Alcatraz and Hotel ? (San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento: hotels, to buy, tax)

[ScreamingInDigital0]

Hello,

I'd appreciate any advice that you can offer regarding my questions below.

I'm traveling with my girlfriend to Sacramento to a mandatory teaching seminar. I'll be going as her guest. I offered to drive her up so she wouldn't have to travel alone.

After the seminar, she wants to spend two days in San Francisco. We really want to take the night tour of Alcatraz, it's her first time ever to Alcatraz. I've been there before but not at night. I've read countless reviews stating that the night tour is great.

I have three questions for you.

Can anyone please offer any advice on the night tour? Any tips would be great. We will be going on a Thursday, the last week in October. I've been told to buy tickets in advance, online and to bring bottled water/snack.

Can you please recommend the closest, safe and cheap, place to park near the Alcatraz ferry?

*Important* Can anyone please recommend a cheap and safe hotel or motel, outside of San Francisco. I was thing Motel 6 or Best Western. Something in the 50-75.00 range. I was trying to find deals that offer buy 1 night, get 1 free or buy 2 nights, get 1 free. As far as areas go, I was thinking Petaluma, Fairfield, Vacaville, Livermore, Pleaston, Los Gatos or San Jose. I guess something either far out east bay, north or far out south. We don't mind driving to save some money.

Any advice is welcome, thank you!

[mayorhaggar]

Check out hotels around the SFO airport, should be able to find something basic for around $60-80 a night.

[humboldtrat]

There's a Motel 6 in Belmont along the freeway.

[Utahooligan]

Originally Posted by ScreamingInDigital0

Hello,


After the seminar, she wants to spend two days in San Francisco. We really want to take the night tour of Alcatraz, it's her first time ever to Alcatraz. I've been there before but not at night. I've read countless reviews stating that the night tour is great.

I have three questions for you.

Can anyone please offer any advice on the night tour? Any tips would be great. We will be going on a Thursday, the last week in October. I've been told to buy tickets in advance, online and to bring bottled water/snack.

Can you please recommend the closest, safe and cheap, place to park near the Alcatraz ferry?

*Important* Can anyone please recommend a cheap and safe hotel or motel, outside of San Francisco. I was thing Motel 6 or Best Western. Something in the 50-75.00 range. I was trying to find deals that offer buy 1 night, get 1 free or buy 2 nights, get 1 free. As far as areas go, I was thinking Petaluma, Fairfield, Vacaville, Livermore, Pleaston, Los Gatos or San Jose. I guess something either far out east bay, north or far out south. We don't mind driving to save some money.

Any advice is welcome, thank you!

Alcatraz: brings layers of clothes -- it might be cold. Learn how to do dusk/nighttime photography with your camera. Plenty of places to park around there. "Safe" is relative, as-is "cheap" and sometimes they are in opposition to each other. Figure on paying up to $20 for decent parking, and then plan on walking around Fisherman's Wharf & the Embarcadero before/after the Alcatraz tour.

Hotels: Do your own work! Get on the Best Western, etc. web page & try to put something together instead of asking us to do your work for you. Bay area hotels generally aren't cheap, but the cities you mentioned cover a very wide area. *YOU* can find something that is comfortable for you price & distance-wise, not us.

[gone down south]

There are plenty of lots and garages right off the Embarcadero, but they won't necessarily be cheap.

[Atsuke]

If you're going to Alcatraz, remember to book early. Tickets fill up quickly, and all spots 7~10 days after the current date are usually sold out.

I don't have any experience staying at a hotel or anything in the Bay Area so I can't help you there. However, if you're not familiar with the Bay Area just take heed that the bridges connecting to the SF peninsula charge tolls, ranging from $4-$6 (into the peninsula only, not out of it), so it'd be a burden to pay the toll if you'll be going back and forth frequently between your place of stay and SF. That being said, I'd be searching for something cheap within the peninsula.

[ScreamingInDigital0]

Thank you for the replies and advice!

"Hotels: Do your own work! Get on the Best Western, etc. web page & try to put something together instead of asking us to do your work for you. Bay area hotels generally aren't cheap, but the cities you mentioned cover a very wide area. *YOU* can find something that is comfortable for you price & distance-wise, not us."

