It's best to stay in San Francisco until it's time to go. There are a lot of great ways to get there.
The majority of people in San Francisco walk, bike, ride, or ride-share instead of taking a car. One of the city's cable car lines is a must for first-timers. This is how to get to San Francisco.
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John F Kennedy Dr in Golden Gate Park is currently closed for the foreseeable future because it is one of the streets that will be closed for more than one day a week.
There are a lot of walking tours in San Francisco. It's easy to set off on your own for a day of exploration in places like the Presidio. There are a number of trails that connect the city's neighborhoods, open spaces, and local trails.
The 17-mile trail from Candlestick Point to Lands End is divided into five sections which can be tackled separately and give a great overview of the city.
San Francisco wants to be the most bike friendly city in the US, and many locals have already jumped on the saddle. Ocean Beach, the Marina and the waterfront are some of the best places to ride a bike.
Most of the sights in San Francisco are accessible on two-wheelers. The network is over 400 miles long. There is a map of the bike network Maps and information for cyclists are offered by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
There is a bike-sharing program in the city. Both traditional bikes and e- bikes can be rented from stations throughout San Francisco, the East Bay and San Jose, and can be used for single trips, day use or with monthly access passes.
Bay Wheels stations are located downtown, but bikes come without helmets, and biking without proper protection is always going to be a little dangerous, so bring your own helmet.
Bus, streetcar and cable car lines are operated by the city. There are buses and streetcars. If you want to avoid the hassle of driving and parking, some areas are better than others.
There are streetcars under Market Street. J, K, L, M, N and T are some of the best lines to use. The historic streetcar line F runs above ground on Market Street and goes to Fisherman's wharf.
A new subway line linking the Giants stadium, Caltrain terminal, downtown and Chinatown is expected to open in November of 2022. It will make it easy to get from one line to another.
Route planning and schedules can be consulted. Nextmuni.com syncs with gps on buses and streetcars to give the best estimates on arrival times.
There are essential and free maps on the internet. The app can be used to pay fares. All routes and schedules need to be checked in advance and on the day to be sure.
The service is less frequent on weekends. The owl service runs from 1am to 5am on a few lines.
It costs $3 to buy tickets from drivers on buses and streetcars and at underground stations. The fare is only $2.50 if you use a reloadable Clipper card. Two hours of rides is possible with a single fare.
For people over the age of 65, fares are half the price. Anyone can ride for free.
If you want to get the most value out of your trip, you should know that free transfer tickets are available for additional trips within 90 minutes. Buses offer a Late Night Transfer that lasts until the following morning.
You can buy cable car tickets from the conductor or at a kiosk.
unlimited travel on all Muni transportation, including cable cars, is possible with a visitor passport. It is sold at various locations.
The day pass is only $5 and can be purchased at a farebox or kiosk. The cable cars are not allowed for unlimited rides.
Clipper cards are reloadable and work on many transit systems in the Bay Area. It applies transfers and deducts fares. You can either buy a physical card or put a Clipper Card on your phone.
Clipper cards and fare credit can be purchased at the downtown stations. Clipper cards can be linked to a credit card so that they refill with value.
The fastest way to get from downtown to San Francisco International Airport is through the Bay Area Rapid transit system. There are four lines that pass through SF. Downtown, Market Street and the Mission District are served by BART, but not all areas of the city.
The Clipper Card system is the only way to pay on the train. You can either buy one for a one-time fee or install it on your phone for free. If you arrive at SFO with a Clipper Card, you can avoid long lines at the ticket machines by setting up your phone with it.
You will need your Clipper Card to enter and exit the system. It costs $9.65 to travel from SFO to downtown San Francisco.
Caltrain connects San Francisco to cities along the Peninsula south of the city, and on to the South Bay and San Jose. It runs at least an hourly service and is very comfortable.
The Caltrain app can be used to buy tickets at stations. You can take Caltrain from the depot at 4th and King Sts in San Francisco to Millbrae, Palo Alto, and San Jose.
Taxi fares can be as low as $3.50 and as high as $3 per mile. You can add 15% to the fare. The nearest taxi is dispatched by the Flywheel app.
In San Francisco, there are two popular ride-sharing companies. Taxis are usually cheaper with surge pricing.
The Ferry Building is a great place to eat and drink because of it's great bay views. The base for ferry routes is here.
The National Park Service has a boat that serves The Rock. Advance reservations are needed for boats departing from Pier 33.
The San Francisco Bay Ferry runs from Pier 41 to the Ferry Building in the East Bay.
Golden Gate transit ferries run regular ferry services from the Ferry Building to Marin County ferry terminals. Great sightseeing and vital transit can be offered by these ferries.
The Blue and Gold Fleet has ferries that go to Tiburon and Sausalito.
If you can't, don't drive in San Francisco because of heavy traffic, street parking is hard to find, meter readers are ruthless and vehicle break-ins are a plague.
Don't drive during rush hours in San Francisco. Check 511.org for traffic updates before you head to any bridge, airport or other choke point.
SF Park contains real-time information on how to find parking in the city and how to pay your parking meter. Downtown parking is difficult and expensive. The cost of hotel parking is about the same as public parking.
It can seem like all of the few available parking spots have restrictions if you look at the curbs.
Only blue disabled parking is allowed.
The green parking zone is open from 9am to 6pm.
There is no parking or stopping in red.
Pick up or drop off times are posted.
There is a yellow loading zone.
Major car rental firms have locations throughout the city and region. When large conventions come to SF, you may not be able to find a car at all. Taxes and fees increase the rates quoted.
Don't rent a car during your time in the city and wait until you go somewhere else. It is considered a fair game for thieves to break into a car if it is visible from the street.
They are all accessible. People with different mobility needs are mostly accessible on the city streets.
For more information on accessible travel, download Lonely Planet's free Accessible Travel ebook.
The article was last updated about 3 hours ago.
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