San Francisco help

[love2cruiseseattle]

My DH and I are thinking about visiting the beautiful city of San Francisco and would like some input from the folks that live or have been there. We are planning on staying at the Fairmont and I have read it is on the cable car routes, is that going to be the easiest way to get around?

 

What is the easiest way to get from the airport to downtown?

Must touristy things to do?

How is the Grayline bus tour of the city?

Is Alcatraz worth it? is the ride out bumpy?

Places to go?

Places to eat?

How is the weather in late May?

 

Anything anybody is will to give me will be great.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Bruin Steve]

My DH and I are thinking about visiting the beautiful city of San Francisco and would like some input from the folks that live or have been there. We are planning on staying at the Fairmont and I have read it is on the cable car routes, is that going to be the easiest way to get around?

 

What is the easiest way to get from the airport to downtown?

Must touristy things to do?

How is the Grayline bus tour of the city?

Is Alcatraz worth it? is the ride out bumpy?

Places to go?

Places to eat?

How is the weather in late May?

 

Anything anybody is will to give me will be great.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Cable car passes right by the Fairmont (which is on Nob Hill)...

Remember, the cable cars only have a couple of lines--they won't take you everywhere:

 

http://www.visitingdc.com/san-francisco/san-francisco-cable-car-map.asp

 

Taxis are also very easy for getting around the City...

My brother lives on Nob Hill and he tends to walk a lot (I'll walk DOWNHILL...but catch a taxi back up!)

 

From the airport, the EASIEST way into The City is by taxi...but the CHEAPEST is by BART (the rapid transit system)--there is a station right in the airport and you can take it right to one of the stations on Market Street, but likely will need to walk or catch a cab from there...

 

 

Touristy things to do?

--Lombard Street (the famous, winding part...I once told someone to go see Lombard Street and they went to the wrong block and came back and said they couldn't understand why I sent them there).

--Chinatown...just walk around and look in stores and maybe catch a lunch...

--Fisherman's wharf...more shiopping and food.

--Exploratorium and Museums

--Ride Cable Cars

--Alcatraz

--Cross the Golden Gate into Marin, go to Muir Woods for the Giant Redwoods and up to Napa and Sonoma for the Winery tours.

 

I think I last took the Gray Line tour when I was 12...seemed kind of boring then, but what did I know?

 

Alcatraz IS worth it...Where else can you tour an old federal penitentiary? And the history and stories are incredible and the location unique...The ride's bumpiness depends on weather and time of year...but it's not that long a ride...

 

Eating? I prefer to wander the North Beach District and just let my nose lead me...Lots of great Italian places--better than Fisherman's Wharf or Chinatown...

 

Weather in Late May? Pleasant, mild...may be morning fog but warming up later in the day...not too hot...bring a sweater or light jacket for the evenings...

 

Have fun...

[polodad]

Steve has hit many of the highlights, but a few more thoughts.

 

Ghirardelli Sq is a neat shopping & restaurant complex near Fisherman's Wharf. Coit Tower is a monument in North beach that has great views. Union Sq is the downtown shopping, restaurant & show area & just a verrry short cable car ride down Powell St. from the Fairmont. SF is very much about the views. visit the forts on both sides of the Golden Gate bridge & admire the views. Golden Gate Park & the Japanese tea garden & museum are also worthy of a visit.

[Plant]

Remember, the cable cars only have a couple of lines--they won't take you everywhere:

 

http://www.visitingdc.com/san-francisco/san-francisco-cable-car-map.asp

 

 

Thanks, Steve! We're planning on staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Are all the hotels there within easy walking distance to the cable cars?

 

Do you have any hotel recommendations for the area? I'm looking at the Best Western Tuscan Inn and the Holiday Inn (not Express). Are these good choices?

[nna]

cable cars are worth one ride. they are not the way to get around. there is a great bus system--takes you all over for $1.50. take the geary line from union square out to the cliff house--the busiest bus line in the US--you will pass every ethnic rest. the cliff house has a great rest. and bars.

 

check out the market at the ferry building, see all the great museums we have in town, go to Ft. Point under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. take a ferry and a picnic to angel island--nice state park.

 

walk from coit tower down the filbert steps to the waterfront. check out museum mechanique, the pomponito submarine, hyde street pier.

 

alcatraz is worth it and is a 15 minute boat ride. take bart to lake merrit and check out the California museum over there. eat in chinatown or out on geary blvd.

