First time taking the Caltrain here in SF. I thought it was pretty self explainatory. You grab a ticket at the machine and then wait by your trains door. It was a nice building with some art around. Reasonable price. I was able to get to Palo Alto easy enough. read more

What's not to like about Caltrain? Unlike Bart, it's clean, safe and not crime-ridden. (And no, it's not an exaggeration). In general, I don't like taking public transportation in the Bay Area for the aforementioned reasons. But when I do, I take Waymo (which I actually do LOVE!), followed by Caltrain. It starts in San Francisco and can take you all the way down to Gilroy (with transfers). It makes stops all along the Peninsula. With just a short Uber ride, you can reach the downtown areas in many of the Peninsula cities. Seats are comfortable and clean. There's a Safeway across the street, where you can grab food before or after your ride. I actually find Caltrain a very relaxing way to commute. I can usually work in a quick nap or just doom scroll. Their new trains all have free Wi-Fi, which works really well. Trains runs pretty much on schedule too. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Inside train - clean and safe - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It runs all the time Second time I'm 40 now Ten year anniversary of using Caltrain once ..instead of car and I drove to south bay Ten years Caltrain I'm 40 not 20 read more

CalTrain Post-eletrification is such a pleasure to ride. CalTrain's SF terminus remains a decent transit point to the rest of SF. Sure it could use a makeover. But I like the fact I can get in and out of this station with little fuss. Muni Bus and trains are here. Gig bikes and scooters are here. Gig rides are here. And enough snacks are around for tiding most people over util reaching a real cafe. This area is probably going to remain the sketch as it's always been. If you worried then travel with a friend and you'll be fine. I have transited alone through here since 1997 without any issues. read more

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First time on the Caltrain for a special event. I found out very quickly not to sit backwards & I get motion sick very easily. The employees were very kind & had helpful information for our group. read more

I haven't been to the Caltrans station in years!! Literally before the pandemic! I was surprised to see that the Panera is no longer across the street, but there is a Whole Foods still there! There's only one entrance with the security guard out in front, but everything was about the same as I remembered it. a number of Kos to order tickets from as well as security guards standing around and the restrooms were still the same. Lol. A day pass is still $22 and that's not bad since we came from Silicon Valley. I love how the trains are all updated and everything was very clean on the train. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Last stop SF, then on to Moscone Center/NBA Crossover 2025! Hee - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

I support public transit & especially enjoy riding Caltrain from SVL into the City. This station is nicely managed, i appreciate staff doing their best to keep the men's restroom somewhat clean (can't speak on the ladies) & well stocked on hand soap & paper towels. I also appreciate the trains depart on time & that this station has a subway & a coffee shop. read more

Thank goodness there is public transportation aside from Samtrans down the Peninsula. The seats are comfy. There are outlets to charge my phone. If only there was free WiFi! I hear it's coming soon! Make the trains run more often than 1x per hour please! read more

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I love trains. Caltrain is great. Sit upstairs. So reasonably priced. I wish the station had some food options.

This train station is thankfully located near the ballpark as well as connection point to the Muni. There are plenty of places to tap your clipper card or purchase a reload one. The trains work like clockwork and are typically departing and arriving on time, especially with the electrification upgrade last fall. That part isn't specific to only the San Francisco station I would say that applies to Caltrain in general. The knock of one star that there's a handful of homeless people that hang out in and around this Caltrain station so just be aware. read more

Wow! Had a fun adventure from SF station to Palo Alto my hometown. The staff was amazing round trip. The ticketing for paper tickets easy. Using clipper card was easy. Even got a hot off the press sticker! The train clean and good. Felt safe and you must go party of one or a family unbelievable experience. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - A fun sticker from Cal Train! - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

It was a nice clean ride but no bathrooms on the new train. Its been down for weeks and it was very uncomfortable for me to wait until I got to the oracle park, the last stop and literally run to the bathroom!! Make sure the bathrooms work properly please its a new electric railway with no bathroons!! read more

Skip the traffic, ride caltrain. I'm a regular and rarely has there been a delay. Maria is the best always super friendly, informative, and helpful. Don't relocate Maria!! read more

I am a regular rider of Caltrain. At the San Francisco Station there is an employee named Maria. She's very friendly, always helping customers and very professional. Unfortunately, she told me today she is being transfered to the San Jose Station. She will be missed. read more

