okay so i just landed at sfo literally an hour ago and im already feeling like i need to share some thoughts on this airport because honestly its a bit of a beast but not in a totally bad way, you know? like you get off the plane and its like boom, san francisco, but then you have to figure out where the heck your going and its not always super intuitive especially if your tired and just want to get to your hotel or whatever, but its manageable.
basically sfo has four main terminals, but its kinda more like a few conjoined buildings that are split up, and you have terminal 1, 2, and 3 which are mostly for domestic flights, and then you have the international terminal which is pretty self-explanatory, and all of these are connected by something called the airtrain which is super important to remember because its your best friend here, its like a little monorail system that just loops around the whole airport and takes you everywhere you need to go without having to deal with traffic or anything like that, and its free which is awesome because alot of airports charge for everything these days, its like you need to take a shuttle to the rental car center and thats a whole separate thing but the airtrain gets you to that too, so its pretty comprehensive.
Navigating the maze
so your first step after getting off your plane and collecting your bags if you have them is honestly just to look for signs for the airtrain because thats what will get you oriented and moving around, and you dont want to be trying to walk everywhere because some of these distances are just not happening, and the airtrain has two lines, the red line and the blue line, and the red line just goes around the terminals and garages and the blue line goes to the rental car center and the bart station which is how you get into the city if your not taking an uber or a taxi, and its pretty clearly marked which is a relief, you just follow the signs to the airtrain and hop on and it tells you where its going at each stop, and you can get off at any terminal you need to or even the international terminal if your connecting to another flight there, and its definately the most efficient way to get around the airport property without getting lost or stressed out.
The long trek between gates
now this is where it gets a little tricky because sometimes you can walk between terminals post-security and sometimes you cant, and its super important to know this especially if you have a tight connection and dont want to miss your next flight, but luckily sfo has made some improvements over the years.
- terminal 1 (t1) to terminal 2 (t2) to terminal 3 (t3): honestly, these three are generally connected airside, meaning after security, so you can often walk between them without having to re-clear security, its a bit of a walk, especially from t1 to t3, but it is doable if you have the time and energy, and you just follow the signs for connecting flights or other terminals and you will find the walkways, its pretty straight forward but its not a short stroll by any means, more like a decent hike.
- international terminal (it) to domestic terminals (t1, t2, t3): this is where it gets a bit more complex, because while some parts of the international terminal are connected airside to t3, specifically boarding area g, if your coming from other parts of the international terminal or going to t1 or t2, your generally going to need to take the airtrain, and this means you will have to exit security, take the airtrain, and then go back through security at your next terminal, which is a massive pain and can take alot of time, so if your connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, give yourself ample time, like at least 3 hours or your going to be stressed out of your mind.
- between domestic terminals and other parts of international terminal (not g): if your trying to get from t1 or t2 to say, boarding area a of the international terminal, your almost definately going to need the airtrain and re-clear security, its just too far and not connected in a way that makes sense for walking without going through all the hassle.
so basically, always check your gate and terminal numbers and then look at a map or ask someone because its better to be safe than sorry, and always account for security lines especially if your forced to re-clear, its just not worth the stress to cut it close, but overall, sfo is a pretty decent airport once you get the hang of its layout and remember that the airtrain is your best friend for getting around the entire complex, its literally a lifesaver for making connections or just getting to your car or bart into the city, hope this helps someone not feel as lost as i did for a hot minute!