Old May 3, 2013, 1:32 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: cptlflyer
Short term parking:
ParkSFO
Pros:
  • Fast and regular shuttles
  • 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
Cons:
  • Often full or forced to valet at higher rate
  • Somewhat expensive now
  • Reservations required or risk likely being turned away at entry


QuikPark
Pros:
  • Online reservations
  • Relatively cheap
Cons:
  • 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.
Cons:
  • 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.


Anza
Pros:
  • With Burlingame Airport Parking, the only parking South of airport (Other than BART)
  • Shuttle frequency is good
  • 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.)
Cons:
  • 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!
  • 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 if you're only there for the free days (paid if you're there on weekdays and then stay over a weekend)
  • Online reservations for weekday parking
  • BART schedule is known well in advance
  • Pretty much guaranteed a parking spot
Cons:
  • 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
Cons:
  • 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
Print Wikipost

SFO Parking

Old Dec 10, 2018, 1:48 am
  #271  
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In 2018 I have rotated between ParkSFO and Anza. ParkSFO is great if your stay is 2-8 days and you can use a coupon (see wiki). It is often near full if you arrive late morning on a peak travel day but we prefer to valet so it's no big deal for us and the free day coupons still apply. Anza is better if you are traveling during peak holiday periods as we've never been turned away and you get free valet. Anza is also more convenient if you are approaching from the South (i.e. San Mateo) - you might save a little time if you are pressed.

Fridays are busy but you should be fine on December 14 at ParkSFO.
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Old Dec 10, 2018, 7:55 am
  #272  
brp
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We use ParkSFO fairly frequencly (even though we do come from the South and Anza is likely more convenient ). Our most recent trip put us there on Thanksgiving Thursday evening for a redeye. Expecting the worst, it was certainly crowded and "near full" as Boraxo suggests. But we did find a space. It's been a while since we had to do the "forced" valet. ANd, no, the outside lot construction is still not done

We will be arriving there on Friday (14th) later in the evening for a redeye again. Leave us a spot

Cheers.
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Old Dec 10, 2018, 8:51 am
  #273  
 
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Thanks for the info. The only reason I am shying away from having to do valet is because I am going straight to Tahoe when I get back on the 22nd for Christmas and I'll have a lot of stuff in the car. Nothing valuable or conspicuous per se (all the actual gifts are already going to be up there) but like some of my ski clothes, box of paperwork & home/kitchen goods. It'll be 9 days so I think I can get the 3 day free coupon.

I used ParkSFO a few years ago but for the last say 3-4 years it's always been Anza for 4+ days and the hourly domestic garage for anything less.
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Old Dec 10, 2018, 9:05 am
  #274  
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I would not rely solely on the wiki above. Info is sometimes out of date (or erroneous at the time of posting). (I just now found and corrected some errors on ParkSFO.)
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Old Dec 14, 2018, 11:14 am
  #275  
 
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PNF going to valet-only in 2019

Just got off the phone with a Park n Fly rep. After Jan 1, 2019, PNF at SFO is going to only offer valet parking. No more self-park. I have a bunch of Costco vouchers and they state that they are only good for self-park. However, the phone rep said they would have to accept them for valet if that is all they offer. Hopefully that holds true.

I called about this after trying to make a reservation online for over the holidays (starting in Dec, ending in Jan) and the website only offered valet. I was able to make a reservation ending Dec 31 for self-park, using Costco vouchers for each day. Since I won't actually leave the lot until a few days later in Jan, I'll pay the extra days upon exit, also with vouchers.
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Old Dec 14, 2018, 1:37 pm
  #276  
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Originally Posted by mangoMan
Just got off the phone with a Park n Fly rep. After Jan 1, 2019, PNF at SFO is going to only offer valet parking. No more self-park. I have a bunch of Costco vouchers and they state that they are only good for self-park. However, the phone rep said they would have to accept them for valet if that is all they offer. Hopefully that holds true.