Feb 15 2025 1015pm Stations / Facilities Comment: Saturday Night and the restrooms are closed in the SF Starion. The restroom on the Southbound 10:25pm train the restroom was out of order. I asked the conductor going through when he checked the tickets which car is the bathroom on and he says the second car. There''s a line in the second car and then come to find out he locked the bathroom So why did he tell me it was in the second car. When you''re a woman it''s kind of hard to go to the bathroom isn''t it. So there''s no restroom faculties on the train or in the station. And this is the reason why there''s pee all over the trains at night. We had to get off in South San Francisco because she had to go to the bathroom. This is the most unbelievable thing in the world when you guys charge a lot of money for people to take the train and it''s packed all the time and you''re making money. Look this is the second bad review for this night read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - This is BS - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

SAN FRANCISCO CALTRAIN STATION is conveniently located and is easy to find. Bus loading is outside the station, not inside. Smart to make the bus pick up location right outside. Clear signage. Workers are helpful. read more

The SF Caltrain Station is usually clean and maintained decently. The workers are generally friendly and nice. They have a lot of trains that run from morning to night and departure times are clearly visible on the screens. Some of the Clipper card add value machines aren't operational from time to time. They have a coffee shop and Subway sandwhiches for food on the go. Caltrain is definitely more expensive than Bart but I think the trains are maintained better. You can take a caltrain from SF to Gilroy and anywhere between in the peninsula. read more

This review is both for the station itself and also a Public Service Announcement warning everyone not to partake of the "Holiday Train" experience, which was nothing short of an embarrassment. First, the station: I don't expect much from a train station, but the unsanitary nature of the station, and in particular the restrooms, was something to behold. A vile, inches-deep puddle of standing water (at least, I hope it was water) greeted me upon entering the male restroom. Seemingly every toilet was clogged and filthy. I dare not provide photographic evidence, so as not to traumatize you before you get to the next part of my review. So. The "Holiday Train." My family and I shelled out serious cash to buy six tickets to this thing, because it pitched itself as "both a destination and a connection to festive events." To be clear: it is NOT a destination. At least not one that warrants the absurd fare. Unlike in previous years, where the holiday train arrived at various stops throughout the peninsula and put on a rousing and family-friendly show, this was just...boarding a regular Caltrain train, except there are some ornaments and garlands. There is no music. There is no atmosphere. You'll enjoy maybe 2 minutes of caroling as they roam from car to car, but...that's it. There is a Santa, but you literally need to ask a train operator where to find him (he just sits in one of the cars, waiting for you to track him down...but nobody tells you that). So, no, the train is just a frigging train, NOT a "destination" unto itself. Spare yourself the absurdity of this "experience" and just drive or Uber to your desired destination. Oh, and the toilet on the train was clogged. Sorry, had to bring the review full circle. read more

Caltrain has pigeon traps on the roof of this station and they are abusing birds in these traps. They are overcrowded and the cages are in the hot sun all day. The water is filthy. Ravens are terrorizing them by pecking them through the cage bars. I've called everyone possible at Caltrain and no one knows anything about it and they just laughed at me for caring about the welfare of the birds. So I called SF animal care and control and they're working on pressuring them to stop this cruel practice. Today, when I was out , someone came and emptied the traps and reset them. So I have no idea what they did with the birds. More people need to complain. Pigeons are not pests. They are sentient, intelligent beings who deserve humane treatment. Please help pressure Caltrain to stop trapping pigeons. I'd give zero stars if I could. Update: Animal Care and Control went out to the Caltrain station today, after I called them to tell them I was witnessing a huge hawk terrorizing the trapped pigeons and that he had eaten one of the birds. They enlisted the firefighters to get them up on the roof and they freed the pigeons and removed the illegal traps!!!! If you care at all about animals welfare, join me in a campaign against Caltrain. Call them. Email them. Hound them to let them know that we will not tolerate them abusing animals. My next move involves contacting local TV news stations. read more

Best expressed using words from a local band: "I need a sign to let me know you're here All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere I need to know that things are gonna look up 'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head When you can feel the world shake from the words that are said..." Be very careful, however, around the bike rental place. That street is not highly-recommended. read more

Three seamless and enjoyable roundtrip rides from SF to Menlo Park, daytime down/evening back! This fantastically well-run electric service needs more promotion!! Easy Five Stars!!! read more

This review is for the new trains. Smooth ride, Compact and efficient, Nice interior with info. Screen and automated announcements. Love it! P.s. Now let's work on being on time! Very important to keep ridership. read more

Shout out to the lost and found lady! I left my backpack on the train and by the end of the day they had it ready for me to pick up. Everything was still there; my wallet, my keys, and my laptop. Caltrain was quick and efficient in writing a report and finding my things. Thank you!! read more

We took the Caltrain from San Jose to San Francisco last weekend. This station was fine. Average, I'd say. Rideshare services seem to be confused about pickup locations from the station, but other than that, it was fine station to depart a train. read more

Absolutely terrible. No bathrooms! And bathrooms on the trains are closed.. this is illegal I believe. I am special needs and need access to the restroom this is soooooo wrong. I hope they get sued. read more

Clean, but limited seating and restrooms close way too early. If trains are running then restrooms should be open.

