San Fransico and the Coast?

[apnep]

Hi,

We would like to travel to San Fransisco this year and wondering when the best time to go is. We'd also like to see the coast. How long do you think we would need to do a whirlwind trip?

Can you offer any advice or suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lorijohnhill]

It depends on a lot of things...

What would you like to see/do in San Francisco? My family could easily spend 5 days in SF and not see everything...

 

[apnep]

Well, maybe just the main highlights, Golden Gate, Alcatraz, ride a trolley, lol? Then drive along the coast, would LOVE that more than anything. How long would it take to do that??

 

[scrapquitler]

We drove from LA (we went to DL of course!) to SF back in April. We spent one whole day driving the Pacific Coast Highway (from Ventura to Carmel) and it took us about 16 hours, including all the places we stopped. I would have liked to have stopped more places if we had more time, but we had to make it to SF so my DH could attend a seminar for work.

We then spent two days in SF. I definitely would have liked to have more time.

 

[Hikergirl]

We just did that this past Spring. We spent 3 days in SF, walked around the city, rode the cable car, fisherman's wharf, did an alcatraz tour, golden gate and drove to Muir Woods for a hike.
Then we drove down the coast and stayed 4 days in Monterey. Stopped at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk for about an hour along the way.
In Monterey we went to the aquarium, kayaked on the bay and ate/shopped at cannery row. During day trips from there we visited Point Lobos tide pools. Drove down to Big Sur, Bixby Bridge, a few other places on the way for sight seeing.
I would have loved to go to Sequoia National Park but it was still early enough where weather could be an issue there. Probably would have to add a couple days for that.

 

[lorijohnhill]

One thing to note: if you want to tour Alcatraz, buy your tickets well in advance. I looked a week ahead of our trip (mid July) and they were sold out through mid to end of August.

 

[Pooh2]

Well, maybe just the main highlights, Golden Gate, Alcatraz, ride a trolley, lol? Then drive along the coast, would LOVE that more than anything. How long would it take to do that??

We did this last year on a 5 day trip and had a blast! We flew into San Francisco about 1pm, drove by the Golden Gate on the way out of town (encountered very heavy traffic in the afternoon).

We headed up Mendocino for 3 nights, driving through wine country. With Mendocino as our base, we went up to see the Redwoods and drove up the coast. On the way back to San Franciso, we drove Route 1. We had a full day in San Francisco; took our trolley ride and did the touristy stuff and lunch, then took the ferry back over the bay to Oakland. We boarded the California Zephyr in Emeryville for a cross country train trip.

For us, one full day in San Francisco was plenty. I much preferred the drive up the coast.

Have a great trip!

 

[kymom99]

My friend recommends Hearst castle. She tells me there is a really nice best western nearby that overlooks the coast

 

[MomToOne]

My favorite time in San Francisco is in the fall, October is usually a good month. Rains typically haven't started yet, but the fog is gone. Weather can actually be warmer on the coast compared to other areas because the sea moderates the temps. But always, always, always bring a jacket when you visit SF. Even in the dead of summer.

We usually stay in the Chinatown area when we stay overnight, because we like just wandering the streets there. There are lots of museums all over the city to check out, I like the Asian Art Museum, DD likes the Modern Art and De Young museums, but there are all sorts of others (including the Walt Disney Family museum). And of course, eating is it's own activity in SF - we spend large parts of our day just figuring out where we want to eat next Theater, Ballet, Opera, Symphony - all are good depending on your interests. Be sure to check out the view from Coit Tower at night. And consider taking in a SF Giants baseball game if you go during the season - the park is great.

 

[Sagginit]

I went last year, last week of October as part of my honeymoon. We did just one day in San Fran. It was my husband's second trip and I only wanted to see the major sites. We didn't visit Alcatrez but we stayed outside the city and saw it on our ferry ride in. We took the trolleys to tour the city, stopped by a few historic sites, hung out at the wharf, went to ghiradelli, ate lunch at an awesome local restaurant etc. We went to visit a park the next day to take in the bridge on our way out of the city onto Napa. Another issue was cost. Rooms is the city were very expensive that week so we stayed outside the city, but then we had to pay for the ferry and be on a schedule. For that reason one solid packed day was the best way to see it.

