
- 3 shuttles an hour only, and a bit slower than average due to distance. Try to arrive at or before :00, :20, or :40 to allow a few minutes wait.
- September 2013: For pickups late, I feel the turnaround times are more consistent with 2x per hour for the shuttle. No posted change, however.
- Poor ratings (see yelp)
Anza
Pros:
- With Burlingame Airport Parking, the only parking South of airport (Other than BART)
- Easy access dropoff, not so easy to get back on freeway (S-101)
- Valet is free (no extra charge) when they are near capacity
- Frequent parker program: Each 30 paid days yields a 5-consecutive-day park for free. Check in on facebook and receive credit for 1/2 paid day as well. (Note: This program has changed. It is now tied into the Fivestars card rather than a paper punch card.)
- When partially full, they require you use their free valet service, and this requirement varies from hour to hour. Be sure to have nothing valuable in your car!
- Poor shuttle service for SFO arrivals at busy weekend/holidays (30-45min wait)
- Need a printed coupon from their website to get the best rate
BART
Pros:
- Free over the weekend (except the cost of using BART to the airport) and holidays, even as part of a longer stay
- Online reservations for weekday parking
- BART schedule is known well in advance
- Pretty much guaranteed a parking spot
- Hard to use if you're trying to park or pick up when BART is closed for the night
- Possibility of getting a ticket if you overstay your reservation
- Can wait up to 20 minutes for BART in off-peak hours, or have to go to San Bruno and back to Millbrae during peak hours (or take a taxi for about $12)
SFO Long Term Parking and Lot D
** The shuttle buses look exactly the same! One says 'Lot D', the other says 'Long Term Parking' (likely no longer a concern? see below re: AirTrain)
SFO Long Term Parking
Pros:
Regular shuttles (not the fastest, not the slowest)- AirTrain blue line now goes to Long Term Parking (no more bus shuttles) but makes quite a number of stops before reaching the domestic terminals
- Sometimes if the normal area and Lot D fill up, you'll get a voucher to use the short-term parking at long-term rates
- Covered Parking in the garage - it gets full at peak times
Cons:
- Expensive
- However, current promo is $12/day for 3 days prepaid online (and the rate decreases for additional days)
SFO Long Term Parking Lot D
Pros:
- Sometimes if the Long Term Parking area and Lot D fill up, you'll get a voucher to use the short-term parking at long-term rates
- Expensive
Tips for Long Term Parking and Lot D- Park near Stop 5 in Long Term Parking and you are the first off the bus and out of the parking lot!
- Although the signs will indicate that a floor is full, I am often able to find a spot on these floors.
- Airtrain station is on level 5 of the garage
Month or longer parking:
Someone who's done this please add experiences - I (rob_flies_ua) would just pay for a shuttle or car service at this point. unavaca recommends taking Uber in this case.
AirportParkingReservations.com coupon:
$5 off: FBFRIENDS415
EXPIRES 12/31/16 @ 11:59 PM PST Coupon Valid Online Only
SFO Parking
May 15, 2013 | 10:54 pm
#151
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
BART ain't gonna cut it for that, and I cant leave the car at home cause of street cleaning. I love living in the city, but crap like this make me wish Zip car had one way rentals.
May 16, 2013 | 12:13 am
#152
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
Taxi from Millbrae BART will run you about $10-15 which still could leave it cheaper than other options. Technically to park there you need to take BART both ways, but I can't see how they would enforce that even if they wanted to.
May 27, 2013 | 2:22 pm
#154
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,685
BART Parking - How soon do they ticket for overstay?
My flight gets back to SFO around 1am, considering BART Millbrae parking w/ taxi at arrival. How stringent are BART in terms of ticketing on the calendar day, i.e., do I have to pay for the extra 1-2 hours by paying for an extra day?
Yeah, cheap, I know, just wondering if anyone has experience with flight delays, etc. and getting tickets.
Thanks,
Doc
Yeah, cheap, I know, just wondering if anyone has experience with flight delays, etc. and getting tickets.
Thanks,
Doc
May 27, 2013 | 4:20 pm
#155
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
If you're using their Airport Parking and your flight is delayed then you can extend the reservation online (basically you just book a new reservation that starts the day after your previous one ends - no need to put the new ticket on the windscreen) - but obviously you'll need to do it before your flight leaves unless you're on a flight with wifi.
