Connect from EMY to SFO?

[sechs]

It's not that big a difference.

I'll point out, if the train is on time to Richmond it will be early into Emeryville.

 

[guest]

It's not that big a difference.

I'll point out, if the train is on time to Richmond it will be early into Emeryville.

The early arrival might happen or not happen, but having been on the CZ twice early into Emeryville, I know that the Thruway bus will not leave early but at its scheduled time. And on one occasion, the buses did not arrive until the scheduled time of the CZ into Emeryville, so pax waited around for 20 minutes.

Maybe 30-40 minutes isn't that big a difference for you, but it just might be for someone needing to be at the airport, with all its security requirements.

In any event, fortunately the OP will decide with all the facts at the OP's disposal.

 

[sechs]

The OP has posted that he's not worried about.

If you have to worry about half hour difference in arrival to the airport from the train, it's time to reconsider your itinerary. The train could be hours late without too much effort.

 

[nrgizrbny]

Can I safely assume that even though I am ticketed on the bus through to the ferry terminal that I could just tell the bus driver that I want to get off at the financial district and all would be fine?

Yes, that's very safe to assume.

Actually, looking at the schedule, the connecting bus from the California Zephyr doesn't have the Financial District stop listed. The S.F. Shopping Center stop on Market Street, though, is within steps of the Powell BART station. (Although the Ferry Building stop isn't that far from BART -- a couple blocks from the Embarcadero station, if I recall correctly.)

But BART does not run through the financial district. Its closest stop is Embarcadero on Market Street, which is an easy two-block walk across the plaza which fronts the SFO Amtrak Ferry stop.
So I don't understand why you would want a special drop-off in the financial district, which would put you a significant walk away from the nearest BART station, which would be Montgomery.

The original poster is referring to the bus stop that Amtrak calls "Financial District," which is in front of the Hyatt Regency (at California and Drumm, just off the Embarcadero).

Edited to respond to guest post that came in while I was writing the first portion of this post.

That is the stop to which I was referring, and after your information that the CZ bus doesn't have a scheduled stop at the Hyatt, I went back and looked and realized that I just don't know how to read a train schedule! It would appear that the Hyatt is a pick-up point for those heading TO the EMY station, but not on the return.

As I said, I probably won't mind the two-block walk to the Embarcadero station, provided everything is running on or close to schedule.

The Moscone Center ambus stop (SFM) is a couple of short blocks to the Powell St BART.

The last time I bussed in from EMY I was going to the Intercontinental Hotel, which is a block or 2 down Howard St from SFM. I was the only passenger

on the bus so the driver continued down the street and dropped me off at the Hotel.

Doorman's comment was "Nice transportation you got there."

 

[williamflemming]

I am booked on the Zephyr all the way through to SFC, including the bus segment. My original plan was to book a flight out for the next morning, but I ended up arranging something for the same evening instead. CZ is due into EMY at 4:10 pm and the bus gets to SFC at 5:05 pm. My flight departs SFO at 8:10 pm. I am not a nervous traveler, and even if I miss my scheduled flight, I can still catch a later departure. Of course, if the Zephyr is super late, things will get gummed up, but I am willing to roll the dice.

Anyway, the question is really this - am I better to de-train at EMY and get myself to SFO or take the train all the way through to SFC? I also understand that there are some intermediate stops along the way on the bus. Is one of those a more convenient place to navigate myself to SFO? I wish that there were equally late flights out of OAK that would have worked for me, or I would have just gotten off the train there.

If everything runs close to on-time, I have no doubt about my ability to make the flight. I am just looking to fine-tune the experience for maximum speed in getting to the airport, should that be necessary.

Thanks!

There is a BART to the airport from Richmond. The red BART

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I made this same trip with my son several years ago, including the bus connection to SFO, although the last leg went awry. The trip to EMY was pleasant and uneventful, but we did arrive four hours late. The connecting bus, I was eventually told, had departed before the train had arrived. The Amtrak attendant at the ticket counter showed absolutely no interest in providing any assistance. But, a uniformed bus driver standing in the vicinity of the counter had overheard my plea for help. He said he was deadheading back to the rental car terminal at the San Francisco airport and would be happy to transport the two of us at no charge. Fortunately, we didn't have a flight to catch in this instance. I tipped the driver on arrival and made a mental note that if I ever did that trip again I would ask Amtrak what liability it would assume if they left me high and dry in Emeryville. It would have been an expensive cab ride to SFO, I'm sure.

You said that you were not catching a flight in SFO. Then why did you make a bus connection to SFO? Are you a planespotter?