Shuttle to SFO airport from Santa Clara, CA at 4am? Any recommendations?

Question

I need to travel to San Francisco International airport for an early morning flight and since I'm taking a long trip I would rather not do long term parking as it would be outrageously expensive. I only need a one way shuttle as I have a friend picking me up upon my return (but feel bad about making her wake up so early for the trip there). Flight leaves at 6:45am, so I will need a shuttle leaving from Santa Clara to SFO at 4:00am. Any suggestions? I need something that won't be too expensive, as I am the only person needing transport, and I need something that is operational at 4:00am! Thank you!

Answer 1

There are several shuttle companies that operate to / from SFO.  If you arrive at "regular" hours, you don't need a reservation but in your case I would highly recommend calling or e-mailing them to make a reservation.  

Super Shuttle is a well-respected national company.  You can reach them on their website (below) or at 1-800-BLUE-VAN.  Another reputable agency is Lorrie's Airport Shuttle (415.334.9000), though you may have to negotiate for them to bring you from Santa Clara.  Quake City Shuttle (415.255.4899) might also do it, though I'm not certain.  Their website states they are on the road starting at 4:00 a.m. but their dispatch telephone office hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

My guess is that you will have to pay anywhere from $30-50 for one of these services.  Best to shop around.  The SFO Website also has a listing of several different shuttle services -- a great resource, and the one I used a few months ago when I had to take a shuttle from SFO.

Answer 2

For the best price and if you do not have too much baggage, perhaps you should consider taking public transit. The VTA #22 bus provides service 24 hours a day and can take you from Santa Clara to Palo Alto where you would make one transfer to the SamTrans bus #397 to the SFO airport. This bus also runs 24 hours a day. The total cost would only be $1.75 on the #22 + $1.50 on the #397 with a total travel time of about 90 minutes to complete the trip. Other than that shuttle services such as Super Shuttle can do the job but at a much higher cost of around $50 for the trip. Good Luck!