Palo Alto Tourism Guide | 

Guide to Bay Area Airports

Welcome! This is an unofficial page by Ardan Michael Blum, a Palo Alto resident since 2015. 

Important: This guide is a planning framework, not a live schedule. Before booking and again before traveling, check the current details with your airline, the airport, Caltrain, BART, VTA, Dumbarton Express, TSA, and live traffic or map services. A route that works on paper may be inconvenient, unavailable, or delayed on the day you travel.

For an airline visit to Palo Alto or Stanford, compare San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San José Mineta International Airport (SJC), and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK). The useful comparison begins with the flight and ends at the address where you are staying. A nonstop arrival at SFO may be easier than a connecting flight to SJC, while a cheaper OAK ticket may leave you with a longer or more expensive ground journey.

Stanford’s visitor guidance places SJC about 20 miles from campus and SFO about 25 miles away, describing SJC as the closest and SFO as offering the widest flight selection. That comparison concerns Stanford’s campus. It does not establish the quickest drive to every Palo Alto hotel, home, or workplace.

For an initial choice:

Compare the return journey too. An airport that works for a weekday afternoon arrival may be awkward for an early Sunday departure. Any travel times below describe the stated segment, not the time from touchdown to your destination: baggage, immigration where applicable, walking, waiting, and the final connection all need allowance.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

BART to Millbrae, Then Caltrain

SFO’s BART station is on the International Terminal’s Departures/Ticketing Level, on the G Gates side. From other terminals, the free AirTrain connects to the Garage G/BART stop. AirTrain is the airport’s internal transport; BART is a separate, paid rail service.

Terminal 3 boarding change: its former AirTrain station is closed during construction. Follow signs to the combined Terminals 2 & 3 AirTrain Station. SFO’s current notice says the new Terminal 3 station is expected to open in 2027.

At BART, follow the departure boards for Millbrae. There, leave BART and transfer to southbound Caltrain for Palo Alto. Use the BART–Caltrain transfer timetable to choose the connection. The agencies coordinate many departures, but that does not guarantee that a train will wait for a delayed connection.

The Caltrain timetable gives roughly 21 to 32 minutes from Millbrae to Palo Alto, depending on the train. This is the Caltrain portion alone. Millbrae generally has four Caltrain departures per peak hour and two per hour at other times, but peak departures are unevenly spaced. Missing one can change the journey considerably.

Late-evening rail warning: BART’s August 2026 service update confirms continuing construction delays through the Millbrae area after 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Late service can use a shuttle train between SFO and Millbrae. Check the BART Trip Planner for the actual night, then confirm the Caltrain connection.

Arrivals and Driving

Most passengers arriving on international flights must complete border inspection and collect checked baggage before leaving the arrivals area. Flights precleared before departure are the main exception. SFO’s international-arrivals instructions explain the process. A scheduled landing time is therefore a poor starting time for a tight ground connection or appointment.

The usual road route toward Palo Alto is US-101 south. Compare travel to the exact address rather than assigning the airport a fixed driving time. For ordinary domestic Lyft and Uber pickups, SFO directs passengers to Level 5 of the Domestic Garage; international-terminal pickups and some vehicle categories use different areas. Check the pickup instructions and the location shown in the app before requesting a car.

Flight-delay notice: as of September 28, 2026, SFO warns that runway construction and increased FAA aircraft separation may delay arrivals. Its current alert gives an expected runway reopening in early October 2026. Check the airline’s flight status before setting a pickup time.

San José Mineta International Airport (SJC)

Route 60 to Santa Clara, Then Caltrain

VTA Route 60 serves both terminals daily. For Palo Alto, board the bus displaying Winchester and get off at Santa Clara Transit Center, then take northbound Caltrain. Although the overall journey heads north, VTA labels this direction of Route 60 “southbound.” The destination sign is the useful guide.

The airport’s transit instructions confirm that Route 60 is free when boarding at SJC. That provision does not make the return journey free: boarding elsewhere normally requires the VTA fare unless a pass, transfer, or other applicable provision covers it. The bus toward Milpitas BART goes the other way and is not the route to the Santa Clara Caltrain connection.

Terminal A boarding change: VTA’s construction notice, posted as of September 28, 2026, places the temporary stop approximately 1,000 feet north of the usual stop, near the Delta ticket counters. Review its location before choosing the bus if an additional walk with luggage would be difficult. No end date is stated in the notice.

Check Route 60 and Caltrain as one itinerary. A bus running late into the evening is useful only if it reaches Santa Clara in time for a northbound train that serves your destination.