 

go to the top of twin peaks if clear. check out civic center and the asian art museum, city hall and go to the ballet, opera or symphony.

May weather can be foggy--windy and 50 at night, cold by the beach and 70 by the bay (weather depends on what side of town you are on) or it can be 80 or it can be drizzly.

take a bus or ferry to sausalito--check out the Bay Model, right on the north side of town. or take the bus to Muir Woods for a quick redwoods fix.

 

I personally only like the historical stuff at fisherman's wharf and Bodin's bread. or an irish coffee at the buena vista cafe.

 

walk the maze at grace cathedral at the top of nob hill. my girl friend has a great rest. across the street to the south called The Californian.

 

have fun.

[smoothdancer]

We have vacationed in SF in both April and August and it can get chilly, especially on boat rides... I would say bring a sweater but they have vendors on all the streets selling wonderful sweaters very cheap!

 

Is Alcatraz worth the trip, in my mind absolutley. We loved our visit and they say it is from Alcatraz you get the best views of SF. I did a picture review of our stay in SF that can give you ideas of what there is to do.

http://www.justcruisin-sv.com/California/CA%20Page%20One.htm

[polodad]

Thanks, Steve! We're planning on staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Are all the hotels there within easy walking distance to the cable cars?

 

Do you have any hotel recommendations for the area? I'm looking at the Best Western Tuscan Inn and the Holiday Inn (not Express). Are these good choices?

 

Since Steve is busy I'll answer for him. Yes, it is only a couple of blocks to the Cable Cars from most of the hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf Area. Holiday Inn & Sheraton have good references in that area.

 

Note about the cable cars- They are verrry busy during tourist season June-Sept & a wait can be involved at the ends of the lines Fisherman's Wharf area & Union Sq. Shouldn't be bad in the early morn, but once the tourists arrive in mid morn it can be annoying.

[love2cruiseseattle]

Can you please provide me with a link to the San Francisco city bus system website?

 

Any dt city maps you can recommend online?

 

Also if I were to catch BART from the airport to the Fairmont where should I get off in downtown SF?

 

What is the pricing of a taxi ride from the airport to dt SF? or is it cheaper to catch an airport shuttle?

 

Thank you for all of your answers in advance:) .

[nna]

the city bus system (trains, cable cars, buses ) is called muni. you can look at sf muni or go to http://www.sfgate.com and click on traffic for links to everything.

 

you take bart from the airport (there is a link system to the bart station there), then get off at the Embarcadero and switch to the F line on the surface on the waterfront road called Embarcadero to get to fisherman's wharf. or get off bart at powell street station and catch cab/ or cable car up the hill to the fairmont.

http://www.511.org is another general transit site.

 

check out google maps. three bart stations are on Market street--they are below the muni metro train lines--so everything intersects downtown.

 

cabs from the airport to the fairmont $35-45 at least. shuttles are around $20 I think. bart is probably about $5.

 

if you want to take a cable car just to take a cable car, you can catch the california street line at embarcadero/market near waterfront and ride to top of nob hill (near fairmont) and over to polk street. less likely to have to stand in line--hyde street line usually has a line on either end.

[polodad]

cabs from the airport to the fairmont $35-45 at least. shuttles are around $20 I think. bart is probably about $5.

 

 

The shuttle fare & BART fares are per person. Cab fare is total regardless of number of people. Bear in mind that both Powell St & Embarcadero station are busy places during the work week, especially commute hours. If I were taking BART from SFO to the Fairmont I'd get off at Embarcadero, walk upstairs to Market St, cross the street to the Hyatt Hotel & catch a cab up California St to the Fairmont, with luggage a fare of less then $10. It should be a lot easier to get a cab there then at Powell St.

[sultan_sfo]

From Celebrity Forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=723104

 

But Scoma to us is good value for money but the IMHO so is McD -- better off seeking some "truly" SF restaurant.

[Plant]

Since Steve is busy I'll answer for him. Yes, it is only a couple of blocks to the Cable Cars from most of the hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf Area. Holiday Inn & Sheraton have good references in that area.

 

Note about the cable cars- They are verrry busy during tourist season June-Sept & a wait can be involved at the ends of the lines Fisherman's Wharf area & Union Sq. Shouldn't be bad in the early morn, but once the tourists arrive in mid morn it can be annoying.

 

Thanks! We won't be in any hurry and, after all, we will be tourists :) !

