© Maarten van den Heuvel・Unsplash License

United States

San Francisco

A city of fog and hills. The cable cars are still working public transit, while BART and Muni do the daily grind.

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

No paper tickets: tap a contactless bank card or Clipper at the gate. Fares go by distance with no day pass, but any trip between the city's stations is a flat $2.55. Always tap out with the card you tapped in with.

Updated on August 2, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Decide how you'll pay
    If your credit or debit card does contactless, use it at the gate. If not, buy a Clipper card from a machine in the station.
  2. 2
    Load a Clipper card at the machine
    Machines take cash, but only some take credit or debit cards. You need a minimum balance to get through the gate.
  3. 3
    Tap in at the fare gate
    Take the card out of your wallet and hold it flat on the round reader; walk through when the doors open.
  4. 4
    Tap out with the same card
    You must tap again at the exit gate, using the exact same card you tapped in with.
  5. 5
    If the gate says UNDERPAID
    If the gate reads "UNDERPAID: GO TO ADDFARE", top up at an Addfare machine inside the paid area, then exit.

Fares

Single fares3

BART single ride (by distance)
Set automatically by distance - the low end is a trip inside San Francisco, the top end is airport to airport.
2.55〜20.75 USD ≈ $3–21
Between two stations inside San Francisco
All 56 pairs among the city's eight stations charge the same minimum; Daly City is outside and costs more.
2.55 USD ≈ $3
Excursion fare (enter and exit the same station)
Charged if you leave the station you entered within three hours; Tap and Ride gives a 30-minute grace period.
7.55 USD ≈ $8

Card itself1

New plastic Clipper card
A one-time fee when you buy one at a station vending machine; adding Clipper to your phone is free for now.
3 USD ≈ $3

Add-ons & fees1

Penalty fare
Charged automatically for tapping out with a different card, or for not tapping out within six hours.
7.55 USD ≈ $8

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
DiscoverVISAMastercardAmex
Tap it straight on the gate; always the full adult fare, no discounts
IC card
The Clipper card - buy it and top it up at a station machine
App tickets
Add Clipper to Apple Pay or Google Pay and tap your phone
Paper tickets
Paper tickets are no longer sold; everyone pays by card
Cash
Ticket machines and Addfare machines only - never at the gate

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours
Weekdays 04:58-01:10
Frequency
Every 4-8 min downtown; 10-20 min per line
Fares from
2.55 USD+

Heads-up

  • Exiting with a different card triggers a penalty fare

    Tap in and out with the same card or phone - you cannot pay for a companion with your card, and exiting with a different one charges an automatic penalty fare.

  • The Muni Visitor Passport is not valid on BART

    The Muni 1-Day Visitor Passport sold to tourists is not valid on BART. BART has no unlimited-ride ticket at all - every trip is charged by distance.

Timetable

Operating hours Weekdays 04:58-01:10
Typical duration Embarcadero to Balboa Park takes 14 minutes; 12 minutes across the bay to 12th St/Oakland
Check the official site for the latest times and service status

Route map

6 lines ·51 stations
© OpenStreetMapOpenMapTilesData (ODbL)