What part of the coast do you want to see? You could easily spend 1-2 days driving down. We broke it up into legs as we didn't want to spend all day in a car, but it is rather barren in certain parts so you have to map it out. We also ended our trip in Anaheim, but if you end your trip earlier or just do a small loop you could do it in maybe 1 day.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

October is a nice month. It's like Indian summer there. As to how long, that's hard to say because it depends on what you want to do/see and how long you want to spend at each spot. Driving along the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) takes longer than the other routes, especially Big Sur area. It's slow go. Need to be aware of rock slides in Big Sur because that certainly closes it down. Also, wild fires. Big Sur had one not too long ago and there was no driving through. I lived on Monterey Peninsula for 16 years. I know the area well (Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel by the Sea, Carmel Highlands, Big Sur), if you want more info regarding specifics I'd be happy to share. Another nice stop would be Santa Barbara and Solvang. Solvang is cute. Have a great trip. P.S. Several years ago friends of ours did the coast drive from LA to SF, they spent a minimum of 10 days.

 

[afan]

As others have said it all depends on what you want to do and how far up or down the coast you want to go. You can drive down the coast from SF to Santa Cruz and then back up 17 to 280/101 to the city in a day. It depends on how much coast and which coast you want to see, north or south. September and October are good, it's typically considered summer in the city then. Do listen to those that said to bring a jacket, you can tell the tourists that didn't because it's summer not realizing how cold it can get or how it doesn't even warm up.

I went to college at San Francisco State, near the water, we would have bonfires at Ocean Beach. But I could go days without seeing the sun if I didn't go a few miles from campus because we sat in the fog belt or whatever you want to call it.

Public transit is easy to use, can be smelly and not somewhere you will necessarily chat with people. I would leave my sunglasses on even underground and my headphones on (dating myself with that comment) even if I wasn't listening to my discman (it was the late 90's/early 00's).

You could easily spend 2 weeks in the greater bay area doing things from wine country down through san jose to santa cruz and monterey. There's also some good wineries in the santa cruz mountains

I would narrow down what you are looking to do and I wouldn't rent a car until you need it, there's no reason to try and navigate the city in a car if you aren't familiar with it. Too many hills, cable and street cars, expensive parking and weird street parking rules.

 

[MomToOne]

Do listen to those that said to bring a jacket, you can tell the tourists that didn't because it's summer not realizing how cold it can get or how it doesn't even warm up.

What's funny is that after years of living in the Bay Area, it's impossible to convince me that I don't need to pack several cardigan sweaters whenever we go on vacation somewhere tropical - I'm always convinced I will need one in the evening no matter what the temperature during the day. Then I get there and realize how stupid that thought was. But the next trip I turn around and do the exact same thing. One day I'll break myself of that habit! LOL

 

[afan]

What's funny is that after years of living in the Bay Area, it's impossible to convince me that I don't need to pack several cardigan sweaters whenever we go on vacation somewhere tropical - I'm always convinced I will need one in the evening no matter what the temperature during the day. Then I get there and realize how stupid that thought was. But the next trip I turn around and do the exact same thing. One day I'll break myself of that habit! LOL

I now take one everywhere because of all the a/c in places. I went to Vegas in July shortly after turning 21 thinking I wouldn't need one only to buy a hoodie at the Hard Rock because it was so cold inside.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I would narrow down what you are looking to do and I wouldn't rent a car until you need it, there's no reason to try and navigate the city in a car if you aren't familiar with it. Too many hills, cable and street cars, expensive parking and weird street parking rules.

