There are 7 ways to get from San José to San Francisco by bus, plane, bus (Greyhound), car, or train
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Bus to Juan Santamaría International Airport, fly to San Francisco International Airport
best- Take the bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuertobus
- Fly from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)plane SJO - SFO
10h 43m$430–914Drive to Quepos La Managua Airport, fly to San Francisco International Airport
cheapest- Drive from San José to Quepos-Airport-XQPcar
- Fly from Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)plane XQP - SFO
14h 25m$182–681Bus
- Take the bus from Terminal NicaBus to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Managua to Los Angelesbus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles Union Station to San Francisco Bus Stationbus
5d$423–559Drive 3,706.8 mi
- Drive from San José to San Franciscocar 3,706.8 mi
3d$800–1,156Bus to Juan Santamaría International Airport, fly to Oakland International Airport
- Take the bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuertobus
- Fly from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to Oakland International Airport (OAK)plane SJO - OAK
12h 32m$386–810Bus to Liberia International Airport, fly to San Francisco International Airport
- Take the bus from Central Autobusera Inteligente to Liberiabus
- Fly from Liberia International Airport (LIR) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)plane LIR - SFO
11h 59m$303–992Bus to Juan Santamaría International Airport, fly to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, Caltrain
- Take the bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuertobus
- Fly from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC)plane SJO - SJC
- Take the train from Santa Clara Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northboundtrain
13h 39m$243–917
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San José to San Francisco is to drive and fly which costs $180 - $700 and takes 14h 25m.
The fastest way to get from San José to San Francisco is to bus and fly which takes 10h 43m and costs $430 - $950.
No, there is no direct bus from San José to San Francisco station. However, there are services departing from Terminal NicaBus and arriving at San Francisco Bus Station via Managua, Olympic / Union and Los Angeles Union Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5 days 0h.
The distance between San José and San Francisco is 3129 miles. The road distance is 3728.5 miles.
The best way to get from San José to San Francisco without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $420 - $600.
It takes approximately 10h 43m to get from San José to San Francisco, including transfers.
San José to San Francisco bus services, operated by Nica Bus, depart from Terminal NicaBus station.
San José to San Francisco bus services, operated by Nica Bus, arrive at Managua station.
San Francisco is 1h behind San José. It is currently 11:59 AM in San José and 10:59 AM in San Francisco.
Yes, the driving distance between San José to San Francisco is 3728 miles. It takes approximately 3 days 0h to drive from San José to San Francisco.
What companies run services between San José, Costa Rica and San Francisco, CA, USA?
You can take a bus from Terminal NicaBus to San Francisco Bus Station via Managua, Los Angeles, Olympic / Union, Vignes / Cesar E Chavez, and Los Angeles Union Station in around 5d.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 52m
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 42m
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $220–900
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 51m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $250–1,000
Flights from Quepos La Managua Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 23h
- When
- Wednesday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 40m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Oakland International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 20m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Oakland International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 17m
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $240–1,600
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Oakland International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 55m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $260–1,000
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 15m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Houston Hobby Apt
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 5m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $400–1,500
Flights from Quepos La Managua Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Juan Santamaría International Airport, Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 20m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 54m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 2m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $290–1,100
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–1,100
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 58m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–900
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 32m
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $420–900
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 4m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $390–1,500
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 45m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $390–1,500
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Liberia International Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 3m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Oakland International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $380–800
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to Oakland International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 19m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–900
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from Santa Clara Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 12m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
- Phone
- +506 2442 6900
- [email protected]
- Website
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuerto
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuerto
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
Bus from Terminal San José Av. 2, C12 Y 14 to 50 m este Del Aeropuerto
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1–2
- Schedules at
- grupotuasa.com
- Phone
- +505 2222 2276
- [email protected]
- Website
- Nica Bus
Bus from Terminal NicaBus to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $37–38
- Website
- Nica Bus
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- [email protected]
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Managua to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $330–400
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Los Angeles Union Station to San Francisco Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $55–120
- Website
- Greyhound
- Phone
- +506 4404 0505
- [email protected]
- Website
- tiguanacaste.com
Bus from Central Autobusera Inteligente to Liberia
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- $9–18
- Schedules at
- tiguanacaste.com
- Book at
- tiguanacaste.com
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