Hotels around San Francisco

[Littleprincess2010]

We're looking for a hotel around the SanFrancisco area for our drive back in Mid-November and Im hoping someone can offer some suggestions on an area to stay (San Jose, Fremont, Mountainview, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, ect) that is safe and a Hotel that is around $100 a night.

We have 3 adults and 1 child and need 2 Queen sized beds.

We're planning on driving from Anaheim, up the 1/101 and staying somewhere near San Fran so the next day we can drive to the wharf and do tourist-y things.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[GrandBob]

There are two areas I'd consider, since you don't need to be within walking distance of the tourist attractions (and pay for it).

1. Around the airport (SFO). All the major chains are there -- a couple of Embassy Suites, Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc. Plus a bunch of motels in Burlingame and Millbrae.

2. Out on Lombard Street in San Francisco proper. The motels along Lombard typically are reasonably priced, and (typically) don't charge extra for parking.

Check both areas on TripAdvisor. You should be able to find something that suits your needs.

-Bob

 

[skiingfast]

If you stay in SF make sure you find out about parking. Some hotels have valet parking for $25-$35 or you use a garage for $25-35. Places near the warf may have some good deals too. They are handy because you can walk to site and take the cable car to within a few blocks of China Town.

You might also want to look in the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill area. From their you can take BART into SF for a few dollars. Depending on your days that can save you time driving too.

 

[mamacatnv]

There are two areas I'd consider, since you don't need to be within walking distance of the tourist attractions (and pay for it).

1. Around the airport (SFO). All the major chains are there -- a couple of Embassy Suites, Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc. Plus a bunch of motels in Burlingame and Millbrae.

2. Out on Lombard Street in San Francisco proper. The motels along Lombard typically are reasonably priced, and (typically) don't charge extra for parking.

Check both areas on TripAdvisor. You should be able to find something that suits your needs.

-Bob

The TravelLodge Golden Gate on Lombard and Steiner. Great little motel, extremely clean, really nice neighborhood, FREE parking and 10 minutes to everything (wharf, ferry Bldg, China Town, Bridge etc) oh and excellent TripAdvisor reviews

 

[Littleprincess2010]

The TravelLodge Golden Gate on Lombard and Steiner. Great little motel, extremely clean, really nice neighborhood, FREE parking and 10 minutes to everything (wharf, ferry Bldg, China Town, Bridge etc) oh and excellent TripAdvisor reviews

Thank you so much!! The rate is only $90 a night with taxes (we are going during off season). The family is going to love staying right in San Fran for the night

 

[mamacatnv]

Thank you so much!! The rate is only $90 a night with taxes (we are going during off season). The family is going to love staying right in San Fran for the night

Glad it worked out for you! A friend told me about it, we stayed there in March and were very pleased. It is not fancy, but it was clean. The room had 2 queen beds, a micro, coffee pot and a larger than mini fridge. The surrounding neighborhood was very nice, there was a Crate & Barrel, WalGreens, a ton of restaurants, boutiques and Cafes all within 2 blocks. It is considered the Marina Dist/Cow Hollow.
I'm staying there end of July - a friend and I are taking our DD's to the DeYoung Museum and the Exploratorium.
There is a little burger place around the corner on Steiner called Barneys Gourmet burgers - excellent, excellent, excellent!
Mel's Diner across the street has a really good and reasonable breakfast also.
Home Plate, which is a few doors down from the motel has an ok breakfast, it was more foofie than we like....scones w/jam, sweet potatoe pancakes, stuffed almond french toast, frittatas etc,. We like meat and lots of it, eggs, potatoes and pancakes!

San Francisco is my favorite city, I just love it!

 

[Littleprincess2010]

San Francisco is my favorite city, I just love it!

Im already loving it and we've still got 174 days until our trip starts.

We're planning on going to Alcatraz and then doing some touristy things, you're suggestions for places to eat are great. We'll need a good, hearty breakfast before our whirlwind of a day Got any tips for a first timer on tourist places to go and ones to avoid?

