San Francisco

sk!mom

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Looking for any and all opinions on San Francisco. The trip will be 5 days/4nights in late June.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip with 2 or 3 other couples. We are thinking a VRBO rental is the way to go. What are the best/most convenient areas to stay in?

What are the must dos?

We are considering a day trip to Napa or Sonoma. Or would it be better to spend at least one night there?

This board never lets me down. Thanks in advance.
 
We stayed in a VRBO in Berkeley twice during Christmas, that may be something to think about. Our DS lives there which is why we chose that area but still lots to offer and close to mass transit to get into the city. Also, we did both Sonoma and Napa. Whichever you decide you must go to the Fremont Diner for breakfast!
 
OP, I actually just did the same. Will be going there as part of a road trip for the first time. I'm doing a day trip to Napa and I booked it through Max's Napa Tours (has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor). They offer private and shared tours and I believe the shared tours are MAX 6 people so you will have a pretty intimate Napa experience.

As for other must do's, the Walt Disney Family Museum would definitely be a must. I'm pretty excited about it. And of course, obligatory pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge.
 
We really enjoyed our tour of Alcatraz, and a day hike at Muir Woods to see the redwoods. We would have loved to have gone to Sequoia Nat. Park but the time of year just wasn't right.
I'm not sure how far you are willing to travel while there but driving along the coast and down to Big Sur was another highlight. We visited some parks down there too, but we split our trip between staying in SF and staying in Monterey so we had the time.

Forgot, the kids and dh loved hanging off the cable car. Me not so much LOL
 
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Well, from the City to Napa or Sonoma County is easily 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes (depending on location and traffic). It is a very congested route. So, it depends on how much time you want to spend on the road whether you stay there or in the city.. Also, if you are doing wine tasting, I strongly suggest that you either have a designated driver and/or have someone else drive you. Sampling at 3-4 places could easily have you end up pretty tipsy (or worse). Lots of accidents happen there for exactly this reason.


We did an airbnb in November that might work for your group -- it had 4 bedrooms (unusual in San Francisco), and two bathrooms and was very affordable, not to mention clean and had ample street parking available (very rare!) so renting a car would be possible. I'm happy to share specific details if you want. It was in the area of Golden Gate Park, so pretty convenient to get to the Golden Gate Bridge and points north.

The other option would be to spend your entire trip staying at a place in San Rafael, or Mill Valley. Lots of rentals available in both areas. And, an easy drive to the City (30 minutes or less outside of commute times), and would then substantially cut your travel time to Napa or Sonoma. There are also a couple of hotels in the area that I recommend to guests when they visit the area (I lived in the area for 20+ years). There are also a ton of wonderful things to see in Marin County (which is where these two towns are), including most famously Muir Woods and the Redwoods. The ideal way to see Muir Woods is FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, which would be easy to do if you stayed convenient to that. To get to the City, you'd drive OVER the Golden Gate Bridge....just like a local. :-) And, the Disney Museum is located right near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Location is very important "in" the City...some neighborhoods are walkable with lots of great dining; others not so much. Again, more than happy to steer you in the right direction.

Know that late June is sub-optimal weather "in" the City. Lots of fog. Tends to be on the very cool side. OTOH, in Mill Valley, it will be (on average) 10 degrees warmer and sunnier, and in San Rafael, 10 degrees warmer still and even sunnier. It's hard for people not from the area to fathom how different the weather can be in short distances, but it is true. My sister visited us once when we lived in Mill Valley, she complained that our town was "too cool" and then when we went to San Rafael, that it was "too hot." LOL. Same day. Napa can be downright hot in the summer months.

I hope this helps, and like I say, feel free to message me off line if you want more information or advice on specific rentals. I know Marin and the City very very well.

Also, plan to bring a hoody with you for the City. I've seen locals wearing down coats in the City in the summer...but that's overkill. LOL. But, I cannot stress enough the need for layers and long pants. Vendors on Fisherman's Wharf make a killing selling hoodies and sweatshirts to the unsuspecting tourists equipped with nothing but shorts and t-shirts.
 
We did a one day Napa tour and it was great, maybe 6-10 people total. We went to 3 or 4 vineyards and had such a great time.
We could taste whatever we wanted without the worry of having to drive, It was a great day.
 
We did a one day Napa tour and it was great, maybe 6-10 people total. We went to 3 or 4 vineyards and had such a great time.
We could taste whatever we wanted without the worry of having to drive, It was a great day.

