Muni covers most of San Francisco through a network of buses, the Metro light rail lines (J, K, L, M, N, T), and the historic F-Market streetcar that runs along Market Street and the Embarcadero. For visitors staying downtown or in neighborhoods like the Castro, Mission, or Inner Sunset, Muni handles most trips without needing a car.
BART is a separate regional rail system that runs underground through downtown San Francisco at Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Civic Center, and 16th Street Mission stations. BART is the fastest way to reach SFO, Oakland, and Berkeley, but it does not serve most San Francisco neighborhoods beyond those five downtown stops.
The Clipper card works across both systems and saves you from buying paper tickets at machines. Load it at any BART station, at Walgreens, or online at clippercard.com. If you plan to use transit more than twice a day, a Muni Day Pass at $13 pays for itself quickly, since each individual Muni ride costs $3.00.
The SFMTA MuniMobile app lets you buy Muni passes on your phone without a physical card. Google Maps and Apple Maps both give accurate Muni and BART directions, including real-time departure data.
