Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,
I am planning a trip to SF in a few months. Can anyone recommend a good hotel location where i can walk around and use public transportation to get around? A hotel that is reasonably priced. I really don't want to rent a car. I will take a taxi from the airport(SFO Int Airport) to the hotel. Also, recommendations on restaurants and places to see. I haven't been to SF in 20yrs, so i'm sure alot has changed. I don't remember much back then except Fisherman Wharfs and Lombard St. Thanks.
You definitely don't want a car. We were there in May, and we stayed downtown, in the Donatello Hotel. Very central, close to cable cars, buses and the tourist streetcar. But it's downtown, not up around Fisherman's Wharf, so you need to think about location. We liked the hotel, paid about $200 a night, so not dirt cheap, but nice. We got 2-day transit passes and went everywhere on the bus, streetcar and cable cars. Found some walking tours as well, that were free, although tips were requested at the end.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,688 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Take BART / Streetcar from SFO. Get a tourist transit pass while in the city)
Stay at Hostel @ Ft Mason (very near wharf / Marina District), Safeway across street and FREE parking if you have a car.
go on FREE library sponsored walking tours. (Lots of FREE and FUN in SF)
Get some local advice on food, avoid the usual spendy places in the main areas, (Decent food court in basement of Nordstrom / Bloomingdale?)
I suggest you visit the Cable Car Museum which shows the working of the famous SF cable cars. The Cable Car Museum is located near SF's Chinatown which is the largest Chinatown in the USA.
For more suggestions you might also want to post this also on the San Francisco forum.
SF is a very walkable city so you definitely don't need a car. Public transport is decent but I never found much need to use it other than getting to and from the airport. In the city, taxis are an okay option and not too expensive.
Check hotels dot com for availability and prices. Prices fluctuate quite a lot depending on time of year and whether anything is on in the city. If you choose your time carefully then you can get a pretty decent hotel for not too much money. I usually stay in the Union Sq. area. Tons of hotels around there and you can often find a deal.
Hi,
I am planning a trip to SF in a few months. Can anyone recommend a good hotel location where i can walk around and use public transportation to get around? A hotel that is reasonably priced. I really don't want to rent a car. I will take a taxi from the airport(SFO Int Airport) to the hotel. Also, recommendations on restaurants and places to see. I haven't been to SF in 20yrs, so i'm sure alot has changed. I don't remember much back then except Fisherman Wharfs and Lombard St. Thanks.
You might consider staying at "Travelodge By the Bay" on Lombard Street. Its about 3 or four blocks from the Wharf. Its an easy walk. Its downhill. Its easy to find this hotel. Its at the junction of Van Ness and Lombard Streets. Van Ness is US 101 until it reaches Lombard Street. Than, Lombard Street becomes US 101.
If you stay there, you are a short (uphill) walking distance from the top of the crookest street in the world. Just follow Lombard up the steep hill about 3 blocks. Its fun to see cars navigate the curves in this street. Its a good photography spot.
Here are some other things to do:
1. Make a reservation to go out and visit Alcatraz Island.
2. Go drive over and visit Coit Tower. Its maybe a mile from the hotel. Pay the fee to go to the top.
3. The motel is about three blocks from Ghiradelli Square. Go down there and get one of the best ice cream sundaes in this world. Its right on the wharf too.
3. Eat dinner at Alioto's on the wharf. Very good seafood. Expensive, of course.
4. Take a walk along the length of the Golden Gate Bridge. Windy, but fun.
5. Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and head just a few miles north to the John Muir Woods. This is a beautiful grove of large redwood trees.
6. Just walk along the wharf. Stop wherever you want for lunch and coffee.
7. If you have time, take the ferry over to Angel Island and just walk around the island and enjoy yourself.
8. Go to Golden Gate Park. Whatever you do, don't miss the Japanese Tea Garden.
9. If you like Italian food, have lunch at Original Joe's which I understand is now on Mission Boulevard (used to be in North Beach).
9. If you like Italian food, have lunch at Original Joe's which I understand is now on Mission Boulevard (used to be in North Beach).
Good advice, except that Original Joe's is now located on Washington Square at 601 Union Street (between Stockton and Columbus). Reservations strongly advised (415-775-4877). Don't miss their hamburgers; they're phenomenal!
Or, if you are a staunch conservative like me, REFUSE to support the most liberal, self serving, disgusting city in the country. SF doesn't deserve anything, except to have a giant chain saw, cut it, and allow it to sink into the ocean.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