 

I'll confess that much of this public transportation stuff makes me very nervous :o . I haven't been on a bus since before my 16th birthday (a long, long time ago :rolleyes: ) and I've never been on a subway! We'll certainly be trying new things on this trip!

[polodad]

Plant-

 

Re the wait for cable cars I didn't explain myself well. There will be a finite number of tourists staying at hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area. If using the cable cars to actually go places in the city it is best to be away from the ends of the cable car lines before the infinite number of tourists that are staying elsewhere in SF or outside SF arrive by 10 am or thereabouts.

[skandls]

Since you are staying at the Fairmont I don't see you schelping your luggage around on Bart and the Muni. Take a taxi. The Fairmont is not 'right in the center' of transportation or restaurants. It is a lovely hotel but Nob Hill is a little off from the tourist areas. Plan to take taxis.

 

If you have to take the cable car do not wait in the long line at Powell and Market. Go up a street or two and push yourselves on. Get a good transportation map (OK maps with the Muni and cable cars are available at the many Walgreens). The least crowded cable cars are the ones that run on California but that is not a very scenic route.

 

I would not do a bus tour - with the narrow streets et al. San Francisco proper is only 49 square miles. Plan what you want to see and check out how to get there. There are walking tours where you can see much more of the city.

 

We are food and wine folks who lived in SF for 5 years. We took busses, bart and taxis to get around the city. I have my own fav restaurants but the turnover in the city is very high but I can recommend several time tested places.

 

What food do you like? What do you like to do? SF is such a great city. The restaurants go from burgers/pasta to tinytiny plates at astronomical prices.

 

Just a warning I always like to give - be careful on the Muni - there are a picpockets on the crowded busses. Especially the busses that go thru Chinatown to Union Square.

[Plant]

Plant-

 

Re the wait for cable cars I didn't explain myself well. There will be a finite number of tourists staying at hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area. If using the cable cars to actually go places in the city it is best to be away from the ends of the cable car lines before the infinite number of tourists that are staying elsewhere in SF or outside SF arrive by 10 am or thereabouts.

 

Thanks! We probably won't use the cable cars to get anywhere specific, just to ride :) . If we want to go somewhere specific, I guess asking the front desk personnel at the hotel how to get there would be a good idea?

 

I feel like the "country mouse" coming to the big city :D , even though Little Rock is twice as large (sq. miles)!

[skandls]

For those of you planning on driving on Lombard (the crooked street). If you are going on the weekend - go before 1pm. The lines from 3pm to 6pm are really long.

 

Also make sure to make reservations for Alcatraz as they do sell out.

[Coreopsis]

The Fairmont - one of my favorite hotels!

 

cuddle up with the concierge and see if they will give you a peek at their newly remodeled penthouse rooms! Check out the Tiki room and see one of the most creative ways to use an old pool! They have a fun happy hour!

 

You will become quite friendly with your doorman - he will call a taxi for you.

 

You've gotten good advice here - make your restaurant reservations in advance, or be disappointed. opentable.com

 

Love One Market, Slanted Door, La Folie . . . too many to list.

 

I think Nordstrom still offers a shuttle service - they will take you - and/or your bags to your hotel for you. So do shop there - it has (I think) the world's only circular escalator. Attached to Westfield Center and new Bloomie's.

 

One thing about the city that is lost on most . . . besides having beaches and buffalo (golden gate park!) we are a very small city. Only 49 square miles . . . I often take a taxi - cheaper than parking. When you can - go for the light rail portion of Muni - better than buses. BART is the most efficient - but limited in its connections within the city.

 

Enjoy your time here - I hope you love it even half as much as I do!

 

You might think about one day in wine country and we love our spas (almost as much as we like good fine and wine) something to think about for your taste of San Francisco.

[sfpd3000]

This is the actual link to MUNI - the public transit system for the City:

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mhome/home50.htm

[rianvi]

As always I need some advice. We are staying pre cruise in San Francisco and are wondering about hotels. We are considering the Best Western Tuscan Inn or the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. We are wondering what location would be best? We have transportation from the airport and to the port.

 

Thank you in advance.

Peace, Anna:)

[nna]

the mark hopkins is one of the grand old hotels--and the other puts you at fisherman's wharf. both are good locations. everything is close enough together that it really doesn't matter which you stay in--a taxi will get you between both in 10-15 minutes. public transport is not hard.

 

My kids and I take muni all over the city and we never ever hear about pickpockets and no one talks about it here. so it could happen--but I would say it is not that common. chinatown buses are very very crowded--but sit near the front and you should be ok.

