Search Flights from San Francisco to Kabul

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.

Train

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.

Taxi

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.

Bus

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.

Rental Car

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.

Bike

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.   

Airport Information

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. 

Kabul, Afghanistan's capital and largest city, is a city developed economically and culturally thanks to the Hayber Pass which connects Pakistan and Afghanistan. Babylon Gardens, Kabul Zoo, Bala Hisar, Ghazi Stadium, Kabul Museum, Darul Aman Palace, Afghan National Gallery are among the places you can see in Kabul, which hosts many civilizations.

You need to get a visa before traveling to Kabul. Private, service and regular passport holders are subjected to a visa. Diplomatic passport holders can be considered immune from visa for 90 days. In case you plan to travel to Kabul, Kabul International Airport (Hamid Karzai International Airport) will welcome you.

It is possible to travel to Kabul through direct and indirect flights with many airlines, especially Turkish Airlines (THY), from Turkey. You can reach Kabul from Istanbul in about 5 hours by plane.

One flight from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to Kabul is carried out every day. It is also possible to have an indirect flight between Istanbul and Kabul.

Emirates and Flydubai fly from Istanbul to Kabul in connection with Dubai. Kabul International Airport is not too far from the city center. You can take a bus, taxi, private car or walk to the airport terminal. But let's also point out that reaching the terminal by foot may be dangerous.

The currency you will use for transportation will be the Afghan Afghani (AFN). Do not forget that 1 Turkish Lira is approximately 23 Afghanis.

Bus

Buses are the most commonly used means of transportation in Kabul. The one-way fare for these buses that provide transportation from the airport to the city is 15-20 Afghanis. If you want to travel by bus from the airport to the city, you should definitely have a booklet with language help; because the routes and numbers are written in the local language may not be very clear for the foreign tourists. For this reason, using a helpful booklet can make your job easier.

Taxi

If you want to reach Kabul International Airport from Kabul city center in a comfortable way, you can use taxi. You can reach the city center in a very short time by taking a taxi among the ones waiting outside the airport terminal. You can reach the city center by taxi paying between 25-30 Turkish Liras.

Car Rental

You can also get to the city center of Kabul from the airport by renting a private car. Car rental companies at Kabul International Airport would like to see your driver's license before delivering the car to you.