Hotel in San Francisco

[las313]

We just booked Island princess for Sept going thru the canal. We would like to come in a few days before the cruise to sightsee. Any hotel or restaurant suggestions? Is it to far to stay near the airport and just go into town for the day?

Thanks.

Louise:)

[nna]

it is a 20 minute bart ride from sfo to downtown...costs about 8 dollars.

 

if you are going for the whole day..it is not too bad.

[skandls]

Stay in the city - there is so much to see and do. There is a lot of walking so why waste time staying by the airport and getting to and from the airport and waiting for the bart trains. Trip Advisor will have a lot of review of hotels and restaurants (they change so fast in that city). If you want to visit Alcatraz make your reservations before you go as the tours do sell out.

[Northern Aurora]

We have stayed at the Argonaut, and were very pleased. Excellent location, with an equally excellent staff.

[Bruin Steve]

We just booked Island princess for Sept going thru the canal. We would like to come in a few days before the cruise to sightsee. Any hotel or restaurant suggestions? Is it to far to stay near the airport and just go into town for the day?

Thanks.

Louise:)

 

Louise, if you are coming in for a few days...and you are leaving via a cruise ship, it is rather silly to stay at SFO...unless maybe you'll have a rental car and plan on doing most of your sightseeing OUTSIDE The City...(DON'T get a rental car if you're planning on spending your time IN The City...you won't find a place to park and the hills will scare you!

 

Stay IN The City...My recommendation for cruise passengers is to stay in the Fisherman's Wharf area...lots of big chain hotels here with lots in walking distance...and what isn't in walking distance is EASY to get to with BART, buses, cable cars and taxis...

 

If not Fisherman's Wharf, try Nob Hill or the Financial District...We've even stayed a few times in SoMa (at the Courtyard...nice, area has been reinvented to "trendy"' but not the best location for cruise tourist...but great if you're there to go to AT&T Park...)...

 

Don't stay near the Civic Center...Union Square has lots of choices and is near a lot of things, but some find the area a bit rough...

 

If you're staying in one of my preferred areas, you'll have lots of restaurant choices...I won't make many specific recommendations...I'll leave that to my colleagues who live in The City full time...BUT, one of my favorite things to do is to just head to North Beach (Columbus between the Wharf and Chinatown) and "follow my nose"... Lots of great Italian places there...of course, there are lots of Seafood places at the Wharf...and Chinatown...Lately, we just let our daughter (who lives in the Marina District) just pick places...and the Marina is full of very trendy, hip eateries...

 

Have fun...

[Keith1010]

I too would stay in the city.

 

There are many hotels to choose from.

 

You may want to look at http://www.tripadvisor.com to get idea on hotels that meet your budget.

 

Keith

[penguinscott]

SF has so much to offer. If you are getting a car, consider staying in Pacifica near the ocean. There are some great inexpensive places in Rockaway Beach.

 

If you do stay near the airport, it's easy to take BART into SF. You'll pay a little more taking BART from SFO than the other stations, but hotels can take you to SFO to catch it if you don't have a car.

 

Also, if you have a car, grab a map in the airport of the 59 mile drive and do that. You follow seagull signs around the city and you get to see everything at your own pace. You can see most of the city highlights in one day...2 days would be better. (You can take a few short cuts as well.)

[Bruin Steve]

...If you are getting a car...

 

Gosh, again...

You probably should NOT rent a car...

Now, I drive in San Francisco all the time...but I know where I'm going and what to expect...Still, for example, I HATE trying to find a parkling space anywhere within 15 blocks of my daughter (Scott and Chestnut--the locals will understand) or in many opther popular locations around The City...

 

But YOU come from Florida--where EVERYTHING is FLAT...and there's lots of space...

