How nessesary is a car in San Francisco?

Question

I'm going to be flying in to San Francisco and renting a car and driving to San Diego where Iwe will be flying out of 10 days later. We're spending our first two days in San Francisco. We would like to be able to get around and be able to see the sights. We were going to rent the car at the airport but now we're thinking that if we were going to rent the car and just keep in parked for two days, then it might be worth saving some money and taking a cab to my hotel and if it's feasible, we'd just take public transportation around.

Answer 1

When you arrive in SF: First visit the SF visitor's information center at Powell and Market St. Go down the escalator and past the Cable Car Coffee shop. The center is a store space under the sidewalk a few feet away.

A car can be a headache and not necessary unless you plan to leave the city and visit other counties. Parking can be expensive. There are also parking restrictions -- varies by neighborhoods, time of day and the days of the week -- so you would need to read the signs posted on the street if you should want to park a car.

http://www.bart.gov/guide/overview/overview.asp

From the airport: Take Bart to SF if you are arriving when the BART is running to the airport. (Check the airport schedule on-line now -- and then pick up a schedule at the BART terminal when you arrive at the airport). Otherwise, take a cab. There are many car rental agencies downtown in the Union Square area. You might want to visit one to reserve it ahead of time for your departure.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/fareinfo.htm
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/indxmaps.htm

Use the Muni to get around SF. You might want to buy a passport, could be cheaper and a lot more convenient. Ride the cable car and the Muni Metro underground, or the old vintage buses which run on Market St. or the bus line that runs along the Embarcadero.. Adult ticket is $1.50 (always ask for a transfer which good for 90 min. and sometimes good for several hours-- depends on the time showing where the ticket is torn off by the driver).

Have a great time in SF. Weather has been beautiful but always bring a jacket with you.

Answer 2

If you're just doing the tourist thing for a couple days in SF, having a car is a hassle. I say skip it, you will have to pay for parking, which is expensive, and there is no reason to drive, really. The only thing is the GG Bridge, but you can take a cab out there or a bus. The cab would be about $15 each way from downtown, but the bus would be $1.50p/p.

Parking alone would be about $25/day. If you are staying downtown, then you are within close walking distance of all the sights really. You can take BART trains from the airport to downtown now, www.bart.gov has schedules and fare info. A cab from SFO to downtown runs about $40 roughly, BART fare is about $12 for two people. Drop a line if you want some advice on what to see on the drive down.

Answer 3

San Francisco has the best transit on the West Coast. But that's mainly because the competition sucks (L.A., Portland, Seattle, Honolulu, and Las Vegas all have lousy public transportation infastructure). There's a comprehensive bus system, which can take you within two blocks of anywhere in the city. However, they're also very slow and sporadic. This is largely due to odd traffic patterns. You'll sometimes see no buses for half an hour, and then suddenly have 4-5 of them cluster in one direction. In the city proper, buses run 24/7 everyday of the year. Suburban bus service is less reliable and tends to shut down early in the evening. The subway/rail system (BART, MUNI Metro, Caltrain) is far superior to the buses in terms of comfort and speed, but it certainly doesn't go everywhere. If you're going to the Marina District or Pacific Heights, for instance, you're pretty much out of luck. Also, the suburban stations are spaced 2-3 miles apart from each other. This effectively makes them 'park-and-ride' stations. They're designed to work with cars rather than as a replacement for them. Trains usually have their final runs from Midnight to 1 AM...with service suspended until the morning commute (4 to 5 AM).

Answer 4

Don't rent a car until you need to leave to SD. Headaches galore with parking and traffic. You can either take BART or ask the hotel if they have a shuttle. There are a million different shuttles that circle the lower level of SFO. If you're staying at that hotel, it'll usually be free. There's MUNI (buses), BART, cabs, the cablecars, a ton of ways to get around. Or walk if you can, the sights are great.

Answer 5

SF is only 7x7 miles. Having a car is not necessary. There's plenty of public transportations and everything is so condense there, like you're in little Italy then you take 5 Steps down it's Chinatown. Traffic up here in friskco is not bad it's just finding free and paid parking that's a hassle.

Answer 6

don't rent a car. take bart and muni. you can take bart from the air port. and you can take muni anywhere (just about) to get around the city.

if youre gonna go to all the tourist spots (pier 39 etc) you'll need to take the buses or a cab. but really stay away from them areas and go out and explore THE REAL san francisco

san fran native.

Answer 7

Do NOT rent the car until it's time to leave. Cars in SF are not necessary and expensive/difficult to park. Many sights are walkable (depending on where you're staying); those that aren't are very reachable by muni, metro, BART, cable car, ferry or, at worst (in cost), a taxi. Get a muni map from the concierge at your hotel - You may also find this website to be a helpful introduction. http://www.sftravel.com/bus.html

Answer 8

Public transporation and cabs are very accessible. Renting a car could be fine..but driving in the city can be confusing and frustrating. Alot of streets are one way and it can be difficult to find your way around if you're not familar with the city.

Answer 9

san fran blows. dont go. and who is this 'we' you are referring to? some whore? one last thing- ever hear of spell check?
jk poodlepie!!!