Popular Airport | Machu Picchu Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 9 hour 30 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 4772 Miles |
Located 21 km from the city center, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a major transit center for passengers, particularly those traveling from Asia. San Francisco International is the second busiest airport in California, following Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Every year SFO handles a significant number of both domestic and international flights. There are a variety of transportation alternatives passengers can utilize to get to and from the airport.
San Francisco International Airport stands out for the comfortable and exceptional services it offers. The airport features services aimed at meeting your every need, from comfortable passenger lounges, to restaurants that offer a wide variety of cuisines and a vibrant array of stores where you can go shopping.
San Francisco International Airport is accessible by taxi, bus, train, rental car, and personal car as the airport contains parking lots that offer short-term and long-term parking options.
There are two rail systems that you can use to get to San Francisco International Airport from the city center. The first is the rapid-rail system, the BART. The BART starts running in the early hours of the morning, providing easy and fast transportation between SFO and the northern and southern parts of the city.
The other rail system that you can use to get to SFO is the CalTrain. This train departs on the hour, every hour, every day of the week, until 10 pm. This train provides transportation between San Francisco and San Jose and SFO.
One of the most convenient and fastest transportation alternatives to get to SFO from the city center is by taxi. Taxi fares are calculated based on the kilometers traveled. A taxi from downtown San Francisco can cost between 42 and 62 dollars and takes about 20 minutes. For more information on taxi companies and their contact information please visit San Francisco International Airport’s website.
SamTrans buses provide transportation between the San Francisco city center and the airport. These public buses are operated by San Mateo County and run between San Mateo, various parts of San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport. SamTrans lines KX, 292, 397, and 398 run directly to the airport terminals. Buses stop at the arrivals and baggage claim level of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 and at Level 1 of the International Terminal.
Renting a car is another transportation alternative to get to the airport. There are many rental car companies located in the city. You can drop off your rental vehicle at the Rental Car Center before your departure. From the Rental Car Center the AirTrain Blue Line provides access to the airport terminals and it operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Rental car companies that you can choose from include Alamo, Dollar, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, National, Budget, Fox and Thrifty.
San Francisco International Airport contains bike assembly stations and parking areas for those who want to access the airport by bike. The BART and SamTrans rapid rail systems provide passengers with bike/transit options and the airport features marked bicycle routes. Bike lovers can easily access the airport by bicycle.
San Francisco International Airport is located 21 km from the city center. The airport covers an expansive area and operates domestic and international flights out of 4 terminals, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and the International Terminal. The AirTrain automated system provides free transportation between each terminal, as well as the Rental Car Center and BART station. The AirTrain Red Line links all terminals, terminal garages and the BART Station. The AirTrain Blue Line links the Rental Car Center with all terminals, terminal garages, and the BART Station. SFO also contains a variety of services and amenities to meet passengers’ pre-flight and post-flight needs.
The airport features health services in the terminals, rental car offices, banks, a lost and found, wireless internet, charging stations, clothing stores where you can go shopping, restaurants and cafes, the Aviation Museum & Library, rotating exhibitions, spa services, children’s play areas, free yoga rooms, a market, and much more.
Since Machu Picchu Airport is close to flights, you need to land at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport which is one of the closest airports to the city. This airport is located in the city of Cusco. You can benefit from taxi, car rental or transfer services as well as bus and train for travelling to Machu Picchu from the airport.
It is possible to reach Machu Picchu from Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport by using Peru Rail trains. Firstly, you need to reach the railway station in Cusco where the trains in three different sizes and price tariffs provide this transportation. After arriving at the station, you get on the Machu Picchu train. Since it is not possible to reach Machu Picchu city center by train directly, you can reach Machu Picchu city center by having a short bus travel after getting off the train at the last station. You can reach the city center in about 20 minutes by bus after getting off Aguas Calientes. After arriving at Aguas Calientes, you can reach the city center in about 20 minutes by bus. Travelling to Machu Picchu from Cusco by Peru Rail train lasts about 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Another option is to reach Ollantaytambo from Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport by bus or taxi and then get on the trains directly going to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo. Reaching Ollantaytambo from the airport lasts about one and half an hour and it costs 40 dollars. You can get to Machu Picchu by getting on your train with Inca Rail. The cost of this train travel is approximately 60 dollars for economy class by 2016. The trains of both train companies depart from Ollantaytambo station in the Sacred Valley or Poroy station that is 20 kilometers away from Cusco.
There are many taxis waiting outside the terminal building of Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport. Since the distance between Machu Picchu and the airport is not short, we advise you to share your taxi with other passengers. Travelling to Machu Picchu from the airport by taxi lasts about 1,5-2 hours.
If you don’t want to lose time with the means of public transportation, another transportation option is to rent a car. You can rent a car from Hertz car rental company located at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport terminal. Travelling to Machu Picchu from the airport by renting a car lasts about 1,5-2 hours.