Driving and Rental Cars

A common driving route uses Highway 87 to US-101 north. For an app-based car, use SJC’s current pickup instructions. The designated area depends on the terminal and operator.

The Rental Car Center is opposite Terminal B at 1639 Airport Boulevard. Terminal B passengers can walk across at the marked crosswalks; Terminal A and international-arrival passengers can take the airport shuttle. The airport distinguishes 24-hour vehicle returns from company staffing and pickup hours. Confirm arrangements with the rental company if your flight arrives late.

Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)

Despite its name, OAK is a different airport from SFO, on the opposite side of the bay. Check the airport code when comparing tickets or booking ground transportation.

Weekday Option Through Union City

Take the BART airport connector to Coliseum, a ride of about nine minutes. It is paid BART service, not a free airport shuttle; passengers coming from OAK pass through the payment area at Coliseum Platform 3.

At Coliseum, an Orange or Green Line train toward Berryessa/North San José serves Union City. From there, Dumbarton Express DB crosses the bridge to Palo Alto Transit Center and Stanford Oval. DB1 serves Stanford Research Park instead. Choose the bus for the destination, not simply the Stanford name.

Both buses operate Monday through Friday, except holidays, with no weekend service. Their timetables have substantial midday gaps, some approaching or exceeding two hours. Under the schedules checked for this guide, the final westbound departures from Union City are 6:40 p.m. for DB and 6:13 p.m. for DB1. These are bus departure times, not the latest workable flight-arrival times. Consult the DB timetable or DB1 timetable before committing to this route.

Rail Alternative Through Millbrae

A second route uses the airport connector, BART through San Francisco to Millbrae, and southbound Caltrain to Palo Alto. At Coliseum, board a Blue or Green Line train toward San Francisco/Daly City. This route operates seven days while the relevant services are running, and is worth comparing even on weekdays if the Dumbarton Express connection is poor.

This route normally involves at least three changes of vehicle: at Coliseum, at another BART station, and at Millbrae. BART’s current transfer guidance recommends Balboa Park for a same-platform change to an appropriate Red or Yellow Line train toward SFO or Millbrae. Changing at Daly City now requires a platform change. Some journeys require a further change at SFO. Follow the dated trip plan and the train’s destination, particularly during late-evening construction service.

Compare the full itinerary, including transfer waits, rather than adding the short airport-connector ride to a Caltrain journey time. The last useful connection at Millbrae can disappear before every part of the network has stopped operating.

Driving Across or Around the Bay

Driving routes may cross the Dumbarton Bridge on SR-84 or the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge on SR-92. Both collect tolls westbound toward the Peninsula. The regular two-axle toll is $8.50 in 2026, collected electronically; FasTrak’s published schedule introduces different rates by payment method in 2027.

A route around the southern bay using I-880 and SR-237 can avoid bridge tolls if you remain in the general-purpose lanes. It may add distance or time, and the express lanes have separate toll rules. Compare the actual route rather than assuming toll avoidance makes the journey cheaper. OAK’s rideshare page identifies the current pickup area.

Palo Alto Airport (PAO)

Palo Alto Airport is a City-operated general aviation airport serving private aircraft, flight training, and other aviation activity. It has no scheduled passenger airline service. It can be relevant to someone arriving by private aircraft, but an ordinary airline search for this visit should compare SFO, SJC, and OAK.

From the Station to Your Destination

Downtown Palo Alto: Palo Alto station and the adjoining transit center are beside downtown and University Avenue. Check the distance to your actual hotel or address, especially with luggage. A hotel described as being in Palo Alto may still require another ride from the station; ask about any hotel shuttle and its operating hours before relying on it.

California Avenue: check the stopping pattern before boarding Caltrain. Weekday express trains can bypass California Avenue, while regular San Francisco–San José services stop at Palo Alto. The current timetable identifies the appropriate train.

Stanford’s main campus: the Marguerite shuttle is free and open to the public, with no university ID required. Its buses are wheelchair accessible and have bicycle racks, though rack space can fill. Line P links Palo Alto Transit Center to the Oval via Palm Drive on weekdays, with university-holiday and winter-closure exceptions. X and Y serve other campus stops. Choose the route for the building, and check the route schedules for weekend or holiday travel.

Stanford Hospital and the medical center: the Medical Center line connects Palo Alto Transit Center with the medical area on weekdays. Stanford Medicine supplies additional midday and evening trips, including service on university holidays. Check the combined schedule and exact boarding stop; published pickup notes are not fully consistent. The Hospital Direct line circulates within the medical area and does not start at Palo Alto Transit Center. If luggage, timing, or mobility makes these transfers difficult, compare a direct car journey to the entrance on your appointment instructions.

