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
Mar 28, 2023 | 1:17 pm
#421
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 6,242
we have been consistently happy with ParkSFO - it’s a bit more of a pain to get to shuttle at garage since you have to go down elevator, but busses are much more frequent (IME) and never have to call at SFO - they are consistently there every 5’ish minutes from our experience. We also are fine with SFO long-term, who we used when they had the great deals of the pandemic (I think it was half a day free for each paid day in like late 2020 or early ‘21) - but since they got rid of that they continued to raise regular prices and just not worth the premium over ParkSFO after that.
How's the total travel time between ParkSFO and the terminals compare with LTP? I'm getting really tired of the long AirTrain ride.
Mar 28, 2023 | 4:20 pm
#422
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
I am going to say that the AirTrain is faster.... but I bet its close. We should all have a race some time. San Bruno Bart, LTP, ParkSFO and see who can make it to Terminal 2 the fastest.
Mar 28, 2023 | 4:29 pm
#423
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: AA, United, R34 ftw
Posts: 2,064
I like the idea of a race--sounds fun.
Last edited by SamirD; Mar 28, 2023 at 4:30 pm Reason: rubbin' is racin' lol
Mar 28, 2023 | 5:04 pm
#424
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 6,242
Although factoring in average wait time, AirTrain (with much greater frequency) from LTP probably has the edge.
Mar 28, 2023 | 6:47 pm
#425
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 2,139
Its not just how fast the bus/train is, but how far you have to walk, how long you have to wait for the next train, etc….
I think the Air train is every 5 min, the other 2 cant touch that.
Mar 28, 2023 | 8:11 pm
#426
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
If it's 1pm, I'll take Millbrae BART over either any day - at least if headed to Intl G or T3 like I normally am. Driving into the car park at 1pm will have you walking into the Intl terminal at 1:13pm on a weekday or 1:18pm on a weekend.
On a weekday through the day, BART is almost always going to beat the long-term parking train. BART runs every 15 minutes and takes 4 minutes, so it's basically a worst case 19 minute trip (best case 4 minutes) from walking onto the platform. If the Airtrain is 5 minutes as stated, then it needs to be no more than a 14 minute trip to best that as a worst case, and even less to win on average. I've never timed it, but it seems to me it would be at least that long.
Coming from the south (as I am) you also save a few minutes driving time - although obviously from the north that's the opposite.
The catch with BART is that service outside of peak hours is far less frequent, and overnight non-existent. You do also run a bit of a risk from a service disruption perspective (eg, I flew in a day or two after the last big wind storm and they were still recovering. The SFO-Millbrae train I was planning to catch was cancelled which would have meant a 15 minute wait - although in the end I was able to go via San Bruno and it only added a few minutes to the trip). There was a time when Uber was only about $10-15 from the airport to Millbrae as a backup, but recently it seems to be closer to $30.
But if the timings work, it's hard to best it from a cost/timing perspective. Less than $40 for a weeks parking including round-trip travel (for one person) beats anything else hands-down!
Apr 20, 2023 | 7:40 pm
#427
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,963
1am or 1pm?
If it's 1pm, I'll take Millbrae BART over either any day - at least if headed to Intl G or T3 like I normally am. Driving into the car park at 1pm will have you walking into the Intl terminal at 1:13pm on a weekday or 1:18pm on a weekend.
On a weekday through the day, BART is almost always going to beat the long-term parking train. BART runs every 15 minutes and takes 4 minutes, so it's basically a worst case 19 minute trip (best case 4 minutes) from walking onto the platform. If the Airtrain is 5 minutes as stated, then it needs to be no more than a 14 minute trip to best that as a worst case, and even less to win on average. I've never timed it, but it seems to me it would be at least that long.
Coming from the south (as I am) you also save a few minutes driving time - although obviously from the north that's the opposite.
The catch with BART is that service outside of peak hours is far less frequent, and overnight non-existent. You do also run a bit of a risk from a service disruption perspective (eg, I flew in a day or two after the last big wind storm and they were still recovering. The SFO-Millbrae train I was planning to catch was cancelled which would have meant a 15 minute wait - although in the end I was able to go via San Bruno and it only added a few minutes to the trip). There was a time when Uber was only about $10-15 from the airport to Millbrae as a backup, but recently it seems to be closer to $30.
