USDSan Francisco International Airport Parking — All 11 Options Ranked by Value (2026)
Quick answer: SFO parking ranges from $7.95/day (DoubleTree Brisbane, off-site) to $27/day (Embassy Suites, overpriced for what you get). The highest-rated independent lot is SkyPark in San Bruno at $15/day (4.8★, 1,363 reviews) — $3/day cheaper than the official on-site Long-Term at $18/day. The Best Western Grosvenor at $8.95/day is the strongest hotel lot at 4.1★ (2,819 reviews). Skip the Travelodge (2.8★ on 3,497 reviews). If you're flying from downtown SF for under 3 days, BART is cheaper than any parking option.
SFO Airport Parking Rates: All Active Options Ranked (2026)
Eleven lots serve San Francisco International Airport, ranging from budget hotels in South San Francisco to the official airport garage. Here's the complete picture:
| Facility | Daily Rate | 7-Day Total | Shuttle Every | Rating | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DoubleTree SFO North Brisbane | $7.95 | $55.65 | 15 min | N/A | Hotel |
| Travelodge SFO North | $8.75 | $61.25 | 15 min | 2.8★ (3,497) | Hotel |
| Best Western Grosvenor Hotel | $8.95 | $62.65 | On-site | 4.1★ (2,819) | Hotel |
| Hampton Inn SFO | $9.99 | $69.93 | On-site | 4.1★ (1,112) | Hotel |
| Courtyard SFO Airport | $9.99 | $69.93 | 15 min | N/A | Hotel |
| SkyPark San Bruno | $15.00 | $105.00 | 30 min | 4.8★ (1,363) | Parking lot |
| PARK 'N FLY South SF | $17.90 | $125.30 | 15 min | 4.7★ (1,645) | Parking lot |
| Long Term Parking (Official) | $18.00 | $126.00 | AirTrain | 4.3★ (34,749) | On-site |
| Home2Suites by Hilton SFO | $21.95 | $153.65 | On-site | 4.2★ (776) | Hotel |
| Days Inn SFO West | $22.00 | $154.00 | 15 min | 4.3★ (1,385) | Hotel |
| Embassy Suites Hilton SFO | $27.00 | $189.00 | 20 min | 3.8★ (3,053) | Hotel |
Why SkyPark Beats the Official SFO Long-Term Lot by $3/Day
SkyPark at 1000 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, CA holds a 4.8-star rating across 1,363 reviews — the highest of any lot serving SFO. It costs $15/day. The official San Francisco International Airport Long-Term Parking costs $18/day and has 34,749 reviews at 4.3 stars. Both connect via shuttle to the same AirTrain network.
The math on a 7-day trip: SkyPark $105 vs. official Long-Term $126 — $21 in your pocket for essentially the same access point. On a 14-day international trip, that gap grows to $42.
The tradeoff: SkyPark's shuttle runs every 30 minutes vs. the AirTrain's continuous service from the official lot. If you're on a tight schedule, those 30 minutes matter. If you have normal boarding time buffer, they don't.
SkyPark also has a significantly smaller review base than the official lot (1,363 vs. 34,749), but its rating advantage (4.8 vs. 4.3) is statistically meaningful — that difference at this scale is not noise.
The Travelodge Trap: 2.8 Stars at 3,497 Reviews Means Something
The Travelodge SFO North at 326 South Airport Blvd runs $8.75/day. It looks like the second-cheapest option on the list. But 3,497 reviews at 2.8 stars is not a temporary dip — it's a consistent signal from thousands of travelers over years. That's the highest review count of any off-site SFO option and one of the worst ratings.
The Best Western Grosvenor at 380 S Airport Blvd costs $0.20/day more ($8.95) and holds 4.1 stars across 2,819 reviews. For 25 cents a day more, you get 46% better ratings. This is one of the clearest apples-to-apples comparisons in the SFO parking market. Skip the Travelodge.
The Embassy Suites Problem
On the other end of the price spectrum: Embassy Suites Hilton SFO at $27/day holds 3.8 stars on 3,053 reviews. It's the most expensive option on this list and one of the worst-rated premium options. The Home2Suites at $21.95 and Days Inn at $22/day both have meaningfully better ratings (4.2★ and 4.3★ respectively). The Embassy Suites premium is not justified by the experience.