 

I would say--take a ferry somewhere, go out to the western beaches--do something off the tourist track--people have such a narrow view of SF and most only see the postcard side--most of us who live here don't hang out at fisherman's wharf--it is a walking city.

[Coreopsis]

As always I need some advice. We are staying pre cruise in San Francisco and are wondering about hotels. We are considering the Best Western Tuscan Inn or the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. We are wondering what location would be best? We have transportation from the airport and to the port.

 

Thank you in advance.

Peace, Anna:)

Hmmmm, there are two of you? Both adults? If you have kids, I would think the Fisherman's Wharf location.

 

I would select a hotel that positions you in walking distance to shopping & dining - maybe something near Union Square, just south of Market, or Financial District. Easier to walk rather than staying at the top of a hill which almost requires a taxi. It all looks close on a map - and it is . . . but walking up Nob Hill is a workout. Carrying lots of goodies from your shopping - well, it makes it brutal.

 

The BART and light rail run down Market street - so I generally recommend staying no more than a few blocks from Union Square (4th) to Embarcadero/Ferry Building.

 

Check out Belden Place for a truly authentic feel. Well, actually it feels more European - but that's what I love about San Francisco. So many cultures and languages.

 

http://www.belden-place.com/

 

Then, of course, all the favorites we've mentioned above.

 

Enjoy your stay!

[skandls]

the mark hopkins is one of the grand old hotels--and the other puts you at fisherman's wharf. both are good locations. everything is close enough together that it really doesn't matter which you stay in--a taxi will get you between both in 10-15 minutes. public transport is not hard.

 

My kids and I take muni all over the city and we never ever hear about pickpockets and no one talks about it here. so it could happen--but I would say it is not that common. chinatown buses are very very crowded--but sit near the front and you should be ok.

 

I would say--take a ferry somewhere, go out to the western beaches--do something off the tourist track--people have such a narrow view of SF and most only see the postcard side--most of us who live here don't hang out at fisherman's wharf--it is a walking city.

 

We often took the 30 or 45 - the Muni through Chinatown to Union Square. During a 3 year period we were on the Muni twice when someone complained about losing a wallet. Also I often saw backpacks with all the zippers undone. So we were very careful when it got really crowded.

[Carol & Jim]

Rianvi, we stayed at the Tuscan last year and it was nice. The room was small but nicely furnished. They have a complimentary breakfast bar which I think was coffee and biscotti. Then in the evening they have a wine and snack party in the lobby. It is a busy hotel but we had no problems. Had no noise problems. We ate breakfast at the restaurant there in the hotel and it was very expensive, good but expensive. You are only a couple of blocks from Fishermans Wharf and about a block from the "F" line streetcars which go down to the Ferry Building, for a $1. We were very comfortable walking around the neighborhood. There is a Safeway and Cost Plus within a block or two which is nice if you need anything before sailing.

The Mark Hopkins might be nice also, I've never stayed there. Think it all depends on what attractions you want to visit and be close to.

Hope that helps a little.

[Coreopsis]

Rianvi, we stayed at the Tuscan last year and it was nice. The room was small but nicely furnished. They have a complimentary breakfast bar which I think was coffee and biscotti. Then in the evening they have a wine and snack party in the lobby. It is a busy hotel but we had no problems. Had no noise problems. We ate breakfast at the restaurant there in the hotel and it was very expensive, good but expensive. You are only a couple of blocks from Fishermans Wharf and about a block from the "F" line streetcars which go down to the Ferry Building, for a $1. We were very comfortable walking around the neighborhood. There is a Safeway and Cost Plus within a block or two which is nice if you need anything before sailing.

The Mark Hopkins might be nice also, I've never stayed there. Think it all depends on what attractions you want to visit and be close to.

Hope that helps a little.

Ah yes, it is a tad expensive here. All the more reason to be picky about where you dine. May as well get your money's worth and experience food/setting that you couldn't do at home!

 

Good point about Cost Plus and Safeway - pretty decent wine selections.

[Plant]

I found another choice! There's a LaQuinta Inn SF Airport at 20 Airport Blvd. The price is right, $119.00/night and they run a shuttle from the airport to the hotel and to BART.

 

Is this in a bad area safety-wise? This could save us enough $$ to be able to do more while we're in San Francisco :) . We've stayed in quite a few LaQuinta's, and while they're not fancy, we've found them clean and fine for our needs.

 

Thanks,