 

[mamacatnv]

How old is the child in your group?
On our last visit we went to:
Alcatraz
Ft. Point - mid day they have a cannon demonstration that is fun
Took 2 walking tours thru City Tours (free), 1 of China Town and the other was the Golden Gate Bridge.
Over the bridge to the N. is a fascinating place, Pt. Bonita along with Rodeo Beach and from there we drove N. to Muir Beach
The Cable Cars are really fun - The line that runs from Union Sq. to the Wharf can be very crowded but the one that runs from Market to VanNess is less toursity and was lots of fun. It goes up an over Nob Hill near the Fairmont, the Mark Hopkins and Grace Cathedral. We hopped on and off on Stockton Street on the outer edge of ChinaTown.
California Academy of Sciences is a beautiful museum but my DD prefers the hands on Exploratorium
The aquarium by the Bay is ok, we buy CityPasses and admission is included otherwise I would not pay the entry fee, its not worth it IMO. You want an aquarium, stop in Monterey and go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

If I only had 1 day here is what I would do:
I would start off with a walk to at least the mid span of the Golden Gate Bridge. From there, proceed to ChinaTown, get off the main street and explore the markets, simply amazing. The food is good too, we love the Washington Street Bakery and Restaurant on Washington St. below Stockton St. The VanNess/Market cable car line runs just south of China Town, walk down there and take the cable car over Nob hill and back. From there I would walk Columbus Ave thru Little Italy down to the wharf. Check out the sea lions and the street performers, have some crab or chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, I would finish up the day with an Ice Cream Sundae at Ghiradelli Sq.
If it were me, I would drive to the Bridge in the morning before the wind kicks up, then return the car to the hotel and take Muni to China Town (1 bus) walk to the Wharf, walk to Ghiradelli then take Muni back to the motel (1 bus) If really crunched for time, take a cab. The ride from ChinaTown to Ghiradelli Sq. cost us under $10 including tip and he drove us by Lombard (the crooked street)

We go to SFO a couple of times a year. I know there are several Dis'ers who live in that area. I grew up south of the city and take my kids often for all the museums, history etc.

 

[donmil723]

How old is the child in your group?
On our last visit we went to:
Alcatraz
Ft. Point - mid day they have a cannon demonstration that is fun
Took 2 walking tours thru City Tours (free), 1 of China Town and the other was the Golden Gate Bridge.
Over the bridge to the N. is a fascinating place, Pt. Bonita along with Rodeo Beach and from there we drove N. to Muir Beach
The Cable Cars are really fun - The line that runs from Union Sq. to the Wharf can be very crowded but the one that runs from Market to VanNess is less toursity and was lots of fun. It goes up an over Nob Hill near the Fairmont, the Mark Hopkins and Grace Cathedral. We hopped on and off on Stockton Street on the outer edge of ChinaTown.
California Academy of Sciences is a beautiful museum but my DD prefers the hands on Exploratorium
The aquarium by the Bay is ok, we buy CityPasses and admission is included otherwise I would not pay the entry fee, its not worth it IMO. You want an aquarium, stop in Monterey and go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

If I only had 1 day here is what I would do:
I would start off with a walk to at least the mid span of the Golden Gate Bridge. From there, proceed to ChinaTown, get off the main street and explore the markets, simply amazing. The food is good too, we love the Washington Street Bakery and Restaurant on Washington St. below Stockton St. The VanNess/Market cable car line runs just south of China Town, walk down there and take the cable car over Nob hill and back. From there I would walk Columbus Ave thru Little Italy down to the wharf. Check out the sea lions and the street performers, have some crab or chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, I would finish up the day with an Ice Cream Sundae at Ghiradelli Sq.
If it were me, I would drive to the Bridge in the morning before the wind kicks up, then return the car to the hotel and take Muni to China Town (1 bus) walk to the Wharf, walk to Ghiradelli then take Muni back to the motel (1 bus) If really crunched for time, take a cab. The ride from ChinaTown to Ghiradelli Sq. cost us under $10 including tip and he drove us by Lombard (the crooked street)

We go to SFO a couple of times a year. I know there are several Dis'ers who live in that area. I grew up south of the city and take my kids often for all the museums, history etc.