 

What you need to know about San Francisco:

The people who laid it out were a little foolish...They set out the streets in somewhat of a "Grid" pattern...With a little twist...The Spanish used to lay out cities somewhat diagonally from a straight North/South, East/West pattern...Then, the Americans came in and laid out the "newer" parts of the city in a strict North/South, East West grid...So, like a lot of older Western cities originally founded by the Spanish, there are two conflicting grids...aside from directions, not a big problem...The big problem is that both of these inept groups of early urban planners ignored the fact that the City is built on a number of VERY STEEP hills...So, rather than gently curve the roads uip and down the steepest hills, when a STRAIGHT grid road meets a steep hill head on, it just goes straight at it head on...as do the crossing streets...Many intersections are completely BLIND due to the angles and urban architecture...You will often hit a red traffic signal just short of the crest of a very steep rise (heaven help you if you have a manual transmission and are not accustomed to the City)...

 

The City is also very compact, being limited to a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by water...There are no Freeways per se that go through the City...they all stop and unload somewhere in the City...except for the one that will take you onto the Bay Bridge...and you need to be wary there, lest you suddenly find yourself without an option and heading for Oakland...

 

And then, the worst part, is PARKING...It is extremely limited--Financial District, SoMa, Fisherman's Wharf, Marina, Chinatown, North Beach--most of the places you may want to stop...Parking garages are expensive...So are the meters IF you are lucky enough to find one...

 

The GOOD part of all of this is IF you choose to stay IN The City, San Francisco has EXCELLENT public transportation...BART is the rapid transit fixed rail system--which isn't really designed to take you around the City--just to and from it from the suburbs (I've actually stayed in places like Walnut Creek or Lafayette--across the Bay--NEAR the BART stations--because it's easy to hop on BART...and, yes, there is a line with a station directly at SFO...

 

The bus and trolley system is quite good as well...just make sure you know your routes...

 

Taxis are quite plentiful...and, since it is so compact, Taxi fares within The City are never all that expensive...

 

AND, of course, there are the famous Cable Cars...although, with the tourist crowds, they are often a wait to get on--especially at the Wharf or Union Square...

 

And walking is a good option--especially staying somewhere like the Wharf...You may not want to walk up any really steep hills (often, you can go around), but from the Wharf, you can walk (depending on your level of fitness) to the Marina, to North Beach, even to Chinatown...and a lot of what you may want to visit is in this area...

[Andromeda93]

I second BruinSteve and Keith1010 - stay in San Francisco. You're here to see the city, so don't spend your time commuting. The bus system and taxis will take you everywhere you want to go to which you can't walk. And if you want to go somewhere farther afield, like Napa Valley for the day, take a private tour and go there while letting someone else drive. The financial district is quiet in the evening but is pretty close to North Beach, Union Square and Nob Hill as well as to restaurants South of Market. It might be easier to find a hotel downtown rather than the Fisherman's Wharf area, just because that spot is very popular with tourists.

 

Having worked and driven in SF for 15 years (w/ a manual transmission!), I do not recommend renting a car unless you have a very good reason to need it. Parking prices are very high downtown, and street parking is very difficult to find in most areas. There are some interesting places to go in SF which aren't in the tiny downtown triangle formed by the Ferry Building, the shopping areas around Union Square and San Francisco Center, and the north waterfront (Pier 39 / North Beach). These include the traditional art museums, the big Academy of Sciences, the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. But for a quick trip to SF over only a few days, you will probably find enough to do w/o needing a car, or you can take a bus or taxi to whatever you really, really want to see that's not in the downtown core.

 

September is a very popular time of year in SF as the weather is typically warm and less foggy than in the middle of summer. As a result, please don't wait long before getting some kind of hotel reservation. Also, be sure to reserve tickets in advance for certain things you might want to do. These include tickets for a boat ride/tour of Alcatraz, a SF Giants game if you like baseball and they're in town while you are here, as well as restaurant and hotel reservations. Also, there is going to be America's Cup sailing racing in the SF Bay over the summer extending into mid-September on certain days, so that could affect transportation and hotel options along the waterfront.

 

TripAdvisor is your friend for hotel and restaurant suggestions as well as things to do.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g60713-San_Francisco_California-Vacations.html

 

You won't be able to see much in a few days, so just take your time and enjoy the things you do see!

