San Francisco - Hotel Location & Driving/Parking?

[hurleysweety]

Planning a trip to San Francisco for May 24-28. We currently have a hotel booked near the airport that includes free parking, free internet and free wi-fi for a great rate. We booked this on Saturday and we were so excited to be done with it and move forward in our planning.

Now that I've started planning our activities, I'm worried we'll either A) spend a lot of time and money parking the car at all the attractions or B)spend hours on public transit just to get downtown.

Are we better off staying more centrally located, or can we manage to drive into the city every day? Is it worth it to pay for parking at a nicer, union square area hotel? I would love the option to just take the MUNI everywhere...

Here are a list of the attractions/events we want to see/do:
- Walt Disney Museum
- Golden Gate Bridge/Park
- Union Square
- Fisherman's Wharf
- Ghirardelli Square
- SFMOMA
- Maybe one of the Aquariums or the California Academy of Sciences
- Giants Game (an absolute must for DH, he is taking care of this part)


We are a young couple and it will be my visit to San Francisco (DH went for a couple days about 12 years ago with his dad). I should also add that neither of us have ever lived in a downtown area and we are a little nervous about all the planning!

Oh, and for reference, the reason why we're trying to save our $$ on the hotel stay in San Francisco is because we are staying at the GCH in DLR and just bought APs too!

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

I wouldn't stay near the airport and commute into San Francisco every day. I would use Priceline and bid for a 3.5* or 4* in either Union Square or Financial District/Embarcadero. You might be able to get something in the range of $100 to $125 a night if hotel rates are not too bad. There is just too much to do in the city to get caught up in commuting. If you are renting a car, don't. The public transportation options are too good to deal with a car. Even at that, if you stay near the airport, you could always take BART into the city, then use Muni. A 3 day Muni pass is $22/person, and is good for cable cars, trolleys, Muni buses, and subway, though not BART.

ETA: Prices look low enough that you could probably get a 4* in Union Square or FD/E for around $100/nite.

 

[hurleysweety]

Should have mentioned we are driving from Phoenix and SF is one part of a long 12 day road trip. So we will be stuck with the car for those days. Every other day, we'll be so happy to have it!

Parking fees are up to $62/night at some places in the Union Square area. But I will look into priceline bidding and those bidding help forums and see what they have available for my dates...

Thanks for your help!

 

[GrandBob]

Well see, I disagree with zerosinthecloset. Which I guess is what makes the world go around!

I think your plan (staying by the airport) is great. In fact, my DW and I are doing something similar in Sept. While SF does, indeed, have great public transit, and is very convenient downtown and nearby tourist areas, it's less convenient in the outer areas, such as GG park, GG bridge, and the Presidio. I think you'll want your car for the days you do the Disney Museum, GG park (including its museums), and GG bridge. In addition, a car gets you to cool areas outside the city, such as Muir Woods, Tiburon, and Mt Tamalpais.

For the in-city days, yes, take public transit. Your hotel will undoubtedly have shuttle service to the airport. From there you can pick up BART or Caltrain into the city.

To see the Giants, take Caltrain to the last stop in the city. You'll be a block and a half from AT&T Park. Easy!

To go to Union Square, take BART to the Powell St station. Walk 2 blocks up Powell to Union Square. Also easy!

SFMOMA - take BART to Montgomery St station (which is a little closer than Powell St station), walk down 2nd St, turn right on Mission, then left on 3rd St.

For Fishermans Wharf and Ghiradelli, again take BART to the Powell St station. The most fun would be to then take the cable car to the end of the line at Fishermans Wharf. If that line is too long, take the 30 Stockton bus to North Point Ave, and get off around Ghiradelli Square.

If you want to go to Chinatown or North Beach (Italian area - you MUST go there to eat!), again take BART to the Powell St station, and take the 30 Stockton bus. For Chinatown, get off around Jackson St. For North Beach, get off Vallejo or Green St.

For public transit on buses, street cars, cable cars, you want the SF Muni web site at http://www.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.php They have complete system maps on their web site. The one for the downtown area is very helpful, here: http://transit.511.org/static/providers/maps/SF_49201342604.gif

HTH,
Bob

 

[GrandBob]

A couple more pointers.

For BART, buy a ticket for each of you for what you think you'll spend on your commutes. When you get on & off, the BART turnstiles scan your ticket and deducts the appropriate fare. You don't have to worry about change, etc. If you run out of credit, you go to the machine and use a CC or cash to add more.

The Powell St station is pretty much "transportation central". The Halladie plaza there has an information desk where you can pick up system maps, get information, etc. It's also a big meeting place, with street artists, performers, etc.

A 3 day MUNI pass may or may not save you money, depending on what you plan to do.