Stanford Research Park and Page Mill Road: the Research Park shuttle is a weekday commute service, with morning and afternoon/evening trips and no midday service. An airport arrival at lunchtime therefore needs a separate plan for the last part of the journey. DB1 is another weekday option from Union City, subject to its own substantial gaps. Check the stop nearest the specific workplace.

Late Arrivals and Early Departures

The useful cutoff is the last complete connection, not the closing time of each system. Allow for the time needed to leave the aircraft, collect luggage, reach the first stop, and change vehicles. For travel after midnight, enter the actual calendar date in the planner.

At SFO, SamTrans Route 397 OWL offers several early-morning trips to Palo Alto after regular rail connections have ended. It is a sparse service, not an immediate replacement for the last train. The current timetable gives about one hour and 40 minutes on the bus from SFO’s International Terminal Courtyard A to Palo Alto Transit Center, before adding the wait or your final connection. Check the route’s current stop-relocation notices too.

If a delay would leave no workable transit connection, decide beforehand whether a taxi, rideshare, or arranged pickup is an acceptable backup. Include that possibility in the cost of an otherwise attractive flight.

Plan the departure journey independently. BART begins later on Sundays, making it unsuitable for some early flights; check the first complete itinerary from your address to the correct terminal, with time for airline check-in and security. The route that brought you to Palo Alto may not work in reverse at the hour you need.

Paying for Transit

Adults can use Clipper or an accepted contactless bank card or mobile wallet on the paid services described here: BART, Caltrain, VTA, SamTrans, and Dumbarton Express. Each fare-paying passenger needs a separate card or device. Use the same physical card or the same device for every tap. A card in your hand and that card in your phone are treated separately, so switching between them can disrupt fare calculation and transfer discounts. See Clipper’s contactless guidance.

For pay-as-you-go trips, tap when entering and leaving BART, and tap on before boarding Caltrain and off at your destination. At Millbrae, ending the BART trip does not start the Caltrain trip: use the appropriate reader for each system. On the bus services, tap when boarding. Paper tickets and passes can have different instructions.

Contactless bank cards charge adult fares. Youth, senior, Clipper Access, and Clipper START discounts require the appropriate program-issued Clipper card. Eligible transfers can receive a discount, but using one payment method does not make every connecting ride free.

For trip costs, use the BART fare calculator, Caltrain fare information, and the relevant bus operator’s fare page. Include the final trip from the station when comparing transit with a car, particularly for a family or group.

Rental Cars, Tolls, and Parking

Ask the rental company how its toll program works and what service fees it adds. Coverage for bridge tolls does not necessarily include express lanes. FasTrak’s rental-vehicle guide explains that a short-term license-plate account can cover bridges but cannot be used in express lanes.

Express lanes also occur on US-101, so this question matters for SFO and SJC drivers as well as those arriving through OAK. Follow lane signs and use the general-purpose lanes if you do not have the required toll arrangements.

Include parking in the cost of keeping a car. Stanford visitor parking generally requires payment or an applicable permit during enforcement hours Palo Alto’s City parking uses time limits, downtown color zones, and residential permit rules. Moving to another space in the same color zone does not necessarily restart the allowance. Check the arrangements at your accommodation and destination before renting for the entire stay.

Families, Luggage, and Accessibility

If a child needs a car seat, arrange one before requesting a ride. California’s child-restraint requirements still matter in a hired vehicle. Bring an appropriate restraint, confirm one with the rental company, or reserve transport that explicitly supplies one. An ordinary rideshare request should not be treated as a car-seat reservation.

Every transfer adds walking and luggage handling. If you depend on elevators, check BART’s elevator status and station-specific alternatives for the intended route. An outage can prevent a particular transfer or exit; ask the station agent about an accessible alternative rather than assuming it only adds a few minutes. Also confirm that the ground vehicle accommodates anyone who must remain in their wheelchair. SFO specifically allows customers using a wheelchair-accessible rideshare vehicle to request domestic-terminal curbside pickup under its published pickup arrangements.

Airline assistance and security-screening support are separate services. The U.S. Department of Transportation explains the airline’s responsibility for wheelchair and guided assistance. Ordinary assistance generally does not require advance notice, although requesting it early and identifying yourself to airline staff can help the arrangements. Particular equipment or services may require advance coordination.

TSA Cares provides support with screening, not a complete curb-to-gate wheelchair service. SJC’s TSA Cares guidance recommends requesting assistance at least 72 hours before departure.

Keep essential medication in your carry-on. Arrange powered mobility equipment, batteries, and any in-flight oxygen needs with the airline in advance, following the DOT’s disability travel guidance and the applicable airline and screening rules.