This! Driving SF is an adventure in itself. And not the fun type. And parking is SO expensive in the city. If you're bringing a car & on a budget make sure to research your parking costs ahead of time. If you're not bringing a car you'll need a rental car to enjoy any portion of PCH at your own pace but consider picking it up after you've enjoyed your time in the city (or dropping it off after arrival in the city if you do SF at the end of your trip). And if you get tired of walking up another hill? Uber like a local!

 

[aprilgail]

Do listen to those that said to bring a jacket, you can tell the tourists that didn't because it's summer not realizing how cold it can get or how it doesn't even warm up.


I would narrow down what you are looking to do and I wouldn't rent a car until you need it, there's no reason to try and navigate the city in a car if you aren't familiar with it. Too many hills, cable and street cars, expensive parking and weird street parking rules.

My daughter and I stopped there for 2 days on our road trip last year- I could not believe how cold we were in August!! We ended up having to buy fleece jackets that say Alcatraz on them because we were so cold!

We took the cable car once just to say we did it and the rest of the time we just ubered around the city and left our car at the hotel.

 

[redsonja76]

DH and I just did Hearst Castle and it was AWESOME! If you're at Hearst castle, make sure you stop and see the elephant seals on the beach. They're amazing!!!

 

[apnep]

We did this last year on a 5 day trip and had a blast! We flew into San Francisco about 1pm, drove by the Golden Gate on the way out of town (encountered very heavy traffic in the afternoon).

We headed up Mendocino for 3 nights, driving through wine country. With Mendocino as our base, we went up to see the Redwoods and drove up the coast. On the way back to San Franciso, we drove Route 1. We had a full day in San Francisco; took our trolley ride and did the touristy stuff and lunch, then took the ferry back over the bay to Oakland. We boarded the California Zephyr in Emeryville for a cross country train trip.

For us, one full day in San Francisco was plenty. I much preferred the drive up the coast.

Have a great trip!

Sounds great!!

 

[apnep]

I went last year, last week of October as part of my honeymoon. We did just one day in San Fran. It was my husband's second trip and I only wanted to see the major sites. We didn't visit Alcatrez but we stayed outside the city and saw it on our ferry ride in. We took the trolleys to tour the city, stopped by a few historic sites, hung out at the wharf, went to ghiradelli, ate lunch at an awesome local restaurant etc. We went to visit a park the next day to take in the bridge on our way out of the city onto Napa. Another issue was cost. Rooms is the city were very expensive that week so we stayed outside the city, but then we had to pay for the ferry and be on a schedule. For that reason one solid packed day was the best way to see it.

What part of the coast do you want to see? You could easily spend 1-2 days driving down. We broke it up into legs as we didn't want to spend all day in a car, but it is rather barren in certain parts so you have to map it out. We also ended our trip in Anaheim, but if you end your trip earlier or just do a small loop you could do it in maybe 1 day.

I re

October is a nice month. It's like Indian summer there. As to how long, that's hard to say because it depends on what you want to do/see and how long you want to spend at each spot. Driving along the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) takes longer than the other routes, especially Big Sur area. It's slow go. Need to be aware of rock slides in Big Sur because that certainly closes it down. Also, wild fires. Big Sur had one not too long ago and there was no driving through. I lived on Monterey Peninsula for 16 years. I know the area well (Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel by the Sea, Carmel Highlands, Big Sur), if you want more info regarding specifics I'd be happy to share. Another nice stop would be Santa Barbara and Solvang. Solvang is cute. Have a great trip. P.S. Several years ago friends of ours did the coast drive from LA to SF, they spent a minimum of 10 days.

Oh wow, didn't even think about rock slides. We are thinking of Labor Day weekend time frame. But I also have a friend interested in late August.

 

[apnep]

My daughter and I stopped there for 2 days on our road trip last year- I could not believe how cold we were in August!! We ended up having to buy fleece jackets that say Alcatraz on them because we were so cold!

We took the cable car once just to say we did it and the rest of the time we just ubered around the city and left our car at the hotel.

Exactly, just want to say we did it. Haha!