HTH,
Bob
(who lived in the city for a few years, but too long ago to admit to).

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Welllllllll...let me just say this about that.

With a single cable car ride being $6 and moving around town on the F-line trolley, buses, or MUNI subway, one can pay for the pass in half a day.

I still think you lose too much time commuting, i.e. BART to get the most out of the City. Plenty of good breakfast restaurants, North Beach coffee shops, and great seafood restaurants for lunch/dinner such as Tadich Grill on California, or Sotto Mare on Green Street in North Beach.

We're heading to the City this Friday and staying at the Omni in the Financial District, taking BART form Oakland Coliseum to downtown SF. We can get plenty done with MUNI. The subway can get you to Golden Gate Park as well as Haight/Ashbury and, if I recall correctly, the San Francisco Zoo.

The subway will also get you to the front door of the baseball stadium.

You have plenty of time to order a couple of Clipper Cards which you can put $$$ on for BART, or add MUNI passes to. It's a lot easier than trying to mess around with ticket machines, and you only have to tap the card for buses, subway, or swipe it (the cable car guy will do it) for cable cars.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

A couple of dining/drinking recommendations.

Of course Tadich Grill and Sotto Mare for seafood. In and Out Burger at Fisherman's Wharf. Cafe Puccini for coffee. Buena Vista for Irish Coffee, especially if it is chilly out. Original Joes in North Beach for Italian. Golden Boy Pizza, also on Green Street. Sears Fine Food for Breakfast...18 silver dollar Swedish pancakes, with or without lingonberries. Swan Oyster Depot, just off the California cable car line a block or two before Van Ness. House of Prime Rib for the meat lovers...on Van Ness, also Tommy's Joynt also on Van Ness for a funky cafeteria type restaurant. Just one more for now, Rocco's on Folsom for great chicken picatta, marsala, or scaloppini.

Also, there are a lot of public parking garages in the downtown area. Check the thread at Betterbidding.com for what people have reported for rates.

 

[Huff]

We're making a similar trip from Phoenix to SF. We cannot afford the hotels in SF nor their parking fees. Also, we're staying 4 1/2 days around SF but will also go to 6 flags and drive down to Santa Cruz and Monterrey one of our days. So staying in east bay makes sense.

I was able to book the La Quinta in Dublin/Pleasanton on Hotwire for $82/night. Its a 3 star with breakfast and minutes away from two bart stations. Perfect for our needs.

Is there any typical crowd patterns for catching the cable car from Powell to Fishermans Wharf during weekdays? Or is it pretty much 30-60 minute lines all day except early morning? Have a couple teens that have said the cable cars are a must do. Other days we'll take bart to Embarcadero and take the F line.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

We're making a similar trip from Phoenix to SF. We cannot afford the hotels in SF nor their parking fees. Also, we're staying 4 1/2 days around SF but will also go to 6 flags and drive down to Santa Cruz and Monterrey one of our days. So staying in east bay makes sense.

I was able to book the La Quinta in Dublin/Pleasanton on Hotwire for $82/night. Its a 3 star with breakfast and minutes away from two bart stations. Perfect for our needs.

Is there any typical crowd patterns for catching the cable car from Powell to Fishermans Wharf during weekdays? Or is it pretty much 30-60 minute lines all day except early morning? Have a couple teens that have said the cable cars are a must do. Other days we'll take bart to Embarcadero and take the F line.

It's pretty much a crap shoot at the Powell cable car turnaround, but the earlier the better. Be aware there are two destinations from Powell. The Powell/Hyde...which is the longer and more scenic and hillier, and the Powell/Mason which is quite a bit shorter. The Hyde route goes by Lombard, crookedest street, and starts going down hill with a great view of the bay and Alcatraz. Other than Ghiradelli(sp) to the left, and of course Buena Vista, Fisherman's Wharf is to the right. The Mason line stops about two blocks from pretty much the middle of FW, Pier 39 to the right, and Ghiradelli(sp) to the left. The Mason line is also the less busier of the two FW turnarounds.

Nothing is for sure, but I would suggest getting on the California line at the Embarcadero stop and get off on Nob Hill (Powell) and then catch the FW cable car...with the caveat that each ride is $6/person. A day pass is, IIRC, $13/day for cable cars, buses, subway (not BART), and F-line trolley.

And just to make sure you are aware, round trip on BART from Pleasanton to downtown SF is $11/person.

 

[MMCD]

We are staying at a Travelodge by Presidio. It has limited free parking. I looked for hotels with free paking under $150/night in tripadvisor.com.

Look in the left side and pick free parking under amenities. My hubby wants to have a car with us during the whole trip. We stayed near Union Station last time. We did self walking tour using cable car. We started at 7am and finished with a dinner at Chinatown.