We will be in San Francisco June 11-13 and are staying at the Columbus Motor Inn which has gotten good reviews both here and on tripadvisor.com.
We thought we would go to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, we plan to do the city guide walking tour of Chinatown. Did you like this tour? Between the Chinatown tour and our night tour of Alcatraz, we hope to ride the cable cars and check out Lombard Street. Is there anything else you think we can fit in on Saturday?

We have already bought tickets for the night tour of Alcatraz on Saturday evening. Looking forward to that as my DH is a history buff and DD's fiancee teaches high school American History.

On Sunday, we plan to go to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Have you been to the Disney Museum? We were going to the museum first and then to the GG Bridge or should we switch that around and go to the bridge first?

This will be our first visit (all adults) to San Francisco and we can only hit the highlights as our time is limited. We would appreciate any dining suggestions for breakfast on Saturday between our hotel and Chinatown and on Sunday near the Presidio or Golden Gate Bridge. Other suggestions for lunch and dinner would be extremely helpful too!

Thanks for sharing your trip plans and for any suggestions you might have for us!

 

[mamacatnv]

DonMil723:
I have heard good things about the Columbus Motor Inn - it is slightly higher than TravelLodge GG when I have checked.

City Guide walking tour - excellent, we really enjoyed it. We learned all sorts of interesting tidbits and our guide took us down alleys and into shops we probably never would have found or explored on our own. The fortune cookie factory was fun!
In ChinaTown we love the Washington St. Bakery and Restaurant. http://www.washingtonbakerysf.com/ There are also several popular Dim-Sum restaurants. Keep in mind the Chinatown restaurants cater to the tourists and finding the hole in the walls with a large Asian patronage is IMO usually a better place to eat. Due to very very strict health codes in San Fran, you can eat safely anywhere. You may not like what you get but it won't hurt you, including street vendors etc.

We have not been to the Disney Museum, we are going to attempt to get there in July. The Bridge also has a walking tour and it was equally fascinating. I think I would start off with the bridge and the tour if possible then proceed to the Disney Museum, mainly due to the availability of the tour times.

The night tour of Alcatraz is amazing, we did that several years ago, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Eating: There are so many choices, types, price ranges etc. and I really am no expert. We liked Barneys Gourmet Hamburgers, Washington St. Bakery and Restaurant and Mels. Breakfast could have been better and we did not really go searching, we went with what was close and fast so we could begin the rest of our day.
We do enjoy bread bowls w/chowder at the wharf when we are in the mood to be tourist, but overall we do not like Pier 39 - it is a tourist trap. We like the sea lions and the street performers but you can have the rest. Wander towards the ferry building along the Embarcadero or take a ride on the "F" line, old historical restored trolly cars or go towards the bridge along the water and check out the different piers, there are old historical ships etc to explore and a stop at the sourdough bread museum is actually kind of fun!

 

[Littleprincess2010]

How old is the child in your group?
On our last visit we went to:
Alcatraz
Ft. Point - mid day they have a cannon demonstration that is fun
Took 2 walking tours thru City Tours (free), 1 of China Town and the other was the Golden Gate Bridge.
Over the bridge to the N. is a fascinating place, Pt. Bonita along with Rodeo Beach and from there we drove N. to Muir Beach
The Cable Cars are really fun - The line that runs from Union Sq. to the Wharf can be very crowded but the one that runs from Market to VanNess is less toursity and was lots of fun. It goes up an over Nob Hill near the Fairmont, the Mark Hopkins and Grace Cathedral. We hopped on and off on Stockton Street on the outer edge of ChinaTown.
California Academy of Sciences is a beautiful museum but my DD prefers the hands on Exploratorium
The aquarium by the Bay is ok, we buy CityPasses and admission is included otherwise I would not pay the entry fee, its not worth it IMO. You want an aquarium, stop in Monterey and go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