That is one of the options we're considering. Can you share the company you used?
 
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Well, from the City to Napa or Sonoma County is easily 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes (depending on location and traffic). It is a very congested route. So, it depends on how much time you want to spend on the road whether you stay there or in the city.. Also, if you are doing wine tasting, I strongly suggest that you either have a designated driver and/or have someone else drive you. Sampling at 3-4 places could easily have you end up pretty tipsy (or worse). Lots of accidents happen there for exactly this reason.


We did an airbnb in November that might work for your group -- it had 4 bedrooms (unusual in San Francisco), and two bathrooms and was very affordable, not to mention clean and had ample street parking available (very rare!) so renting a car would be possible. I'm happy to share specific details if you want. It was in the area of Golden Gate Park, so pretty convenient to get to the Golden Gate Bridge and points north.

The other option would be to spend your entire trip staying at a place in San Rafael, or Mill Valley. Lots of rentals available in both areas. And, an easy drive to the City (30 minutes or less outside of commute times), and would then substantially cut your travel time to Napa or Sonoma. There are also a couple of hotels in the area that I recommend to guests when they visit the area (I lived in the area for 20+ years). There are also a ton of wonderful things to see in Marin County (which is where these two towns are), including most famously Muir Woods and the Redwoods. The ideal way to see Muir Woods is FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, which would be easy to do if you stayed convenient to that. To get to the City, you'd drive OVER the Golden Gate Bridge....just like a local. :-) And, the Disney Museum is located right near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Location is very important "in" the City...some neighborhoods are walkable with lots of great dining; others not so much. Again, more than happy to steer you in the right direction.

Know that late June is sub-optimal weather "in" the City. Lots of fog. Tends to be on the very cool side. OTOH, in Mill Valley, it will be (on average) 10 degrees warmer and sunnier, and in San Rafael, 10 degrees warmer still and even sunnier. It's hard for people not from the area to fathom how different the weather can be in short distances, but it is true. My sister visited us once when we lived in Mill Valley, she complained that our town was "too cool" and then when we went to San Rafael, that it was "too hot." LOL. Same day. Napa can be downright hot in the summer months.

I hope this helps, and like I say, feel free to message me off line if you want more information or advice on specific rentals. I know Marin and the City very very well.

Also, plan to bring a hoody with you for the City. I've seen locals wearing down coats in the City in the summer...but that's overkill. LOL. But, I cannot stress enough the need for layers and long pants. Vendors on Fisherman's Wharf make a killing selling hoodies and sweatshirts to the unsuspecting tourists equipped with nothing but shorts and t-shirts.

Thanks for your tips and I sent you a message.

We will hire a driver for the winery visits. Any favorite wineries? Or preference between Sonoma and Napa?
 
I agree with a previous poster about Muir Woods very early. The parking lot is quite small and gets crowded quickly. If you are up to it, do a longer hike off the beaten path and end up in the main trail. Then make a stop at Muir beach, possibly with a packed lunch. The view of Golden Gate bridge from Marion Headlands is great. Get an ice cream sandwich from Cream if you have time. A great little brewery is Fieldworks. I enjoyed Halls winery in Napa, really cool art around the grounds.
 
Looking for any and all opinions on San Francisco. The trip will be 5 days/4nights in late June.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip with 2 or 3 other couples. We are thinking a VRBO rental is the way to go. What are the best/most convenient areas to stay in?

What are the must dos?

We are considering a day trip to Napa or Sonoma. Or would it be better to spend at least one night there?

This board never lets me down. Thanks in advance.

Some of the most touristy things I would forego next time-Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street. I really liked Alcatraz-love historical things. I also really loved the Mission District with all the amazing murals on the buildings. Of course China Town. And of Course Napa. DH golfed at Pebble Beach while I went to Carmel-such a beautiful quaint town with really cool shops.
 
I always try to convince people to skip Fisherman's Wharf, but I'm never successful. Complete tourist trap. LOL. So many other things to see and do! But, it's "famous" so people insist on going.

I prefer Sonoma for wine tasting just because it's less well known and therefore less crowded. Awesome wineries though, just like in Napa. One of my favorites is Beringer, not because it's the "best" wine ever, but because it is one of the oldest wineries in California. And, also Ravenswood, because I am partial to Zinfandel. :-)

Oh, and if you want to see Lombard street, best way to do is to combine that with your "required" cable car ride, from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf...you'll pass right by it. :-)
 
Looking for any and all opinions on San Francisco. The trip will be 5 days/4nights in late June.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip with 2 or 3 other couples. We are thinking a VRBO rental is the way to go. What are the best/most convenient areas to stay in?