[las313]

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I did book Columbus Motor Inn within walking distance to Fishermans Wharf. Any thought on the area or things we should definitely not miss? We will arrive on monday midday and the cruise leaves on wednesday. We did do an all day van tour from our campground in Petaluma several years ago so we have seen some of the highlights, road a cable car.

Louise

;)

[i5trucker]

Gosh, again...

You probably should NOT rent a car...

Now, I drive in San Francisco all the time...but I know where I'm going and what to expect...Still, for example, I HATE trying to find a parkling space anywhere within 15 blocks of my daughter (Scott and Chestnut--the locals will understand) or in many opther popular locations around The City...

 

But YOU come from Florida--where EVERYTHING is FLAT...and there's lots of space...

 

What you need to know about San Francisco:

The people who laid it out were a little foolish...They set out the streets in somewhat of a "Grid" pattern...With a little twist...The Spanish used to lay out cities somewhat diagonally from a straight North/South, East/West pattern...Then, the Americans came in and laid out the "newer" parts of the city in a strict North/South, East West grid...So, like a lot of older Western cities originally founded by the Spanish, there are two conflicting grids...aside from directions, not a big problem...The big problem is that both of these inept groups of early urban planners ignored the fact that the City is built on a number of VERY STEEP hills...So, rather than gently curve the roads uip and down the steepest hills, when a STRAIGHT grid road meets a steep hill head on, it just goes straight at it head on...as do the crossing streets...Many intersections are completely BLIND due to the angles and urban architecture...You will often hit a red traffic signal just short of the crest of a very steep rise (heaven help you if you have a manual transmission and are not accustomed to the City)...

 

The City is also very compact, being limited to a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by water...There are no Freeways per se that go through the City...they all stop and unload somewhere in the City...except for the one that will take you onto the Bay Bridge...and you need to be wary there, lest you suddenly find yourself without an option and heading for Oakland...

 

And then, the worst part, is PARKING...It is extremely limited--Financial District, SoMa, Fisherman's Wharf, Marina, Chinatown, North Beach--most of the places you may want to stop...Parking garages are expensive...So are the meters IF you are lucky enough to find one...

 

The GOOD part of all of this is IF you choose to stay IN The City, San Francisco has EXCELLENT public transportation...BART is the rapid transit fixed rail system--which isn't really designed to take you around the City--just to and from it from the suburbs (I've actually stayed in places like Walnut Creek or Lafayette--across the Bay--NEAR the BART stations--because it's easy to hop on BART...and, yes, there is a line with a station directly at SFO...

 

The bus and trolley system is quite good as well...just make sure you know your routes...

 

Taxis are quite plentiful...and, since it is so compact, Taxi fares within The City are never all that expensive...

 

AND, of course, there are the famous Cable Cars...although, with the tourist crowds, they are often a wait to get on--especially at the Wharf or Union Square...

 

And walking is a good option--especially staying somewhere like the Wharf...You may not want to walk up any really steep hills (often, you can go around), but from the Wharf, you can walk (depending on your level of fitness) to the Marina, to North Beach, even to Chinatown...and a lot of what you may want to visit is in this area...

 

 

This info is 100% right on, try driving a big rig in SF, like I do.

 

A tourist can fly-in, use public transit and see the city without a car. Last time we went to the city for fun, we parked in Vallejo and took the ferry into the city. Parking SF is a #*&-@.

[Emperor Norton]

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I did book Columbus Motor Inn within walking distance to Fishermans Wharf. Any thought on the area or things we should definitely not miss? We will arrive on monday midday and the cruise leaves on wednesday. We did do an all day van tour from our campground in Petaluma several years ago so we have seen some of the highlights, road a cable car.

Louise

;)

 

In the immediate area? If you like Irish pubs, Fiddlers Green is within walking distance, as is the Buena Vista (claims to be the place that Irish Coffee was introduced to America - their Irish coffees are good). Ghiradelli square isn't quite what it used to be but still has some good sweets. I'd also recommend the Tonga room (in the Fairmont - Tiki kitsch) or the Top of the Mark (Mark Hopkins Intercontinental - weather permitting the views are great). For restaurants my favorite is La Folie. If you like seafood, Swan Oyster depot is the best you'll get in the city.

