If you are going to SEE San Francisco, stay IN SF! Public transportation is very good for visitors to get around SF. Parking is VERY expensive in SF and truly a rental car is not needed. Walking is also easy.

We are going to be there for a week, and will not spend all the time in the city. We are looking at probably 3 days in the city itself. The rest of the time will be spent exploring the area: Muir Woods/Marin Co., wine country, etc.

You are far better to rent a car for each day trip out of the city. You can get good prices for just a single day, using Dollar Car Rental[there's one at Fishermans Wharf and another at Union Sq on O'Farrell street], and avoid paying for parking and having a car when you don't need it.

Pick the car up first thing in the morning, do your trip and then return it that evening. Skip paying overnight parking and the rental is less because you are not paying airport fees. Also, they have city specials sometimes so the price is even better.

We have done this on many of our visits to SF.

What kind of budget are we looking at (Lombard Street/Fisherman's Wharf motel vs. Ritz-Carlton?)

Where do you plan to go outside the city other than Muir Woods and the wine country? Do you also plan to head south toward Monterey?

Oakland is not a fun city to stay in for vacation. Stay in SF while seeing sights in that city. For the other trips you mention , I would move to a hotel or motel closer to them so you won't have to keep driving thru SF traffic to get to them.

We haven't decided about Monterey yet. We have been there, but our family has not. We are more inclined towards moderate hotels, as we do not have need for the amenities that the higher end hotels offer. Typically we use the hotel for sleeping, not much else, unless they offer breakfast.

If you have a car, you might want to look at any of the motels (some are nicer than others) along Lombard Street, as many of them have free parking. Ex. Chelsea Motor Inn, Cow Hollow Inn. Although they're on "motel row", the advantage (in addition to the free parking) is they're very close to two streets, Union Street and Chestnut Street, both of which are very popular for shopping, dining and people-watching. They're also easy access for sightseeing.

With two elementary-school age girls, I personally would skip the wine country, but if you're going to go, do it as a day trip from San Francisco. If you leave early morning, you could do Muir Woods and the wine country the same day.

Oh, and I agree with Bob, Oakland should be "last resort" only. It would not be fun to go back and forth with six people, to a city that hasn't anything to offer tourists.

As Gloria Stein once said about Oakland: There's no there there.

Actually - they have a decent waterfront/Jack London Square and chinatown area, but it's still an iffy area, IMO, and years ago - I practiced law at the Port of Oakland. commuting from SF.

Gloria Stein . . . Huh? mixing up two people?

Not only is Oakland not a nice place to stay, it can be downright dangerous. Many of us have more recent experience than our friend tom . . .

IMO -- touring wine country w/ young kids isn't that great. Santa Cruz and Monterey would be much more family oriented. And there is a better Redwood park south of SF than Muir Woods north of the city. (Big Basin)

Thank you all for your suggestions. It definitely gives us more to look at! Actually we were not looking at staying in Oakland, rather at some properties in Pleasant Hill area. Still exploring those options.

The point of visiting San Francisco is to be IN the city. Stay in San Francisco. Don't stay in Pleasant Hill.

Pleasant Hill makes no sense unless maybe you were visiting friends Contra Costa county.

Staying in Pleasant Hill would be crazy. It's a 45-minute pricey BART ride into the city.

janis - I ain't your friend - and quit dogging my messages.

Pleasant Hill has great weather - and is a cute little community - but to get from there into the city would take more time. If you found a place with a pool and the kids like that - it might be a decent alternative to staying in SF - which could have June Gloom, etc.

And staying over in Marin (Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, etc) also usually has better weather than in the City.

Driving in from either Marin or Contra Costa areas is not that bad - if you go aftr the morning commute and return before the afternoon commute. Actually - driving across either bridge or Golden Gate) - is a visual treat.

Typo. That's supposed to read: driving across either bridge - Bay or Golden Gate - is a visual treat.

Sorry, Pleasant Hill is okay, but it's just a suburb like any other. The time (1-1/2 hours R/T) and expense ($9.80 per adult R/T, $3.60 per child R/T, for a total of $46.40 per day for the 6 of you of traveling back and forth to the city, added to the fact that you couldn't go back DURING the day, is just not a good use of time or money.

Are you renting a car? Check www.carrentals.com, among other sites - for a weekly rental - and I would recommend you have a car for your stay. That way - you can drive into the City and back ($5 toll on the bridge - or that's what I recall - paid on your way in via the Bay Bridge) - if you don't stay in the city - and also that allows you to get to other places around the Bay Area.

As you can tell, people have strong and contradictory ideas about what you should do.

I personally would not try to do it all from a base in the city. I would move mid-trip to somewhere north of the city. Coastal Sonoma is to me very beautiful, and you can certainly tour the wine country and Muir Woods from there.

I have had really good luck with Priceline in San Francisco, particularly if you don't mind staying in the dreaded tourist areas near Fisherman's Wharf, which will be fine if you have children with you.

Finally, the areas of Oakland near Berkeley, while not very useful for your trip because of travel times, are very pleasant and not the least scary, with good restaurants and interesting shopping.

Unfortunately, to use priceline, you'd need to book three rooms - they only do doubles)

<<<Finally, the areas of Oakland near Berkeley, while not very useful for your trip because of travel times, are very pleasant and not the least scary, with good restaurants and interesting shopping.>>>

and no hotels.

Stay in the City. When I was young (many moons ago), I loved "hanging out" around North Beach in the evenings (Little Italy - very active with all the outside dining), and Union/Chestnut streets. Nothing like that in Pleasant Hill.

I actually like the idea of staying on Lombard St (closer to Van Ness the better). You can rent a car for all or a portion of your stay here and head out to the Wine Country, Marin/Sonoma coast, Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Zoo, Haight, Mill Valley, Muir Woods, etc anytime you feel like it. Lombard is only a few minutes (2-3) away from the GG Bridge & places north. Close to Union/Chestnut streets too.

Here are my ideas of things to do & see in the Bay Area.

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/san-francisco---stu-dudleys-recommendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

Don't rule out staying in apartments! HomeAway.com

North oakland-berkeley border hosts a fine hotel with a pool and spa... The Claremont. BUT it is likely pricier than what the OP is looking for And it is not near BART.

I would stay in sf for sf days, and then perhaps use petaluma as a base for adfordable hotel in the North Bay, with good access to muir woods, sonoma coast or sonoma valley. Nice old Small downtown. Hiking nearby and kayaking. Good food. Good chain hotels not far from downtown petaluma. Just need to plan around commute traffic anywhere from the golden gate bridge north to Windsor (north of santa rosa).

You might try to find a suite or an Apt (check www.VRBO.com,) in the City for 3 or 4 nights - and while I am not necessarily a big fan of Santa Cruz (hour and a half south) - the kids might like the Boardwalk/Roller Coaster, etc. http://beachboardwalk.com/faq/

You could also go to pretty/easy to navigate Half Moon Bay - and use that as a base to explore further south.

For Half Moon Bay - an hour or so from SF - see: http://tinyurl.com/7a993kx