mrp

We will be in San Francisco for a week in early November. Our flight out of San Francisco leaves at 7pm thursday. How much time should I allow to drive to SFO from the Nob Hill area, drop off my rental car and pass security before our flight? If we decide to beat the rush hour traffic and drive out to SFO around 2pm is there any thing to do or see near SFO?

scurry

Unfortunately, not really.

Molly2

Visited SF 2 years ago, and faced a situation like yours; hours to kill before a flight. We ended up at a mall with a movie theater, where we hoped to pass the time by catching a flick. Unfortunately, the theater had shut down, so there was little to do but grab some chinese food at the food court and browse through the rather uninteresting shops. We ended up returning our car way early and resigned ourselves to an extended reading session - glad we'd brought along some good novels!

mrp

I kind of thought this might be the case, but was hoping I was wrong. With the BART
going out of SFO, maybe we can drop our car off, check our luggage and take the BART into town?

scurry

That's not a bad idea, but give yourself plenty of time. Maybe you could drop your car off earlier than 2? Or drop it off at a downtown location & hold your bags at the bell desk of the Hyatt Embarcadero, which is 100 feet from a BART station.

I haven't taken BART between the City & SFO, but have heard good things. I would be surprised if it was shorter than a 40 minute trip, not counting waiting for the train.

There's probably a BART website around here somewhere to learn more ...

janis

You can safely ignore Canello's suggestion. He is a Fodors bad boy who has been kicked off by the editors MANY times but just keeps bouncing back like a bad penny. If you click on his name you will see he has just re-registered for the first time a few minutes ago and is busily re-posting things Fodors has zapped previously.

Now to answer your question: If you turn in you car earlier (like mid-morning) you will miss rush hour and could easily take BART into theh city and back to SFO later.

or as scurry says - check into returning the car to a downtown location and taking BART to the airport.

mrp

That sounds like a good idea. Now I have to convince the other 3 in my party to travel lightly (I dont think the afternoon commuters to SFO will appreciate the four of us with 6 suitcases). Even if we go into town from SFO just to eat an early dinner or late lunch will be rewarding. Thanks!

janis

Wow! Fodors is getting good. They "got" Canello in less than an hour.

mrp - if you can't get them to pack light, check w/ your airline re how early you can check luggage for your flight. If you can check the stuff through you could travel in/out on BART luggage free.

But, packing light is an even better idea.

E

Wow, I disagree with Scurry! While there isn't anything to do near SFO that would rival the City, you could pass a very pleasant afternoon on Burlingame Avenue (which is about 5 min. down El Camino Real from the airport), shopping, strolling, and eating. You'll find locally-owned couture boutiques and arty gift shops, as well as the usual Pottery Barn and Gap, but on a very pedestrian friendly street with well over a dozen restaurants to choose from (sushi, Italian, SW, Thai, Chinese, plus a European bakery, bagels, and more). There is also the Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae, right on El Camino across from the BART station: it's a very authentic Chinese restaurant usually packed with Asian locals that serves Dim Sum on weekends. The owners operate another Flower Lounge in Hong Kong. There is no need to resort to a mall. Personally, I'd rather not drop off car, ride BART back into town, and then return by BART: you'd gain maybe 2 hours in the City, max.

jason888

Hi, mrp!

Where are you staying in San Francisco?

Could you not leave your luggage with the concierge at the hotel that you are staying? Return the car? Take their hotel to SFO?

Just another alternative! Hope this might help!
Jason

curmudgeon

Any time you see someone coming out with personal attacks on other posters, click on their name; you can see all their postings and make your own judgement about the value of their advice.

It's really too bad we have one or two obnoxious jerks who abuse the simple registration process here (and no, it's not janis or jason, they are valued contributors with a long history). I'm not sure there's actually any method to the madness; Abusing Union Square and pitching San Jose is probably just another way of trolling for attention, like the "why are people allowed to take babies on airplanes?" etc threads. It certainly doesn't leave any positive impressions about San Jose in the threads after the BS is deleted.

scurry

Ha!

I actually went to Burlingame High School and spent much of my youth driving between Burlingame Avenue and Hillsdale Mall.

IMO, neither place is a very interesting alternative for someone on vacation (afterall, a mall is a mall) -- but if it sounds good to you, go for it!

E

Well, Scurry, I think in your case that familiarity has bred contempt! I'm with you on Hillsdale, which is nothing special, but B. Ave isn't a mall...and the pleasures of a neighborhood in which to stroll have become rare in the U.S. But note that I also said it doesn't compare to SF; I am NOT one of those freaks who would suggest a weekend in suburbia over the City. But I still think that since mrp will have only 2-3 hours to kill, dashing to and from the City in that time would be silly. (Whatever you decide, mrp, have a great trip!)

Dan

I have friends who live in Burlingame and I second the suggestion of Burlingame Avenue. Between the cute shops and restaurants, it is a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

SAB

Assuming that you intend to be at the rental car drop off at least 2 hours before your flight this would mean getting to SFO by at least 5 pm. If you leave City at or before 4pm, this is doable. The heart of rush hour is 5pm (except on Fridays) and the biggest hangups are on the streets getting to the freeways (and the Bay Bridge which is not an issue you).

bodi

How long would it take to drive to/from the airport to the Stanford Shopping Center?

E

Bodi, it usually takes me about 30 min to get to Stanford SC from Burlingame, so maybe add 5 min to that if you're leaving from the airport, and assuming no major traffic.

PamSF

I was going to suggest Dim Sum at Hong Kong Flower Lounge as well. You could keep driving on 280 take Hwy 1 to
Moss Beach area and check out the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve.(Tide pools etc.) You might also consider checking out the southern end of SF like the Mission,Noe Valley or even South of Market. You will have easy access to 280 off 6th street in SF and from there you can take a relatively straight shot to the airport.(if in the south of market neighborhood). You could park at Moscone, visit the Chagall exhibit at MOMA, have lunch at the museum or someplace in the area, then head for the 6th street on ramp(I think on Harrison) From the Mission and parts of Noe Valley you can also follow Mission Street to the end landing on the freeway heading south as well. I think traffic on 280 tends to be lighter then take 380(?) across to 101 to end up at the airport. If yours is a domestic flight I'd say you could arrive at SFO 3 hours ahead and still be ok.

tomfuller

Mr. Dross this is a NINE year old thread.

sf7307

Burlingame Ave is still a nice place to chill for few hours though