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Taking the Air Train

The automated people-mover called the Air Train was installed at SFO in 2003. It's located at the upper levels of each terminal and accessible by elevator or stairs. Follow the signs to get to it.

The Air Train is a free service (well, not exactly; it's funded via rental car fees) and operates 24 hours a day. It runs outside the secure area, so if you use it to go from one terminal to another, you'll have to go through security again to get back into the next terminal.

There are two lines: the Red Line circles around through the terminals and short-term parking garages, and the Blue Line does the same route plus extends out to the Rental Car Center and Long Term Parking.

The Rental Car Center is the second to last stop.

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Booking a rental car for San Francisco

Most people flying into San Francisco will pick up their rental cars at the airport, unless they are staying in SF for a few days and only need a car for a day trip out of town, like a visit to the Napa Valley.

The following advice is for people picking up their cars at the airport.

You can rent a car at SFO without a reservation, but I recommend booking it in advance just to be sure you have a car you want waiting for you.

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Which car rental agency to choose?

There are a lot of car rental agencies available at the San Francisco airport. I generally use one of the websites that lists all of the rental agencies and the cars available for the dates I want, and check the reviews and prices.

You can check available cars and book them through Booking.com or Discover Cars .

Here are the rental agencies that have offices at SFO:

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, National, Thrifty are located in the airport.

Fox and Europcar are close to the airport and have a free shuttle.

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What hours are they open?

The rental agencies vary in how available they are during the night. All of them open early in the morning and are open late, at least until 11 pm.

Open 24 hours for pick up and return: Avis, Budget, Hertz

Open 24 hours for returns: Dollar, Sixt, and Thrifty
And early am (6 or 6:30) to late (11:00, 12:00 or 12:30) for pick ups.

All the others: open at 6 or 6:30 am until 11:00 pm, midnight, or 12:30 am.

Check them individually. Subject to change.

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Are there any cheap SFO car rental options?

Sometimes there are good deals here and there with all the rental agencies, so doing the comparison searches is useful. 

Fox and Europcar tend to have lower rates generally, but check.

I just rented a car from Europcar because they had the best rate, and I had a good experience.

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SFO Fox and Europcar car rental

The rental offices and rental cars for Fox and Europcar are located at 435 South Airport Blvd. in South San Francisco, near the airport. Fox handles the rentals for both Fox and Europcar.

Getting to the Fox and Europcar rental office

I didn't realize when I booked it that their cars aren't on site at the airport, but there's a free shuttle from the airport.  It's a short ride, maybe 5 minutes. The shuttles run every 10 minutes or so.

Again, there were no signs at the Rental Car Center for Fox and Europcar. A moment of panic! Then one of the employees there told me about the shuttle. It leaves from outside, on the south side of the building. So head downstairs and out the door, and go left and you'll see the shuttle stop.

A minor inconvenience if you're not in a big hurry, worth it if the price is right. 

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The Fox and Europcar pick up and drop off.

The pick up. Picking up the car was easy. There was a line, but it was Friday afternoon, not surprising. The staff for both Fox and Europcar (same people handle both agencies) were friendly and efficient, so the process was pretty painless.

Got a brand new car, small sedan, handled well, comfortable seats. 

The drop off. That was quick and easy as well. Drive up and park, leave the keys on the dash, and there's an attendant who does a quick check of the condition and gas tank level.

I prepaid for a half tank so I wouldn't have to stop for gas before returning it. I also opted for paying for a bridge toll pass, since I was heading up to Napa and would be crossing two bridges.

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SFO car rental return

Procedure for all rental car agencies (other than Fox and Europcar): if you are returning your rental car at the airport, coming into the airport follow the signs to Rental Car Return.

You will see the different sections for each of the rental agencies in the drop off area. Follow their instructions for doing the return (usually leaving the keys on the dashboard and often interacting with one of their agents in the parking lot).

See above for return hours.

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General tips for renting a car in SF

These are some things to consider that may or may not apply to every rental agency.

1. Check for deals in lists of available cars that includes all the rental agencies (via booking.com, discovercars.com, or kayak.com).
2. If you plan to go over one of the Bay Area bridges, you can pay for a pass when you're picking up the car that will pay your bridge tolls for you.
3. I would get the collision waiver so that you're not responsible for damages in the event of an accident. But read the fine print.
4. Often they will give you the option when you are picking up the car of prepaying for refilling the tank upon return. More convenient than stopping for gas somewhere before you return it, and a lot cheaper usually than just returning it without filling it.
5. Very important! Try to avoid leaving anything valuable (or even visible) in your car when you are parking it in the city. If you can leave your luggage in the hotel or at a luggage storage facility, do so. Car break-ins are down this year, but still way too high. See my article on crime and car break-ins in San Francisco (the worst areas).

More info for visitors...

• Best areas to stay in San Francisco
• Top SF attractions
• Ideas for things to do in SF
• Best times to visit San Francisco
• How to visit SF on a budget

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