If I only had 1 day here is what I would do:
I would start off with a walk to at least the mid span of the Golden Gate Bridge. From there, proceed to ChinaTown, get off the main street and explore the markets, simply amazing. The food is good too, we love the Washington Street Bakery and Restaurant on Washington St. below Stockton St. The VanNess/Market cable car line runs just south of China Town, walk down there and take the cable car over Nob hill and back. From there I would walk Columbus Ave thru Little Italy down to the wharf. Check out the sea lions and the street performers, have some crab or chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, I would finish up the day with an Ice Cream Sundae at Ghiradelli Sq.
If it were me, I would drive to the Bridge in the morning before the wind kicks up, then return the car to the hotel and take Muni to China Town (1 bus) walk to the Wharf, walk to Ghiradelli then take Muni back to the motel (1 bus) If really crunched for time, take a cab. The ride from ChinaTown to Ghiradelli Sq. cost us under $10 including tip and he drove us by Lombard (the crooked street)

We go to SFO a couple of times a year. I know there are several Dis'ers who live in that area. I grew up south of the city and take my kids often for all the museums, history etc.

Thank you so much for all that info.

My DD will be turning 7 on this trip and my mother has mobility issues and can't walk for long periods (although she is determined to get healthy before our Disney Trip )

Alcatraz is on the docket
Boudouin Bread Factory
Pier 39
A ride on a cable car
and of course the Golden Gate Bridge.

We're only there from about 9am-5pm so I want to be able to fit in as much as possible. Breakfast and Lunch will be on the go, Dinner on the drive to Redding, CA. I was considering doing the Boudoin Bread Factory just before lunch and buying their Bread, Meat and cheese basket for us to have for lunch.

If the breakfast place you mentioned is open early (around 8am) then we might pop in there for a quick breakfast before driving down to the pier and parking our car for the day.

We'll probably buy tickets for the 1pm boat to Alcatraz. That gives us plenty of time to be tourists over there before heading back to SanFran to finish out our day.

Knowing how long we have there (about 8 hours) and the mobility issues what would you plan to do? How would you plan your day?

 

[donmil723]

mamacatnv: Thanks for all the good suggestions. How long was the Golden Gate Bridge walking tour so I can also schedule our time to enter the Disney Museum? Do you actually walk onto the bridge on this tour? Is there parking nearby as we were planning to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Disney Museum?

We are excited about the Chinatown tour as we probably would be afraid to explore too much on our own. I'm glad to hear you also enjoyed the night tour of Alcatraz.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[disneycruising]

We live about 45 minutes from SF.

I love fishermans wharf! You will be able to get great seafood!

A few weeks ago, we did the Disney Family Museum. The museum is amazing! I want to warn you there is alot of walking ...it took us 2.5 hours to see the museum.

 

[mamacatnv]

If the breakfast place you mentioned is open early (around 8am) then we might pop in there for a quick breakfast before driving down to the pier and parking our car for the day.

We'll probably buy tickets for the 1pm boat to Alcatraz. That gives us plenty of time to be tourists over there before heading back to SanFran to finish out our day.

Knowing how long we have there (about 8 hours) and the mobility issues what would you plan to do? How would you plan your day?

Mel's was open 24hrs if I remember correctly and they were pretty quick getting us in and out.

You will need to be at the Alcatraz pier at approx 12:15 - 12:30 for the 1pm boat. The Alcatraz pier is about a 10 minute (at a good pace) walk from Pier 39.

The bridge might be tricky with mobility issues but there are observation areas on both sides with great views etc.