BART vs. Parking: The Break-Even That Most SFO Guides Get Wrong
San Francisco International Airport is one of the few US airports where a major transit alternative genuinely competes with parking. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) connects SFO's International Terminal to downtown San Francisco and the broader East Bay via the SFO AirTrain, which runs free within the airport. A one-way BART fare from SFO to Powell Street (downtown SF) runs approximately $10.20. Round trip: $20.40.
| Trip Length | BART Round Trip | SkyPark ($15/day) | Best Western ($8.95/day) | Official Long-Term ($18/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $20.40 | $15 | $8.95 | $18 |
| 2 days | $20.40 | $30 | $17.90 | $36 |
| 3 days | $20.40 | $45 | $26.85 | $54 |
| 5 days | $20.40 | $75 | $44.75 | $90 |
| 7 days | $20.40 | $105 | $62.65 | $126 |
| 14 days | $20.40 | $210 | $125.30 | $252 |
The conclusion is stark: if you live in San Francisco proper, BART is cheaper than every parking option for trips under 2 days, and the BART + Clipper card convenience is a real factor. For longer trips, parking wins — especially if you're coming from the South Bay (Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Mateo) where BART doesn't reach your origin.
Peninsula and South Bay travelers: BART requires getting to a BART station first, which from Palo Alto or San Jose means driving to a BART station anyway — at which point you're doing a multi-modal commute that takes longer and costs more than just parking at SFO. For South Bay travelers, parking always wins over BART.
Hotel Park-and-Fly at SFO: Which Hotels Are Worth It
Seven of the eleven SFO lots are hotel-based park-and-fly options. The range in quality is extreme. Here's the honest breakdown:
Best Western Grosvenor Hotel (380 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco) — $8.95/day, 4.1★
The strongest value play. 2,819 reviews at 4.1 stars with an on-site shuttle. South San Francisco location is about 2 miles from SFO. Hotel amenities are solid for the price point, and the parking rate of $8.95/day is the cheapest among the well-reviewed options. For a 7-day trip: $62.65 — $63 less than the official on-site lot.
Hampton Inn SFO (300 Gateway Blvd, South San Francisco) — $9.99/day, 4.1★
Same star rating as the Best Western at $1.04/day more. Hampton consistency is a known quantity — 1,112 reviews reinforce it. Good choice for early morning flights where you want a reliable, predictable experience. The Gateway Blvd location puts you in the heart of the South San Francisco hotel cluster.
Home2Suites by Hilton SFO (550 Gateway Blvd) — $21.95/day, 4.2★
More expensive than the Best Western or Hampton Inn, but the room type (suite-style) may justify the premium if you're traveling with family or need workspace before an overnight flight. The parking rate is 2.5x the Best Western — only worth it if you need the room type, not just the parking.
DoubleTree Brisbane (5000 Sierra Point Pkwy, Brisbane) — $7.95/day, no public rating
The cheapest hotel option on the list but also the most isolated — Brisbane is north of SFO, not in the South SF hotel corridor. No public rating data is available for the parking operation. At $7.95/day it's the lowest hotel rate, but the uncertainty warrants caution.
Avoid: Travelodge SFO North ($8.75/day, 2.8★) and Embassy Suites ($27/day, 3.8★)
These are the clearest avoid signals on the SFO lot list. The Travelodge's 2.8 stars on 3,497 reviews is the most-reviewed evidence of a consistent experience problem at SFO. The Embassy Suites charges a premium (3x the Best Western) for a 3.8-star experience. Neither belongs in a well-planned SFO parking strategy.
Driving to SFO vs. Rideshare: The Math by Bay Area Origin
Lyft and Uber from Bay Area origins to SFO vary dramatically by distance and surge. Here's the realistic comparison:
| Origin | Rideshare Round Trip (est.) | SkyPark Break-Even | Best Western Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco | $24–40 | 2 days | 3 days |
| Downtown San Francisco | $44–70 | 3–4 days | 5–7 days |
| Oakland / East Bay | $50–80 | 3–5 days | 6–9 days |
| San Jose / South Bay | $55–90 | 4–6 days | 6–10 days |
| Palo Alto / Mid-Peninsula | $40–65 | 3–4 days | 4–7 days |
For South Bay and Peninsula travelers, driving wins after just 3-4 days. For downtown SF residents, BART is the better alternative on short trips, and parking wins on long trips (7+ days, especially when SkyPark or Best Western rates apply).