I called about this after trying to make a reservation online for over the holidays (starting in Dec, ending in Jan) and the website only offered valet. I was able to make a reservation ending Dec 31 for self-park, using Costco vouchers for each day. Since I won't actually leave the lot until a few days later in Jan, I'll pay the extra days upon exit, also with vouchers.
Do you know if they're keeping both lots? Or both lots (for storing cars) but only the "new" lot valet entrance? I was on the verge of buying a few Costco voucher packets for an upcoming trip, but just found a hotel that came in at just about the same price for 14 days' parking.
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Old Dec 14, 2018, 3:26 pm
  #277  
 
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
Do you know if they're keeping both lots? Or both lots (for storing cars) but only the "new" lot valet entrance? I was on the verge of buying a few Costco voucher packets for an upcoming trip, but just found a hotel that came in at just about the same price for 14 days' parking.
Nope, don't know what the situation will be with the lots. Can you share what hotel you found? I need 13 days for my trip and the only hotel deals I saw were for 10 days or less, such that after paying for the extra days it was considerably more than paying with Costco vouchers.
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Old Jan 7, 2019, 10:23 am
  #278  
 
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I used the Costco coupons for valet Jan 2nd to the 5th. No problems or extra $.
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Old Jan 7, 2019, 10:50 am
  #279  
 
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I ended up booking my 13 day parking reservation at PnF using the Costco vouchers. I had made a reservation up until Dec 31 online using the vouchers, and called in to have them add a second reservation extending it to Jan 4. When we arrived, the self-park lot was full, so ended up in valet. No issues, and service was very friendly. I asked the attendant when leaving about them switching to valet-only and she didn't seem to know anything about it, so maybe I got bad info from rep on phone earlier. I haven't tried making any new reservations yet.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 11:12 pm
  #280  
 
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DW is going to SFO for her Global Entry interview next week, and it suddenly occured to us to use a Costco voucher for Park n Fly, valet parking not to forget. The pressure is off!
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 12:41 am
  #281  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
DW is going to SFO for her Global Entry interview next week, and it suddenly occured to us to use a Costco voucher for Park n Fly, valet parking not to forget. The pressure is off!
If you have an AMEX card check for a $15 off $75 or similar offer for Park n Fly (expires 4/9)
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 3:24 am
  #282  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
DW is going to SFO for her Global Entry interview next week, and it suddenly occured to us to use a Costco voucher for Park n Fly, valet parking not to forget. The pressure is off!
Seriously?

Just park your car at International Garage G. Just $8/hr.

I don't really think the GE interview can take that long.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:42 am
  #283  
 
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Originally Posted by garykung
Seriously?

Just park your car at International Garage G. Just $8/hr.

I don't really think the GE interview can take that long.
Haha, I’m afraid so. I have been at G before. It took me an hour just to find it, park and get out of the garage.

And driving from far away, I have no interest in waiting around in the cellphone lot until ready for entrance.

BART naturally is an option. But you’re at the mercy of someone else, and a one way ticket is more than $2.50.

Plus on top of it I have to carefully match walking to the enrollment center with the time of the appointment.

And who knows if they’re running late. A big machinery subject to all kinds of stuff such as a federal shutdown.

Not to forget returning to the car and being at the exit before the hour is up. No, that’s not going to work.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:49 am
  #284  
 
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
Haha, I’m afraid so. I have been at G before. It took me an hour just to find it, park and get out of the garage.

And driving from far away, I have no interest in waiting around in the cellphone lot until ready for entrance.

BART naturally is an option. But you’re at the mercy of someone else, and a one way ticket is more than $2.50.

Plus on top of it I have to carefully match walking to the enrollment center with the time of the appointment.

And who knows if they’re running late. A big machinery subject to all kinds of stuff such as a federal shutdown.

Not to forget returning to the car and being at the exit before the hour is up. No, that’s not going to work.
It shouldn't take more than an hour, and the office is right at the parking garage entrance. It's really easy for the interview and getting to it. I had no problems parking on the garage and finding the little office for my interview.
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Old Apr 21, 2019, 4:56 pm
  #285  
 
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Well here's something I never thought I'd see - SFO is *reducing* the price of parking, although only for long-term.

From https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...g-13781804.php :

Believe it or not, San Francisco International Airport is celebrating the opening of its new, $154 million long-term parking garage by lowering its rates.

Starting May 1, the day rate at the six-story garage will drop to $18 a day, $7 less than the current $25 daily rate.
Will be interesting to see how the other lots respond. $18 makes it cheaper than ParkSFO by the time you add in tax (but before their coupons), so you've got to presume they will have to reduce priced to stay competitive, especially given their own expansion. Similar for Park 'n' Fly and several others.
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