You were doing so well Utahooligan, before you came off as a complete self-righteous jerk. You PRESUMED I didn't check out hotel websites, you PRESUMED I didn't do any research....guess what jerk, I did. I came here looking to get a locals perspective and local advice that can only be found on a local's message board. You know, like INSIDER INFO a hotel website won't give you.

You might want to take a good look into the mirror. Maybe you feel superior over here, on this message board but you're attitude won't bode well for you in real life!

I digress. Thank you, to all the replies that weren't lazy, condescending and patronizing!

P.S I apologize Utahooligan, for taking up your precious time in the City-Data message boards! God forbid people dare ask a question about a city! OY-VEY.

[gone down south]

Originally Posted by Atsuke

If you're going to Alcatraz, remember to book early. Tickets fill up quickly, and all spots 7~10 days after the current date are usually sold out.

I don't have any experience staying at a hotel or anything in the Bay Area so I can't help you there. However, if you're not familiar with the Bay Area just take heed that the bridges connecting to the SF peninsula charge tolls, ranging from $4-$6 (into the peninsula only, not out of it), so it'd be a burden to pay the toll if you'll be going back and forth frequently between your place of stay and SF. That being said, I'd be searching for something cheap within the peninsula.

There are no tolls on the Peninsula, only on the bridges to the east and north.

[gone down south]

Originally Posted by ScreamingInDigital0

Thank you for the replies and advice!

"Hotels: Do your own work! Get on the Best Western, etc. web page & try to put something together instead of asking us to do your work for you. Bay area hotels generally aren't cheap, but the cities you mentioned cover a very wide area. *YOU* can find something that is comfortable for you price & distance-wise, not us."

You were doing so well Utahooligan, before you came off as a complete self-righteous jerk. You PRESUMED I didn't check out hotel websites, you PRESUMED I didn't do any research....guess what jerk, I did. I came here looking to get a locals perspective and local advice that can only be found on a local's message board. You know, like INSIDER INFO a hotel website won't give you.

You might want to take a good look into the mirror. Maybe you feel superior over here, on this message board but you're attitude won't bode well for you in real life!

I digress. Thank you, to all the replies that weren't lazy, condescending and patronizing!

P.S I apologize Utahooligan, for taking up your precious time in the City-Data message boards! God forbid people dare ask a question about a city! OY-VEY.

To be fair, you did ask an incredibly general question. If you had requested more info on specific hotels or areas, you'd have got a more helpful answer.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by ScreamingInDigital0

Hello,

I'd appreciate any advice that you can offer regarding my questions below.

I'm traveling with my girlfriend to Sacramento to a mandatory teaching seminar. I'll be going as her guest. I offered to drive her up so she wouldn't have to travel alone.

After the seminar, she wants to spend two days in San Francisco. We really want to take the night tour of Alcatraz, it's her first time ever to Alcatraz. I've been there before but not at night. I've read countless reviews stating that the night tour is great.

I have three questions for you.

Can anyone please offer any advice on the night tour? Any tips would be great. We will be going on a Thursday, the last week in October. I've been told to buy tickets in advance, online and to bring bottled water/snack.

Can you please recommend the closest, safe and cheap, place to park near the Alcatraz ferry?

*Important* Can anyone please recommend a cheap and safe hotel or motel, outside of San Francisco. I was thing Motel 6 or Best Western. Something in the 50-75.00 range. I was trying to find deals that offer buy 1 night, get 1 free or buy 2 nights, get 1 free. As far as areas go, I was thinking Petaluma, Fairfield, Vacaville, Livermore, Pleaston, Los Gatos or San Jose. I guess something either far out east bay, north or far out south. We don't mind driving to save some money.

Any advice is welcome, thank you!

1. Buy tickets in advance, the night tour is the most popular. You don't really need to bring anything.

2. I always park at Anchorage Center Garage in Fisherman's Wharf. The rates are reasonable.

3. I'd check hotwire.com or priceline.com (name your own price method). Those are the only ways I can think of finding a hotel in that price range. I got a 2 star motel near SFO for $30/night + tax through hotwire, so you might want to check near the airports.