If you're not using airport parking then if you're there beyond 4am you run the risk of a ticket.
Jun 2, 2013 | 6:39 pm
#157
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 124
Taxi from Millbrae BART will run you about $10-15 which still could leave it cheaper than other options. Technically to park there you need to take BART both ways, but I can't see how they would enforce that even if they wanted to.
Can someone who has done this, that early on a weekend before BART starts to operate, comment on whether you were you able to get a taxi easily or did you have to call for one?
Jun 2, 2013 | 9:40 pm
#158
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Sacramento area, CA USA
Programs: UA Gold Million Miler, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,858
Criedit cards with a chip no good in BART or Caltrain machines
Big shock for us when we took Caltrain and BART to SFO: our nice new credit cards to use in Europe (with the chip) were not accepted by either body's machines. Both credit card companies denied that it was true and claimed that their computers did not even show the attempt! But I promise you neither of our Visa cards worked. We had no other with us so had to use cash.
I would not count on a taxi anywhere. My son in Redwood City assured me that taxies were all over the Caltrain station for every train. Well, not when we got in. It was no big deal for us but if you have a flight to catch I would make a reservation with a cab company.
I would not count on a taxi anywhere. My son in Redwood City assured me that taxies were all over the Caltrain station for every train. Well, not when we got in. It was no big deal for us but if you have a flight to catch I would make a reservation with a cab company.
Jun 3, 2013 | 12:40 am
#159
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
This makes no sense. The Mag stripe on the card is exactly the same regardless of whether it's a chip-n-pin or not. Have you used the card elsewhere? Are you sure it's not just a defective card?
Jun 3, 2013 | 12:55 am
#160
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Sacramento area, CA USA
Programs: UA Gold Million Miler, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,858
Not a defective card. Used it all over Europe in machines and home at Safeway, etc. No problem. Diagnostic from Caltrain and BART was that the machine would not accept this type of card.
Jun 3, 2013 | 3:55 pm
#161
Join Date: May 2013
Location: In motion
Programs: SPG LifeTerm Platinum; Hyatt DiamondForever; HHonors Perpetual (but Questioning) Diamond
Posts: 19
This is a "just the facts" post: there's a protest at Park N Fly. It's related to worker treatment. I have no opinions. I left my car there six weeks ago. There was quite a crowd of protestors when I returned. They shouted, and banged on the shuttle and implored me not to return.
I post this only because, if you're sensitive, you may wish to consider this in advance, rather than be surprised when you have a plane to catch. http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-bruno-...-fly-5-24-2013
I post this only because, if you're sensitive, you may wish to consider this in advance, rather than be surprised when you have a plane to catch. http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-bruno-...-fly-5-24-2013
Jun 9, 2013 | 7:23 pm
#162
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
YMMV - but for me - not worth it. If I can just hop on BART, ok, win. But to park at BART - hope for a taxi, etc, etc.. The hassle is just not worth it. ParkSFO for the win.
Jun 10, 2013 | 1:38 am
#163
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 18,103
SFO Parking
ParkSFO outdoor lot was full Friday at 9am and just barely made valet cutoff. Shuttle pickup was instantaneous in both directions but this may be the last time we use this location for a weekend trip. Not worth the hassle of an upcharge and waiting for valet.
Jul 21, 2013 | 8:20 pm
#164
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
No Parking at SFO
07-19-2013 - 18:00 PST
ParkSFO Completely Full. Turned away, unless I was a member.
SFO long term, completely full.
Ended up parking at Lot D.
Pro Tip, park in the Back of lot D. Tons of empty spaces, right by the shuttle stop. http://goo.gl/maps/KfYJz
ParkSFO Completely Full. Turned away, unless I was a member.
SFO long term, completely full.
Ended up parking at Lot D.
Pro Tip, park in the Back of lot D. Tons of empty spaces, right by the shuttle stop. http://goo.gl/maps/KfYJz
Sep 27, 2013 | 5:52 pm
#165
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,160
Bart parking advice
Has anybody parked on a weekend totally without arranging for a permit? For instance Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, or Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. >24 hrs, but totally outside of the normal enforcement times.