San Fran ~ how long and where to stay?

[Pino_Spetzberg]

There are plenty of car parks costing around $30 per 24 hours.
There isn't any need to pay through the hotel at $40/$50 up.

The Hilton in Union Square is a good rate at $99, enjoyed our stay there. One comment, the reviews on trip advisor may put you off, it isn't far from everything, as reviewers sometimes suggest, and it doesn't have a worse problem with " street people " than anywhere else in SF. Its a really good choice.

Stayed at Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf and it was perfectly OK. I remember it seemed to be full of British families on Virgin holidays, nothing wrong with that of course, but it did make the breakfast room resemble a cafe at Alton Towers. It definitely didn't suffer from any fishy smells.

Our favourite is the new Intercontinental San Francisco in the SoMa area. Although The Chancellor in Union Square takes some beating for value and location.

I may be fiscally imprudent, but it would be preferable to have a hire car for an extra couple of days sitting in a multi-storey, than to spend the time returning it to the airport, but I realise this doesn't sound very sensible.

[Tiggernut]

Originally Posted by Pino_Spetzberg

I may be fiscally imprudent, but it would be preferable to have a hire car for an extra couple of days sitting in a multi-storey, than to spend the time returning it to the airport, but I realise this doesn't sound very sensible.

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You don't need to return the car to the airport though - We've arranged to drop our Dollar car at the Ramada in Fishermans Wharf which is literally round the corner from our hotel. We've also arranged to collect the car from the same place to return to the airport 5 days later!

[anna68]

We're going next March, SF is our first stop for 4 nts staying at chancellorhotel/ Union Sq

[Pino_Spetzberg]

Originally Posted by Tiggernut

You don't need to return the car to the airport though - We've arranged to drop our Dollar car at the Ramada in Fishermans Wharf which is literally round the corner from our hotel. We've also arranged to collect the car from the same place to return to the airport 5 days later!

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Thats good planning, well done.

[JudyC]

Originally Posted by Cannavar

We would recommend the Argonaut right next to the tram turntable at Fisherman's Wharf. A beautiful hotel in a gorgeous locations. We love it there.

argonauthotel/

And no, no fishy smell!

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I've see this and it looks lovely. It's a boutique hotel isn't it. I saw hotwire have a boutique hotel in the Fishermans Wharf area and wondered if it was the Argonaut. Are there any other similar in that are, it would be a bargain on Hotwire

[Cannavar]

Originally Posted by JudyC

I've see this and it looks lovely. It's a boutique hotel isn't it. I saw hotwire have a boutique hotel in the Fishermans Wharf area and wondered if it was the Argonaut. Are there any other similar in that are, it would be a bargain on Hotwire

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The Kimpton hotel group do seem to go on Hotwire and a friend recently got an amazing deal for one of their 5 stars in San Diego.

Could be worth a try

[truesdpr]

We've been twice and stayed @ Union Square the first time and the Wharf on our last trip. We preferred being on the Wharf and walking down to the pier/ shoreline early in the mornings before or after breakfast. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf and got a great rate on Hotwire of around $260 for the 3 nights.

Pam.

[Guest]

dont forget to use the hotel companies own price promise guarentees,most of the big companies offer them,with marriott being one of the best offering 25% off the best price you find(not limewire or similar sites though) we have had some good deals like stanford court for $99 a night so it pays to shop round and use the price guarentees

[Guest]

We went last September to SF for 4 nights and then on to Yosemite for 3 nights we then went on a tour round California. Like you we picked up the car after the 4 nights in SF.

We used a shuttle both to and from the airport...didn't book one for when we arrived but just found one easily at the airport. The driver gave us a discount voucher if we used their service on the way back.

Like you we enjoy walking and the weather was glorious - found some interesting walks in guides to the city - I've still got the details if you'd like them and you PM me I'll send them to you. We didn't buy the Pass but we took one trip in the cable car just because you have to really. We walked for miles and miles and stayed in the Kensington Park Hotel just off of Union Square. We preferred the Union Square location and walked down to Fisherman's Walk a couple ot times - probably fun to stay there as well though. It was an easy walk fro Union Square. There are hills and we walked up and down lots of them. We must have done at least 10 miles both days...on the third day we took a coach trip to Muir Woods. We are aged 58 and 63 so you should find the walking easy. We still covered a lot of SF and the nice thing about walking is that you get to meet local people who pass the time of day with you. We walked from Fisherman's walk (from the Alcatraz ferry - after spending a couple of hours there) all the way along the coast to the GG bridge and over it...and then we walked down to Sausalito and caught the ferry back from there. At that point we took a taxi to our hotel.

Because it was our first city after the flight we were up really early in the mornings which gave us a start in fitting everything in. Would love to go back to SF... but would love to go back to every place we visited on that trip...

[Harry]

Have thought long and hard regarding taking a car to SF (due to the $49 a day parking charge )... I contacted US RentaCar and got a quote for amending our booking from 17 days to 15 and dropping off in O'Farrell Street (about a mile from our hotel on Fisherman's Wharf)... worked out £75 better off (less £15 Amendmnet fee) and also saving on the $49-00 a day parking charge... so all we will need will be a transfer to SF airport on the day we return home.

Everyone I have spoken to that has visited SF has said that you do not need a car because everything is just there!

Fell much happier about this now...