Calfornia trip
 

We are an Irish family of 5 travelling to San Francisco in June, we plan to drive from San Fran down the coast to Los Angeles and on to Las Vegas and fly home from there.

We are finding it difficult to find a reasonable family hotel in San Fran - we're thinking of going to Emmeryville and staying there - any advice on this?

Also hoping to spent some time in Santa Barbara and need reasonable nice accomodation there. Kids are aged 9,13 and 15 - any suggestions/advice welcome
Thanks

Are you having trouble finding a hotel that meets your requirements (what are they -- neighborhood? budget? number of rooms?) or finding one that has availability? I'd look at the suite hotels like Cow Hollow Motor Inn or Columbus Motor Inn before I'd stay in Emeryville (Emeryville is not on the BART line, so getting from Emeryville into the city requires a car or taking the bus - by car, it's only 15 minutes, by bus, longer).

http://www.cowhollowmotorinn.com/

You will have a great deal of more difficulty finding a reasonable family friendly hotel in Santa Barbara than SF. You might wish to look in Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo, if Santa Barbara does not pan out.

What is your actual budget?

I was going to also suggest Pismo or San Luis Obispo for more budget choices. Plus more interesting activities for your kids.

Agree with the Cow Hollow recommendation - and there are several other motels - with parking - or street parking in the Marina - on or near Lombard St. If you stay in Emeryville - you have to fight the traffic coming over the Bay Bridge. Much better to be in the City.

As for Santa Barbara - check out staying just "above" it at Solvang or one of the other Santa Ynez places. And you might like the Danish pastry in Solvang. :)

Check this out for some guidance: http://www.lombardstreethotels.com/

In San Francisco, you can try the motels along the ocean front. There are a couple across the street from the San Francisco Zoo and some close to Lincoln and 46th Ave. Both locations have direct street car connections to downtown SF.

Yes, but it takes exactly as long (more than an hour) to get from Emeryville to Fisherman's Wharf as it does from the Zoo to Fisherman's Wharf by public transportation. Not to mention the weather is frequently awful out by the zoo.

The weather won't be awful in June, just foggy. A family of 5 implies children who might like to see the zoo. Fisherman's Wharf is not the sole tourist destination in San Francisco. The museums in Golden Gate Park are another. The Golden Gate Bridge is also one, easily reachable via the 19th Ave. bus, and the downtown area (MOMA and Union Square) is at most 45 minutes from the ocean. There's the ocean itself. So if it's a choice between the ocean side or Emeryville, I would choose the ocean side.

<<<So if it's a choice between the ocean side or Emeryville, I would choose the ocean side.>>>

Ha ha - I know you would, we've had this "conversation" before :-)

In San Francisco, your kids (and you) might enjoy The California Academy of Sciences.


http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...Francisco.html

((H))

So many great things to do in SF. And if you stayed by Lombard St, you could walk to the Palace of Fine Arts, and along the Marina Green - and out to Ft. Point - and have a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, across to Sausalito, etc. Which reminds me, taking the ferry from the Ferry Bld at the foot of Market St. to Sausalito or Tiburon is also a great ride, and Golden Gate Park has a ton of stuff to do.

You can also walk along cute Chestnut St - and catch any one of several buses to be in North Beach or downtown SF in less than half an hour.

see: http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/Welcome.html

BTW - Miriam: Where in Ireland are you from?

And here is a page to help one appreciate the Marina/Chestnut St. Area. We lived on Union St. (on the other side of Lombard about 3 blocks) for years and loved it.

http://www.sanfranciscodays.com/marina-chestnut/

Thanks for your advise - we took your advice and didn't book emmeryville - we booked a hotel in union square- a little expensive, but hopefully worth it.
Am now planning next stage and will definitely look at Pismo or san louis Obispo

We are from cork in Ireland

Thanks

A good value in Santa Barbara is the Fess Parker Doubletree. Its rooms are fairly large, you can get an ocean view, and they have two queens in rooms, too. It books up early.

If you will have your hire car in San Francisco, parking fees are $40 and $50 per day. Consider switching to ColumbusMotorInn.com , the price includes parking and it is a well-situated family hotel.

Or don't rent a car until you leave SF. Most areas in SF are reachable by MUNI (public transit) and if you buy a 3 or 7 day pass it allows for unlimited riding including the cable cars which are now $6 each trip (so that would cost you $30 just for one ride to the Wharf). MUNI does go everywhere, we locals just get impatient with it because it does not go everywhere in a hurry, but it is great for visitors.

For Santa Barbara, weeknights might be a little more affordable than Fri Sat, though June is getting into high season 7 nights per week. consider Mason Beach Inn, Coast village Inn or maybe consider looking in Carpinteria about 10 mins south of Santa Barbara.

I have a good friend in Clonakilty and have flown into Cork a couple of times :)