The experience of traveling with caltrain is hard to make worse. The San Fran station keeps doors closed until the last minute to boarding each train. The crowd needs to clump like cattle at the door and then hassle to get on board. This may be because of the homeless problem in the city, but it is not an excuse to pass the problem to your customers. Caltrain trains are frequently late and not infrequently canceled without any information on what's going on. Passengers figure that out the hard way after they have already bought a ticket and waited for a long time. Caltrain employees are usually quite pardonless and look down on passengers. Just like government employees. As dmv takes the lead here, caltrain is a very close runner up. You get the same cattle treatment all along. read more

Love this train bc it's so convenient. No traffic. There is a bullet train, the limited train, and local train. So from San Francisco the city on 4th and King streets, you can get to Mountain View (south of SF) in 50 min on the bullet train for $14.45 one way. Not a bad deal given gas is $5 a gallon still or almost. There's a free bathroom which is kept as clean as possible despite homeless people cleaning up there (I pray one day SF will find a solution to housing everyone who needs a home). You can use the Clipper card which is the same card you use for the BART train and the buses (but not the trolleys which are a separate fee system unless you download MuniMobile which will give you $13 for a day pass for unlimited trolley and BART rides in SF. You need to tap the little machine before you ride and after your ride is done and sometimes staff will scan your Clipper card before you board to make sure you paid already. Bikers who have bikes can bring there bikes for free. There are designated cars for bikers. SF is a very walkable and public transportation able city and the Caltrain is a bug bug asset in this aspect. read more

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Come to the heart of San Francisco! Well, honestly this station leaves you at a ventricle. Good enough for me. You can get a bicycle, bus, ride service, etc from this point to get to where you are going. A reasonable walk to A Giants Baseball game and, very soon, a bit longer walk to see a Warriors game. The neighborhood has changed so much since I used to regularly come here in the early 90's. Bars, cafes, shops and the Giants Stadium definitely transformed everything here. This area used to be industrial and full of warehouses. Much hipper now. I like it and miss the bygone grittiness at the same time. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - View of downtown San Francisco coming into the train station . - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a nice station, big enough to hide in case of rain. Easy to buy a ticket. Also there are restrooms and Subway. Safeway is in 3 minutes walks. My a few sits and no Wi-Fi. read more

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Thank you so much Conductor Maria from the SF station and Daniel. They were both so incredibly helpful in getting my purse returned to me from the lost and found! They were so kind and patient with me. I truly truly appreciate how painless they made the process, and made me felt cared for. read more

My husband walks with the aid of a cain after a knee surgery 6 mos ago so as soon as we got off the train (SJ to San Francisco) the conductor told us to see him on our way back so he can get us in front of the line. Sure enough, we just walked right in and got on the train back to San Jose in no time. Thank you so much, Caltrain SF crew 6/25/23 @ 5:58 pm. read more

This review reflects our one-and-only trip on Caltrain, as tourists traveling between San Francisco and the SJC airport in San Jose. Our goal was to catch train number 404, with service type L4, at the San Francisco Station (700 4th Street) at 7:12 am, with expected arrival to Santa Clara at 8:22 am. We then planned to transfer to VTA bus #60 from the Santa Clara bus station to SJC Terminal B. This travel was on the Friday before Labor Day weekend. *Ease of travel. It was easy to add $ to our Clipper cards, and Caltrain staff opened the gate to the train about 5 minutes before its planned departure. (The train was already there). *Staff. Pleasant and helpful. We had one minor glitch in that the staff member told us to go the 3rd car as that one had a stand for luggage. It didn't. It wasn't a problem though as the train had light ridership on this day. *On-train experience. Train departed on time. Regular announcements were made to inform passengers of next two stops. Sufficient time was given for passengers to board/disembark at each stop. *Ease of transfer. Very easy. The bus transfer stand was adjacent to where train patrons disembarked. The bus runs every 15 minures, but we only waited for 5. *Value. Good value given distance travelled. Caltrain to Santa Clara: $10.50. Bus to SJC: $2.50. (September, 2022). *Suggested improvement. Add wi-fi access to trains. Add benches for seating in station. read more