San Francisco International Airport: Parking Structure and Navigation
San Francisco International Airport (IATA: SFO) is operated by the City and County of San Francisco, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in unincorporated San Mateo County. It serves approximately 57 million passengers annually, ranking among the top 25 busiest airports globally.
SFO has four terminals: Terminal 1 (domestic), Terminal 2 (domestic, including American and Alaska), Terminal 3 (domestic), and the International Terminal (all international flights). The SFO AirTrain connects all terminals and the BART station, and is free to ride within the airport campus.
On-Site Official Parking
SFO operates several official parking areas. Long-Term Parking at 7050 Friendship Rd / the official garages connects directly to the AirTrain for terminal access. Short-Term parking is available adjacent to each terminal for drop-offs and pickups lasting under a few hours — at significantly higher daily rates.
Off-Site Lots: All Use the AirTrain
Every off-site lot servicing SFO drops passengers at the International Terminal, where you board the AirTrain to your departure terminal. The AirTrain is free once you're on SFO grounds. Factor in the off-site lot's shuttle frequency plus a 5-10 minute AirTrain ride when calculating total terminal arrival time. Budget 45–60 minutes from parking to gate for any off-site lot.
Honest: When SFO Off-Site Parking Is the Wrong Choice
What the SFO Review Counts Actually Reveal
The official SFO Long-Term Lot has 34,749 reviews — more than 20 times the review count of SkyPark (1,363). That gap is market share in motion: the official lot handles the vast majority of SFO self-parked vehicles by volume. But SkyPark's 4.8-star rating vs. the official lot's 4.3-star rating suggests the off-site experience is consistently better, not just competitive.
The Travelodge situation is the most analytically interesting data point: 3,497 reviews at 2.8 stars is the second-highest review count among off-site SFO lots and the lowest rating. High review volume with a low score is evidence of consistent failure, not statistical noise. It means many people tried this lot (probably because of price), experienced problems, and left reviews. The pattern is stable over time. This lot should be avoided.
SFO Airport Parking: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to park at San Francisco International Airport?
SFO parking ranges from $7.95/day (DoubleTree Brisbane, off-site hotel) to $27/day (Embassy Suites). The official on-site Long-Term Parking costs $18/day with direct AirTrain access to all terminals. The highest-rated independent lot, SkyPark San Bruno, costs $15/day (4.8★, 1,363 reviews). The strongest value among reviewed hotel lots is the Best Western Grosvenor at $8.95/day (4.1★, 2,819 reviews).
What is the cheapest parking near SFO airport?
The cheapest well-reviewed parking near SFO is the Best Western Grosvenor Hotel at 380 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco, at $8.95/day with a 4.1-star rating (2,819 reviews). The DoubleTree Brisbane is listed at $7.95/day but has no public rating data. The cheapest option with a strong rating is SkyPark at $15/day (4.8★). Avoid the Travelodge SFO North at $8.75/day — its 2.8★ rating on 3,497 reviews reflects consistent service problems.
Is BART cheaper than parking at SFO?
Yes, for short trips from San Francisco proper. A BART round trip from SFO to downtown SF costs approximately $20.40. Any parking option under $10.20/day beats BART after 2 days; options over $18/day (the official lot) don't beat BART until day 2. For Peninsula and South Bay travelers, BART adds significant driving time to reach a BART station, making parking the more practical choice.
How do off-site SFO lots connect to the terminals?
All off-site lots serving SFO drop passengers at the International Terminal, where they board the free SFO AirTrain to their departure terminal (Terminals 1, 2, 3, or International). Budget 45–60 minutes from parking your car to reaching the gate for any off-site lot. The AirTrain runs 24 hours and connects all terminals. On-site official parking uses the same AirTrain system with faster initial access.
Which SFO parking lot has the best reviews?
SkyPark at 1000 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, holds a 4.8-star rating across 1,363 reviews — the highest of any lot actively serving SFO. PARK 'N FLY at 160 Produce Ave., South San Francisco is close behind at 4.7★ (1,645 reviews). The official Long-Term Parking lot holds 4.3★ but across 34,749 reviews, making it the most-reviewed option overall.
Is there covered parking near SFO?
Yes. The official SFO garage structures provide covered parking at on-site rates. Among off-site options, several hotel lots offer covered or indoor parking as part of their park-and-fly packages. If you're parking during Bay Area fog season (May-June) or need protection from the elements, the official garage or a hotel lot with covered spaces is the better choice.