I think the issue you are going to have is going to be squeezing in a cable car ride. The routes are limited and the lines can be really long at the turnaround stations, especially on the weekends, your off season visit might work to your benefit. The not as popular line that runs Market to Van Ness is aways away from the Pier and logistically might be tricky. However, if you headed to the wharf early AM and went to the cable car turnaround immediately you might be okay. Warning, to get on and off the cable car one must be able to step up onto them, as far as I know they do not have lowering capabilities, ramps or anything else (I could be wrong) they do have seats and standing areas. The ride from the wharf to the other end of the line in Union Sq. takes awhile, you could go to the top of the hill, get off and then get back on a cable car going back to the wharf.

Happy planning! Sounds like fun

 

[mamacatnv]

We live about 45 minutes from SF.

I love fishermans wharf! You will be able to get get seafood!

A few weeks ago, we did the Disney Family Museum. The museum is amazing! I want to worn you there is alot of walking ...it took us 2.5 hours to see the museum.

Wow! Really it is that big. I am trying to work it into our weekend trip in July - a friend and I are taking our DD's to the DeYoung and the Exploratorium, incidentally our 2 families have spent time together in WDW so the Disney Museum is attractive to us. Thanks for the info

 

[mamacatnv]

mamacatnv: Thanks for all the good suggestions. How long was the Golden Gate Bridge walking tour so I can also schedule our time to enter the Disney Museum? Do you actually walk onto the bridge on this tour? Is there parking nearby as we were planning to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Disney Museum?

We are excited about the Chinatown tour as we probably would be afraid to explore too much on our own. I'm glad to hear you also enjoyed the night tour of Alcatraz.

Thanks again for your help!

Both tours were approx 1.5-2 hours and yes, the bridge tour took us to mid-span of the bridge. The majority of the "talking" done by the guide occurred prior to walking out onto the bridge, the noise level from the traffic, wind etc. makes talking to a large group difficult.

Parking:
There is metered parking at the observation lot where the tour meets, bring lots of quarters. If you are going on a weekend, there is additional overflow parking that is used by the city workers during the week but opened up to the public on the weekends. It was a flat fee of $5 (cheap) and was a quick walk (2-3minutes) to the observation area. There are also restrooms and a small cafe right there in the parking area.

I am not sure where the Disney Museum is in relation to the Bridge, perhaps DisneyCrusing could answer that and give you parking information too. I have not yet been there so I do not know.

Happy planning - You will love it, beautiful city! Bring layers, the weather can be unpredictable and chilly near the water and most certainly when out on Alcatraz and the bridge

 

[Miss SD]

The museum is close to the bridge. I won't give you driving instructions because I'm bad with directions. It would probably take you 15 minutes tops, I'd say, depending on traffic.

I agree with poster who advised you to leave a lot of time for the Disney Family Museum. I volunteer there and I've overheard many people say they didn't realize how much there was to see. I'd give it at least two hours, especially if you're big Disney fans. The museum has many displays about Walt's early life and a fantastic model of Disneyland. And don't worry about parking; there's a football field-sized lot in front of the museum. And, for once in SF, the parking is free!

 

[donmil723]

The museum is close to the bridge. I won't give you driving instructions because I'm bad with directions. It would probably take you 15 minutes tops, I'd say, depending on traffic.

I agree with poster who advised you to leave a lot of time for the Disney Family Museum. I volunteer there and I've overheard many people say they didn't realize how much there was to see. I'd give it at least two hours, especially if you're big Disney fans. The museum has many displays about Walt's early life and a fantastic model of Disneyland. And don't worry about parking; there's a football field-sized lot in front of the museum. And, for once in SF, the parking is free!

Thanks for the info! Looking at the map, I thought it was fairly close. I'm so excited to see it as we are big Disney fans!!!!

 

[hitman9211]

The TravelLodge Golden Gate on Lombard and Steiner.