Getting Around San Francisco
Transportation in San Francisco, CA is a breeze, as the city is set up for easy navigation without the use of a vehicle. In fact, traveling around San Francisco via public transportation is advisable, as parking is sparse downtown and travelers will likely spend a great deal of money on parking garages if they choose to drive downtown in their own car. Besides taxi cabs (i.e. Yellow Cab), three primary means of public transportation are available to individuals in San Francisco.
First, MUNI is the official San Francisco transportation system. Second, BART is a subway system that travels through the middle of San Francisco, as well as traveling to many destinations in nearby regions. Third, cable cars are an antiquated means of transportation in San Francisco that mainly serve as tourist attractions, although they do legitimately transport individuals to and from certain high-traffic destinations in San Francisco.
Muni
MUNI bus lines travel through every single neighborhood of San Francisco. Often, travelers will need to transfer from one bus line to another in order to reach their final destination. Transfers are provided to bus riders at the time of their first payment, which are good for travel on any bus line for an hour and a half.
BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) travels primarily underground, allowing travelers to get from one destination to another quickly, without the hassle of city traffic jams. BART is more expensive than MUNI and is used primarily by commuters that travel in and out of the city every day for work. Tourists may also use the BART system to travel through the center of San Francisco, as BART stops at major intersections along Market Street, which is the main drag in San Francisco.
Cable Cars
Cable cars are run primarily to and from popular tourist destinations such as Pier 39 and Powell Street. These historical relics are fully functioning, running on powered cables that travel up and down steep San Francisco hills. The views afforded by cable cars are stellar and tourists should ride at least once to get an unforgettably 'San Francisco' experience.