What are the must dos?

We are considering a day trip to Napa or Sonoma. Or would it be better to spend at least one night there?

This board never lets me down. Thanks in advance.

Some of the most touristy things I would forego next time-Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street. I really liked Alcatraz-love historical things. I also really loved the Mission District with all the amazing murals on the buildings. Of course China Town. And of Course Napa. DH golfed at Pebble Beach while I went to Carmel-such a beautiful quaint town with really cool shops.
 
As a local, I can recommend places I enjoy.

Muir Woods was mentioned. It's fine, but personally (and as a former annual pass holder) I'd say it's just a redwood grove and a rather crowded one. The parking situation is insane these days, and when visiting I've parked up to nearly a mile away. They now have a shuttle on peak days at a large parking lot in Mill Valley next to 101. It's fine, but given other options, there are equally or more impressive old growth redwood groves all along the California coast. Muir Woods mainly stands out as the last old growth redwood grove fairly close to San Francisco. The trees themselves are on the small side compared to the 300+ ft tall trees in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties.

Sonoma County has more than just wine, but great beer too. It's not exactly wine country, but Petaluma has Lagunitas Brewing, and Santa Rosa has Russian River Brewing. Santa Rosa also has the Charles Schultz museum and Snoopy's Home Ice skating rink.

If you want to try something a little bit unusual, there's Avatar's Punjabi Burritos at several locations in Marin County.
 
As a local, I can recommend places I enjoy.

Muir Woods was mentioned. It's fine, but personally (and as a former annual pass holder) I'd say it's just a redwood grove and a rather crowded one. The parking situation is insane these days, and when visiting I've parked up to nearly a mile away. They now have a shuttle on peak days at a large parking lot in Mill Valley next to 101. It's fine, but given other options, there are equally or more impressive old growth redwood groves all along the California coast. Muir Woods mainly stands out as the last old growth redwood grove fairly close to San Francisco. The trees themselves are on the small side compared to the 300+ ft tall trees in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties.

Sonoma County has more than just wine, but great beer too. It's not exactly wine country, but Petaluma has Lagunitas Brewing, and Santa Rosa has Russian River Brewing. Santa Rosa also has the Charles Schultz museum and Snoopy's Home Ice skating rink.

If you want to try something a little bit unusual, there's Avatar's Punjabi Burritos at several locations in Marin County.
We really enjoyed the Lagunitas tour!
 
I lived in the Bay Area for decades starting with going to Stanford in the mid 70s. To be honest I'd spend just a token amount of time in "the city". Most of the great stuff is in the neighboring areas. The Rodin exhibits at Stanford are truly world class if you have any interest in sculpture. The wine country (Sonoma is my favorite) is worthwhile. Half Moon Bay is interesting as of course is Monterrey and Carmel. There's so much there to explore.
 
Carmel/Big Sur, IMO, are better enjoyed if you are able to spend a night there. That way you can wake up early and maybe go for a hike and really enjoy your surroundings. I don't think you'll get a full appreciation just doing a day trip.
 
I honestly hated SF. I've never been to a city anywhere in the world where I felt more unsafe. I stayed in Union Square and wouldn't recommend that area to anyone. Initially I booked an apartment on AirBnB in the Mission and everyone on TripAdvisor chastised me, saying that was no place for a young woman to stay alone. Believe me, Union Square wasn't either.
The one SF experience I enjoyed was hiking the Golden Gate Bridge. Truly life-affirming. Will never forget it. Everything else, including seeing people defecate and shoot up drugs on the sidewalks in the middle of the day--I'll take a hard pass on.
 
I honestly hated SF. I've never been to a city anywhere in the world where I felt more unsafe. I stayed in Union Square and wouldn't recommend that area to anyone.

SF is one of the safest cities in the world second/third to only Seattle and Portland, OR in the US. My wife and I walked through the Tenderloin late at night. Sure their are some sketch characters but they are completely safe.
 
I always try to convince people to skip Fisherman's Wharf, but I'm never successful. Complete tourist trap. LOL.

Agreed Fisherman's Wharf is a complete dump. Probably the same crowd there goes to Times Square in NYC.
 

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