Fishermans Wharf vs Union sq

[Tweety1]

Sorry if this has been asked before but which location do you prefer?
I have booked pier 2620 on FW but could stay for £200 cheaper in the Hilton USquare. I know FW would be easier as Dylan's Tours and Alcatraz go from there but is it worth the extra cost? How long would it take to walk from US and if we went on the tram is it expensive?We literally will just be sleeping there but I dont want to be paying off transfers to FW however we like to walk (well myself an DH do ha) as you see so much but would it be a pain staying in US knowing both days we would have to get to FW?
I appreciate your thoughts...

[pompeyboy]

Hi, I just came across your post as I am researching for our upcoming trip, we leave on Monday. sfmta/ is the SF transport website and has a good trip planner for walking or bus/tram travel, it links to google maps. A single ride fare is $2.75 or $7 for the classic trolley, they call them cable cars. You can get a 3 day pass for $32 which includes unlimited rides on bus/tram and cable cars.

To answer your question, the Hilton is 2 miles from pier 33, a 40 min walk or 25 mins on the bus/tram according to the website linked. My 1st time in SF so can't advise on what areas is best, mine is a last minute booking so staying at FW

[feelingnuts]

We stayed at fisherman’s wharf and loved it location is excellent and if I was returning I’d stay there again.

[400ixl]

Union Square had zero appeal to us. Fine if you like shopping, other than that you could be in any US city.

Fishermans Wharf was much more related to being a tourist in the city and had far more appeal and things to do within walking distance. It was handy to be able to be able to go too and from the hotel during the day.

Is it worth £200 more, guess that depends on the length of stay and what you plan to do. If you can book UC on a cancel-able rate and see if you can get FW cheaper closer to the time.

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by 400ixl

Union Square had zero appeal to us. Fine if you like shopping, other than that you could be in any US city.

Fishermans Wharf was much more related to being a tourist in the city and had far more appeal and things to do within walking distance. It was handy to be able to be able to go too and from the hotel during the day.

Is it worth £200 more, guess that depends on the length of stay and what you plan to do. If you can book UC on a cancel-able rate and see if you can get FW cheaper closer to the time.

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Preference for me is really FW and I have this on a cancellable rate which I monitor, however I know the days we are there we won't be in the room much but the stuff we are doing all goes from that area arghh if only money was no object! Plus it would be nice to walk bk and forwards to hotel.
What to do...

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by feelingnuts

We stayed at fisherman’s wharf and loved it location is excellent and if I was returning I’d stay there again.

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Thank you

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by pompeyboy

Hi, I just came across your post as I am researching for our upcoming trip, we leave on Monday. sfmta/ is the SF transport website and has a good trip planner for walking or bus/tram travel, it links to google maps. A single ride fare is $2.75 or $7 for the classic trolley, they call them cable cars. You can get a 3 day pass for $32 which includes unlimited rides on bus/tram and cable cars.

To answer your question, the Hilton is 2 miles from pier 33, a 40 min walk or 25 mins on the bus/tram according to the website linked. My 1st time in SF so can't advise on what areas is best, mine is a last minute booking so staying at FW

See more...

This is really helpful thank you

[JoS]

I would choose FW over Union Sq as well. Much nicer area and more San Fran to me. I know you need to take a second mortgage to afford hotels here but in my opinion its well worth it. We have just booked Hotel Zephyr for our upcoming trip. Its lovely at night to just be able to walk to the wharf and wander around. Union square is just shops. I was happy we had not chosen there last time as we nearly had. Hope you find a decent priced hotel you are happy with. Have you looked at Columbus Motor Inn?

[Willeve]

We stayed in FW this August and I was so glad we did! It is VERY touristy(think Leicester Square) but you ARE a tourist! Location was perfect for HOHO bus, cycling across Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Pier39 with the sea lions. Food wise, we were on the doorstep of IHOP, Denny’s, McD, Chipotle and many many more(specifically Boudin Bakery, an absolute SF must!). We used the HOHO bus to get to Union Square, and the cable car to return, then got the cable car there and back later because it was so much fun. I ummed and ahhed about location, but this was DEFINITELY the right choice for my family(we were at the Sheraton).

[kateb78]

Just to provide the opposite opinion - we stayed at Union Square and were very glad we did. We had easy access to all the transport options and found getting around SF very easy. We also used Dylan's Tours and were picked up from just off Union Square too (not sure if this is still an option?). Realistically, SF is very compact and we spent lots of time exploring though I can't say we spent more time in one area than another. At no point did we wish we'd stayed in another area. If we were to go back to SF then we'd choose Union Square again