[las313]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will make a list and check some of them out.

Louise

[Andromeda93]

Hi Louise, if you do stay in San Francisco and want to find well-regarded restaurants close to your hotel or activity, I recommend TripAdvisor's restaurant search function. It's a pretty accurate way to find a good meals and you can do a neighborhood search that will return the top rated restaurants within a close cab ride (or even walking distance).

 

Here's a link to the webpage. Just click to select the neighborhoods of Downtown, Financial District, Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, North Beach and The Embarcadero. If you're staying in North Beach or otherwise in the NE part of the city near the cruise terminal, this would be a great start for places to try. You can also add filters to restrict the price range, type of cuisine, whether it's romantic or good for families, etc.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60713-San_Francisco_California.html

 

Don't be put off by selecting a place that's down in the 100-200-300th-highest rated in SF or even lower. In a city of 3000-4000 restaurants that loves its food, anything in the top 500+ is likely pretty good. BTW the Greek restaurant Kokkari Estiatorio (top 10) is really great - wonderful food in a beautiful setting. We tried but failed to get in recently for DH's birthday (it's very popular); we ended up at Boulevard instead (also delicious). If you like dim sum there's a great place called Yank Sing a few blocks from the Ferry Building (which is also fun as it has a gourmet food hall, several restaurants and a great Tues/Thurs/Sat farmer's market). http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/merchant_list.php

 

Tripadvisor also has an iPhone/iPad app and probably one for Android devices, for searching on the fly (no, I don't work for them, just enjoy the app and have found good food all over the US using it!). Enjoy your trip!

[Bruin Steve]

If you like dim sum...

 

Okay, this one is not for the tourists... a little too far out of the way in Inner Richmond...

 

My favorite for Dim Sum is a tiny "hole-in-the-wall" called "Good Luck Dim Sum":

 

http://goodluckdimsum.com/

 

You order at the counter (usually after waiting in line)...Fill out a little paper order form with the provided "golf" pencils...There are about six small tables in back (Good Luck finding one!)...I've been there with four people, ordered about $15 worth...total...and ended up having to take about half of it home...

 

And it's REALLY good...

 

A couple of weeks ago, my brother-in-law, born and raised in San Francisco, sent me this one:

 

> ...this restaurant is fabulous.

>

> Ton Kiang, 5821 Geary ST., 415-387-8273.

>

> For lunch they serve Dim Sum and will prepare special orders. At night, only take a taxi cab there and have reservations. Obama and Bibi have eaten there at separate times.

>

> I cannot wait to go back. Price was reasonable.

 

I haven't been there yet, but I'll trust Larry and post it here as well...Again, it's also in the Richmond District, so, perhaps a bit far from most of the Tourist Hotels...

 

Going from restaurants to bars, I have a recommendation to tourists of a historical nature...

 

Stop by here for a drink:

 

http://www.vesuvio.com/index2.html

 

It's in the North Beach/Chinatown area around Columbus and Broadway...right across the alley from Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore...

 

This was the hangout of the famed "Beat Poets"...It oozes atmosphere...

[las313]

Wish we were there longer. Too many places and not enough time. Thanks for all the suggestions.

And I won't travel without Trip Advisor. I have posted on there my recommendations.

Louise

[FritzG]

We just returned from a Princess cruise out of San F. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf. The hotel was great with a really terrific staff-it's obvious that they really care about their customers, and the whole staff seems to love their jobs. The location is great-- you can walk to Fisherman's Wharf and to Pier 39 with no problem. The stop for CitySightseeing is right outside the front door. We stayed there both pre and post cruise.

 

I'd highly recommend the Pier Market restaurant at Pier 39. We had dinner and lunch there, and both meals were terrific. Their teriyaki salmon is delicious; in fact, all of their salmon dishes our party had were great.