We will be visiting San Francisco in September and want to visit Alcatraz while we are there. I read somewhere, that you need to by tickets in advance for the ferry, how do we do that? Is it possible to get them via the web and would the ferry company hold the reserved tickets for us? I guess they would not want to incur the cost of posting them to the UK.

Jan, we went to Alcatraz last year and definitely call ahead for your reservations. And make sure you get the audio tour, where you get headphones and a tape to listen to while you walk around. It costs $11 and is well worth it. The Blue & Gold Fleet is the company that sells the tickets, and you call 415-705-5555 to reserve them. They won't mail them to you; you pick them up before your tour at Pier 41. There may be a service charge for reserving your tickets in advance but do it - we saw a lot of people who couldn't go because all trips were sold out that day. When you make your reservations you have to choose a time, and I would recommend to go as early as possible. Go to www.TheInsider.com/SF/attractions/alcatraz.htm for more information.

Jan, we went to Alcatraz last year and definitely call ahead for your reservations. And make sure you get the audio tour, where you get headphones and a tape to listen to while you walk around. It costs $11 and is well worth it. The Blue & Gold Fleet is the company that sells the tickets, and you call 415-705-5555 to reserve them. They won't mail them to you; you pick them up before your tour at Pier 41. There may be a service charge for reserving your tickets in advance but do it - we saw a lot of people who couldn't go because all trips were sold out that day. When you make your reservations you have to choose a time, and I would recommend to go as early as possible. Go to www.TheInsider.com/SF/attractions/alcatraz.htm for more information.

Definitely agree with Mary that it is better to make reservations before you come here to avoid any possible dissapointment. Several web you might find useful for your trip: citysearch7.com , sfgate.com/eguide/food and hooked.net/users/jhum for some of the best free tours in the city. Enjoy yourself here and Sept. is actually our summer you you most likely will see "warmer" temps and less fog.

I toured Alcatraz for the first time two weeks ago. Couple of additions to the previously posted replies:

There is a service charge for making reservations, but it's worth it.

Reservations are only accepted two weeks in advance.

Spring for the audio tour. Fascinating tape, narrated by former inmates and employees.

Watch the introductory video once you dock at the island. Puts the entire experience into context.

Try to go on a weekday. If you can't, go as early as possible (9:30 is the first boat) on the weekend.

Enjoy.

Be sure and check out www.sanfrancisco.sidewalk.com before you go - the site has super info on SF.

HI JAN-----WE WENT TO ALCATRAZ IN NOV. OF 98 & JUST WALKED UP TO THE WINDOW ON PIER 41 & BOUGHT TICKETS. YES, SPRING FOR THE TAPE. WAS AT THE BILTMORE HOUSE (250 ROOMS) IN ASHEVILLE, NC., 2 WEEKS AGO,SPENT $30 TO GET IN & ANOTHER $4 FOR THE TAPE. WAS THE BEST $4 I EVER SPENT.
CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WILL SPEND SO MUCH TO GET INTO SOMETHING & NOT SPRING FOR THE EXTRA $$$$ TO REALLY FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE SEEING.ALSO, WHILE IN SAN FRAN, GO TO THE GOLDEN GATE PARK & HAVE TEA IN THE JAPANESE
PAGODA. IS SOOOO NEAT. HAVE FUN

We are going to SFO end of May and bought our tickets about 2 weeks ago and they mailed them to us. There was a surcharge. I had some friends tell me that they wanted to do the tour but it was already sold out.
If you have any other questions we will be back June 1.

I bought 2 tickets by phone yesterday for MAY 31 at 9:30am. It was full for the first boat on MAY 29.
The price with the audio tour is $14 and $12 without.
Enjoy.

I will pehaps see Michael who wrote the last message.

Many thanks for all your advice and web sites to investigate, I now have a note on my calendar for the end of August to phone up and reserve some ferry tickets. Looking forward to our first trip to the West Coast.

One more tip. No matter how warm it is in the city the day you go, bring a jacket! I've been there twice and both times the island was windy and COLD. It made the trip hard to enjoy without relief! Alysa

We got ours the day before at the pier window - - I recommend the evening tour!

Some good advice here---note in particular that Sept is one of our most wonderful times of years, and alas, the tourists know it! Book ahead. If you give them your credit cards, perhaps they will mail them to your hotel instead of back to the UK. In any event, do book ahead. My favorite time to leave is 11:30 am. That way, if there is fog, it will have burned off by the time you reach the island. Wear good, non skid walking shoes, and ditto the recommendation about the jacket--no matter what the temp is when you depart. The audio tour is a must. You might want to read "Birdman of Alcatraz" or if you are traveling with kids, remind them of the movie that was just filmed on Alcatraz--(name escapes me right now) Have a wonderful time in our little city.