San Francisco thruway bus

[raysablade]

Out travel agent has booked us on a Thruway bus from the Ferry Building to Emeryville to connect with the California Zephyr. There is an earlier stop on the route near to our hotel but they want $30 to make that change. At that price it would be cheaper to get a Taxi to the Ferry Building but i was wondering if we could pay on the bus for the earlier stop and if so how much it would be?

 

[the_traveler]

You shouldn't have to pay any difference. Just board the bus at whatever stop is nearest your hotel. (Be aware that except for the Ferry Building, all SF "stops" are only bus stops with a sign. If nobody is waiting, the Thruway will not even stop!) Also be aware that only the Ferry Building offers checked baggage service!

All destinations in SF are the same price. The reason for the extra $30 is that the "fare bucket" for your trip (including the train) rise to a higher bucket!

 

[LA Resident]

Out travel agent has booked us on a Thruway bus from the Ferry Building to Emeryville to connect with the California Zephyr. There is an earlier stop on the route near to our hotel but they want $30 to make that change. At that price it would be cheaper to get a Taxi to the Ferry Building but i was wondering if we could pay on the bus for the earlier stop and if so how much it would be?

Good advice from The Traveler. My experience riding the thruway bus innumerable times is that the driver merely checks that you are ticketed for a certain train out of Emeryville. He could care less whether you board his bus at the ferry landing, market street, fisherman's wharf or whatever.

Don't worry about it. And by no means spend extra money for a taxi!!!!

 

[darien-l]

I second what's been said above. I've gotten on this bus with NO TICKET before; just saying "I'm taking train #6 out of Emeryville" to the bus driver proved enough. He didn't even want to see my confirmation/itinerary.

 

[darien-l]

Also be aware that only the Ferry Building offers checked baggage service!

This really makes no difference. Just throw your bag under the bus and check it at Emeryville. I've done that multiple times before.

 

[George Harris]

Have not tried the get on at a different stop, but have taken a different bus out of Emeryville that went to a different set of San Francisco stops than the one on my ticket with no problem at all.

As to checked baggage: Generally the bus will open the baggage space so that anything other than the smallest of carry ons can be put there, whether checked or not. Whether or not you can get it checked in Emeryville if you get on at a stop other than the Ferry Building, I do not know from actually doing it. We usually do not check anything going to Fresno, anyway.

 

[mucomix]

Also be aware that only the Ferry Building offers checked baggage service!

This really makes no difference. Just throw your bag under the bus and check it at Emeryville. I've done that multiple times before.

When I booked my CZ trip for this fall I never gave any thought to checked bags on the bus. I had no idea they checked bags on a bus.

I figured when we got off the train at Emeryville we would pickup our checked bags in the station then walk over to a bus and throw in the lower rack and dig them out when we got to Fisherman’s wharf then revers the process on the way home.

How wrong am I?

 

[tp49]

Just get on the bus at the stop closest to your hotel. There will be no problem with your current ticket at all. I ticket to the Ferry Building about half the time and usually get on the bus at the SF Shopping Center on Market. I've never been denied boarding of the bus because I'm not ticketed out of that bus stop.

 

[raysablade]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Seems to have saved me a taxi ride.