But if the timings work, it's hard to best it from a cost/timing perspective. Less than $40 for a weeks parking including round-trip travel (for one person) beats anything else hands-down!
If it's 1pm, I'll take Millbrae BART over either any day - at least if headed to Intl G or T3 like I normally am. Driving into the car park at 1pm will have you walking into the Intl terminal at 1:13pm on a weekday or 1:18pm on a weekend.
On a weekday through the day, BART is almost always going to beat the long-term parking train. BART runs every 15 minutes and takes 4 minutes, so it's basically a worst case 19 minute trip (best case 4 minutes) from walking onto the platform. If the Airtrain is 5 minutes as stated, then it needs to be no more than a 14 minute trip to best that as a worst case, and even less to win on average. I've never timed it, but it seems to me it would be at least that long.
Coming from the south (as I am) you also save a few minutes driving time - although obviously from the north that's the opposite.
The catch with BART is that service outside of peak hours is far less frequent, and overnight non-existent. You do also run a bit of a risk from a service disruption perspective (eg, I flew in a day or two after the last big wind storm and they were still recovering. The SFO-Millbrae train I was planning to catch was cancelled which would have meant a 15 minute wait - although in the end I was able to go via San Bruno and it only added a few minutes to the trip). There was a time when Uber was only about $10-15 from the airport to Millbrae as a backup, but recently it seems to be closer to $30.
But if the timings work, it's hard to best it from a cost/timing perspective. Less than $40 for a weeks parking including round-trip travel (for one person) beats anything else hands-down!
How's San Bruno BART parking?
Apr 21, 2023 | 1:06 am
#428
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: AA, United, R34 ftw
Posts: 2,064
I used to drop the wife on some days at Milbrae when she wasn't taking the car and parking there, and today it's completely different with apartments covering everything. I don't even recognize the place moreless know where the parking is anymore. I'd visit it first if you remember the old layout as it will completely throw you.
Apr 22, 2023 | 2:58 am
#429
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
Is the parking regularly available? I remember years ago the lot was pretty full, although I think they may have demolished that garage and put up another one. If I have a flight to catch, I don't want to drive up and down the rows in a parking lot.
How's San Bruno BART parking?
How's San Bruno BART parking?
I used to drop the wife on some days at Milbrae when she wasn't taking the car and parking there, and today it's completely different with apartments covering everything. I don't even recognize the place moreless know where the parking is anymore. I'd visit it first if you remember the old layout as it will completely throw you.
San Bruno is fine too, but the BART trip itself costs extra. For historic reasons, BART from Millbrae to SFO is "free", plus the airport fee of $4.95. From San Bruno you have to pay the BART fare ($3.60) plus the airport fee for a total of $8.55.
Apr 22, 2023 | 12:35 pm
#430
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: AA, United, R34 ftw
Posts: 2,064
Technically the Millbrae multi-level parking garage is in exactly the same spot as it always was, and is completely unchanged. The difference is that where there was previous open space around it, there are now buildings which does indeed make the whole area look different. It's still a matter of just turning onto Rollins road and then continuing straight until you come to the multi-level entrance on the left.
San Bruno is fine too, but the BART trip itself costs extra. For historic reasons, BART from Millbrae to SFO is "free", plus the airport fee of $4.95. From San Bruno you have to pay the BART fare ($3.60) plus the airport fee for a total of $8.55.
San Bruno is fine too, but the BART trip itself costs extra. For historic reasons, BART from Millbrae to SFO is "free", plus the airport fee of $4.95. From San Bruno you have to pay the BART fare ($3.60) plus the airport fee for a total of $8.55.
Apr 24, 2023 | 9:41 am
#431
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP; UA 1MM & PP; Marriott AMB; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 62,343
Apr 24, 2023 | 12:22 pm
#433
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
Not just $6/day, but $6/week day - weekends are free. The $10/person round-trip for the train negates the benefit slightly for shorter trips, but for anything more than a few days you won't find anything cheaper!