Everyone finds commuting in the Bay Area challenging, but it doesn't have to be! Golden Gate Transit provides world-class bus service between Sonoma and Marin counties and San Francisco. Rethink your commute, and give us a try!
Join the thousands of commuters who love the Golden Gate Transit experience. Our luxury coaches have great amenities—comfortable and cushioned reclining seats, charging stations for your devices, and free Wi-Fi so you can stay connected during your commute. Instead of white-knuckling it behind the wheel, you can sleep, work, read, text, watch your favorite show, or simply relax and enjoy the beautiful views outside.
Golden Gate Transit’s bus system is easy to navigate. Follow these simple steps and we'll see you on board!
1. Choose your route
Visit our System Maps page to identify which bus routes will serve your travel needs. We have maps for every county we serve (Marin, Sonoma, East Bay, San Francisco) and detailed maps of smaller areas (downtown San Francisco, for example). Keep in mind that you may need to use more than one bus route to reach your final destination, and transfer points are clearly indicated.
“Commute routes” operate weekdays between the North Bay and the major San Francisco employment hubs—southbound in the morning, northbound in the afternoon/evening. These are a great choice for the regular commuter, and many of these routes offer “express” service with few stops. “Regional routes” operate all day, every day along the Hwy 101 or Richmond-San Rafael Bridge corridors—in both directions—and are a perfect choice for students, tourists, day-trippers, and riders who don’t keep to a standard 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday schedule.
2. Find your bus stop
We offer individual route maps to make it easy to find the bus stop closest to your home or office. It’s simple—after choosing your bus route above, visit our Bus Schedules & Maps page, click your route number, then the “Map” tab to see the bus routing and all bus stops served by that route. Zoom in to your desired location and click on the bus stop to see stop attributes—cross streets, stop ID, and a other routes that serve that stop. Our printed Transit Guide also includes maps that show all bus stops, but it might be difficult to locate the one closest to you without the ability to zoom in.
3. Pick your bus schedule & trip time
Go back to the "Timetable" tab and choose the direction and day you’re traveling, such as southbound, northbound, weekday, weekend, and holiday. Then at the top of the timetable you’ll find the major bus stops served by that route. Note: GGT has over 800 bus stops and not all stops are listed in the timetables. Find the stop nearest your departure location, and locate the departure time in the column beneath it. If you’re boarding between major stops, use the earlier time as your reference. Read left to right to approximate what time the bus will get to your destination. Read the timetable from top to bottom to determine the times between trips at any single bus stop.
4. Determine your fare
Golden Gate Transit accepts cash and Clipper cards for fare payment. Clipper is the convenient, all-in-one transit card for the San Francisco Bay Area. Paying with a Clipper card also gives you a 20% discount off the cash fare so the more you use it, the more you save! Visit https://clippercard.com for more information about riding GGT with Clipper.
GGT fares are zone-based so your fare will depend on your origin and destination. Visit our Bus Fares & Payment section where we have fare tables for adults, youth, and seniors/disabled/Medicare riders, including discounts for youth, senior/disabled/Medicare, and Clipper users. (GGT defines an “adult” as ages 19 to 64, “youth” as ages 5 to 18, and a “senior” as ages 65 and older.)
If you’re connecting with another bus to complete your trip, be sure to ask the driver of your first bus for a transfer prior to paying your fare. If you don’t have exact change and are overpaying by more than $1, let the driver know and you will be issued a change card useable on a future GGT bus trip. With Clipper, transfers and fare credits are automatically applied.
Tips for riding
- Arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled departure time. Make sure the driver can see you and wave to him/her to indicate that you wish to board. Have your fare ready.
- If you have a bicycle, be sure the driver has recognized you and your bike before proceeding to the bike rack. Back rack space is available first-come, first-served. Electric bikes are not permitted on GGT. Read more in our Bring Your Bike section.
- Move quickly to an empty seat and remain seated while the bus is in motion. Bus capacity is limited to one passenger per seat, including those seats in the wheelchair securement area. As a courtesy, please reserve seats identified at the front for seniors and persons with disabilities.
- GGT buses can accommodate small personal items only. All items must fit safely in the overhead rack, under your seat, or safely on your lap. Do not block the aisle or another seat. Read more in our Tips for Riding section.
- Free WiFi is available on all GGT buses and connecting to the “GGT-WIFI” network is easy. Note: bandwidth is limited and shared among all riders.
- Cell phone use is permitted as long as you keep calls short, keep your voice low, and do not disturb fellow passengers or the bus driver. Minimize incoming calls when possible and use the silent/vibrate ringer option. You may be asked to stop using your cell phone.
- About a block prior to your stop, press the rubber strip between the windows or above your seat to signal the driver to stop. Wait for the bus to make a complete stop before leaving your seat. Don’t forget your belongings. If you need to remove a bicycle when you de-board, please tell the driver prior to leaving the bus.
Customer Service & Trip Planning Assistance
The Golden Gate Customer Service Center is open weekdays, except holidays, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our customer service representatives are experts at what they do and can assist with planning your trip or with answering your route or fare questions. Visit us at the San Rafael Transit Center, Platform D, or call us at 511 (say "Golden Gate Transit," then "operator" to bypass recorded messages)/TDD 711.