I've waited a long time to write this review...about as long as you'd wait for a train. I commute a few times a week from here...honestly its fine if you are ok with delays and infrequent departures. But that's Caltrain in general. This station has no seating, one coffee shop, one Subway sandwich place, bike valet at the shop attached next door. All this is just A-OK really...the staff here is pretty friendly...so that's nice...be nice back. read more

Insufficient seating, new machines and card readers, homeless and crazies, and a subway and some others small businesses characterize this station. Service is reliable and on time, but should be extended to SF transit center Salesforce/Transbay once electrification is complete. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Homeless living in station but not too much in the way and I didn't see them being a serious nuisance here. - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

When in the Bay, your transportation options are many: BART, MUNI, and CalTrain in addition to the usual ride sharing options, buses, and bikes. While I prefer BART, CT was my choice to get from South Bay to SF for the week of Thanksgiving. PROS: + It's on time and typically clean. + Automated ticket kiosks, quick and easy. + You can drink on board certain hours. Hair of the dog FTW? + Two MUNI stations nearby to continue your trip if needed. + Nearby coffee shop/news stand businesses to grab last minute items. + Double-decker cars with individual seats upstairs, some seats have tables available to get work done, separate bike cars. + Staff checking for tickets fairly regularly, and actually citing people the catch without tickets. Consider yourself warned. CONS: - Hour long wait between trains? Not a fan. - No vending machines/sales on board, one bathroom?! - Round trip ticket $19 is high and that doesn't include parking. - Didn't see any outlets anywhere, on any of the cars or trains? Makes it hard for commuters to get stuff done, whether it's last-minute hair styling or charging up a device between meetings. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Ticket - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very efficient with comfortable seats. Not underground train, so patrons get good views or at times views of trash under the SF freeways. Please remember to pay or the train staff will check with the scanner. One stowaway was asked to get off. read more

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We were here to meet our Megabus ride back to Los Angeles and we're very impressed with the facilities. It feels like it's on the edge of no-man's land a little bit but the station felt nicely maintained. There was even a Subway Sandwiches franchise to get last minute food before your train or bus ride and the prices didn't see too much higher (if at all - though they totally could being the "last chance" food!). For the Megabus it said "Townsend St. between 4th and 5th" so we just started walking into no-man's land between the tracks and the buildings with the hopes that we'd see a sign or another person. We wound up finding another passenger and shortly the funny Megabus employee showed up. It all worked out, we got to where we should be and I'd totally ride the Megabus again so I'm sure I'll be there again! read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Megabus arrives just as the city is waking up! Great and safe for families, easy for college kids! All the employees of Megabus are so fun! - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Caltrain is a reliable way to get around the peninsula, from San Jose to this main station in San Francisco. The ballpark is just a block away. Just make sure you remember to tap your clipper card or buy a ticket before you get in line and get into the train. Once those doors shut, they're shut. I don't recommend jamming yourself into them to shoulder your way in, as you would on Bart. C'mon, we've all done it. Speaking of Bart, it's not that far away from here. I know it's a bit of a pain, but just ride the muni from either of the stations at 4th and King (There's one for the T and one for the N Muni trains, both will only go one way since this is the end of the line for them), and ride to whichever Bart station you need to go to. Embarcadero will be your first one. If you happen to work for the Giants and have your badge, you'll ride Caltrain for free. Ask about additional employee discounts if you work for another SF company. Freakin' love how you can have alcohol on the train to ballgames. One last tip: Pay attention to the big signs at the front of the building, when you're going to take a train back out to the peninsula. There are usually people queued up in front of them. One is usually for All Stops, and sometimes there's another for Express trains to certain cities. Make sure you pay attention to which is which, because if you get on an express, it ain't stopping. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Double decker trains. The top seats are best IMHO - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I prefer Bart. The ride takes too long to get back. I would have driven to San Francisco from San Jose but I did not need to deal w/ rush hour traffic plus the game day crowd scrambling to find parking. The cost for a round trip ticket is $19, then you factor in $4 for parking at Diridon, then the agonizing 1.5 hours ride back home makes it completely senseless. I will NEVER return. The ride to wasn't bad but the ride back was painful to my ears and eyes. I wish the conductor or security would patrol the train throughout the duration of the ride because there were so many out of control passengers. I was embarrassed sitting on the same train as those drunken young girls. Thank goodness just about everyone that walked by knew that I am not like that. They do check for your ticket so you should have it handy otherwise you will hold up the line. Tickets can be easily purchased by following the simple instructions on the screen yet there seems to be a lot of folks that just can't get it - it fathoms me. Last train has outlets to plug your phone and laptops. If you are looking for a night full of drunken folks, by all means. read more

San Francisco Caltrain Station - Train Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California