San Franciso (cost, hotel, hotels, bridge)

[Bridget]

Planning a trip in June. Any suggestions of must see attractions or little known attractions that are your favorites? Any other travel info (favorite hotel, places to eat) would be greatly appreciated. I have never been there and am excited to go. We will only be there 3 days, wish it was longer.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I was just there last month, for the third for fourth time.
I sure do love that town. Maybe someone who lives there will post in this thread.
It really depends what you like.
You can walk all over the place and see a lot just that way. But the public transportation is very helpful, too.
Get a MapEasy map, it shows you a lot and is easy to read.
For dining, check out Yelp.
Want to see redwoods? Going to see the Muir Woods will take you over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Do you like fancy hotels? I usually stay at a charming, tiny, well kept budget hotel (not far from Fisherman's Wharf) called the San Remo Hotel--it is in North Beach.
But this last trip, I did Priceline and was able to stay at the Palace for $120 a night. It is a gorgeous hotel near Union Square, very convenient to everything.
For me, a must-see is Alcatraz. Call ahead for tickets.
You could spend an entire day at Golden Gate Park (http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/ggpark.shtml - broken link).
I really enjoyed the Embarcadero.
Have a wonderful time!

[allforcats]

If there are any good ideas left after BlueWillowPlate's great post, you'll find them in TripAdvisor.com where real travelers rank their real experiences at cities, attractions, hotels, restaurants, etc. everywhere.
This will open on the main San Francisco page. The links in the left column will give you all the info you need:
San Francisco Tourism - San Francisco Vacation Reviews - San Francisco Vacations - TripAdvisor

[sponger42]

Idea #1: Park your car and leave it there. Almost everything worth seeing can be walked too, and what can't is easily accessible via the muni.

- Pay cash for bus/streetcar fare then ask for a transfer. WAY cheaper than daily/week passes unless you ride the bus all day and all night.

- Climb up to Coit tower for the sunset. You'll see a line of cars stuck on the road as you walk up. Just walk straight toward it from little italy (not from the waterfront) and you'll find the stairs.

- Eat crab from the sidewalk stands at Fisherman's Wharf. Avoid all other food/resturants there. You may have to walk a block or two to find somewhere to sit after you get your crab.

- Check out the city from the rest stop on the other side of the GG bridge. $5 a car to cross (southbound only--free northbound). The rest stop has nice nighttime and early-morning views of the city.

- Visit Fort Point (follow the signs) and see the GG from underneath. Sometimes people surf/windsurf there, too.

- Walk one street south (uphill) of the main street through Chinatown. That's where the good food is--near the markets, not around the gift shops.

[recycled]

If you are at GG Bridge view point on the San Francisco side, take the #10 Golden Gate Transit bus to Sausalito. It only takes about 10 minutes and drops you off in the center of this famous bay front village. Stroll around town for a bit and enjoy the views (if it's not foggy). Take the Golden Gate Ferry back to the San Francisco Ferry building at the foot of Market Street. That will give you a great view of the whole bay area and GG Bridge from the water on your way back. This won't cost much money and can be done in just a few hours.

[graceC]

If you like oyster & mussels, do stop by "Anchor Oyster Bar' on Castro. It's simply the BEST oysters and mussels I've tasted so far. I think it was voted the best oyster bar in 2007 by some food magazine. The place is small but the food is excellent.

When you go to Chinatown, stop by at the "Golden Gate Bakery" to get some delicious, fresh, chinese hand-made bakery. You need to get there in the morning though or you will find most of the popular bakery items are gone by noon. There's a long line in front of this bakery every day, it's really that good!

I believe there's a specific season for Dungeness Crab, so I'm not sure if June is part of the season. But while in Chinatown, do try out their "Ginger Scallion Crab" dish which can be found at any Hongkong style restaurant in Chinatown. One hint is to see the amount of Asian crowds. The one with the most Asian customers in it is usually the best restaurant on the block. Oh, don't forget to try out their "Dim Sum" too!! This is a Chinese style brunch where you're offered a mind-boggling variety of food served on saucer-size plates. The servers will push a cart with all kinds of choices for you to choose from. The food and experience are just too good to pass up. What can I say? I'm a dimsum addict :-))

If you plan on renting a car, do take a side 1-day trip to Monterey and Carmel-by-the-sea along the Pacific Highway, and take the 17-mile scenic drive meandering along the coast of the Pacific ocean. It's simply breathtaking!!

Those were the highlights of our trip when we went there last thanksgiving. We didn't do the usual Golden Gate-Alcatraz trip, maybe next time :-))

[nanannie]

Is "The Sliding Door" all that its cracked up to be ? We are coming next month and I was told to get a reservation now.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Is "The Sliding Door" all that its cracked up to be ? We are coming next month and I was told to get a reservation now.

I think I meant "Slanted Door" >?

[Spudcommando]

Since this is already a San Francisco thread, I might as well post it here.

Anyone have any recommendations for a hotel in Union Square? I'm trying not spend more than $300/night.

[Stripes17]

This is the best way to tour the city by car. I do this route every time we visit SF.

SAN FRANCISCO MAPS - Citywide Map, Regional Map, Neighborhood Maps (http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/maps/49miledrive.asp - broken link)