Hi,

After reading some of the posts on the horrendous cost of parking, is it even worth it to rent a car while in SF for 3/4 days? We'll be taking a drive north along the coast after SF, and obviously will need a car then, should we wait til the last day in SF to rent a car?

Many people do just as you said.
The cost of parking at some hotels is more expensive than the price of the car itself.
Pick up a car as you leave the area if that's an option for you.
SF is very compact and you can do just fine without a car in the city.
And public transit is excellent and easy to use both locally and regionally.

I guess it would depend on what you want from SF. We just returned and had a car. The Radisson Fisherman's Wharf includes parking (it is printed in the 2003 SF Visitors Planning Guide from the Convention &Visitors Bureau as free parking,which I faxed them a copy of or we might not have gotten it)We were pleased with this three star hotel with Bay views as it is right across the street from Piers 41 where the tour boats take off from for Alcatraz, etc. and Pier 39 home to hundreds of seals and a fun place to explore and eat clam chowder. It was an easy drive from there across GG for day trips to Muir Woods and Sausalito, and a beautiful drive south on highway 1 along the coast to Santa Cruz wharf and boardwalk. It was also easy to drive north into wine country for a day. In SF proper, we walked and took the cable cars but we would not have been able to do what we wanted without a car. Hope this helps!

We're going to SF for Memorial Day and I opted not to rent a car except for Sunday for a wine trip to Sonoma. Cost for the rental car for the day is $30.00 from Hertz, 2 blocks from the Hilton.

Parking at the Hilton is $33.00 per day.

Do the math. Just rent a car for the days you want to take a side trip, then turn it back in that evening. Reserve it for the following morning if you want to go somewhere different.

SF itself isn't very big geographically and the transportation system is pretty good, which makes taking public transportation pretty convinient.

The question of renting a car in SF comes down to cost, the cost of parking not only overnight but at restaurants, etc. If the cost is not an issue for you, either because parking is included in your hotel, or it just another vacation cost to you, having a car in SF will allow you to range further afield and get to places more directly. Since your post indicates that you think the cost of parking is horrendous, the answer is No you don't need a car. If you pick up a car in the morning before driving north you could always do a little exploring by car before you leave SF.

Absolutely have a car in SF if you plan to see anything outside of the relatively small downtown area. The public transportation system is unreliable and dirty at that. Parking in downtown is relatively easy at either parking lots or garages. Outside of downtown you should have no problem as parking is free not too difficult to find.

Mitmap,
In my opinion, you can manage very well in SF without a car - if you've got two legs and enjoy experiencing a city on foot, as my husband and I do! We stayed in the so-called slum area of Union Square and found getting about easy. The public transport is very good - don't worry, you'll have a great time!

It depends what you plan to do. And, as far as dirty and unreliable (in regards to an earlier post), that is all relative--I am originally from the NYC area where mass transit is extremely dirty--so SF transit looks exceptionally clean to me. I admit, the bus lines do run at their own speed and taxis are expensive. Parking downtown can get expensive..so does valet parking at an expensive restaurant..but, hopefully, if you rent a car, you will decide to explore outside the small downtown area...San Francisco is beautiful and the beauty does extend way beyond Fisherman's Wharf to places that are a little bit more car friendly.

I've visited SF many times over the past 11 years and I would definitely recommend having a car. You have infinitely more control over your time when you have the car. Driving is only difficult in Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach, and along the US 101 corridor. Otherwise, driving through the many gorgeous neighborhoods is fun and a fantastic way to get off the beaten path. My favorite experiences in SF are of driving through the Presidio to Pacific Heights and of taking time to really see the fabulous houses all over the city. If you're staying in or around Union Square, I cannot emphasize enough NOT to park your car at the hotel. When you really want your car, you will be stymied by having to wait 30-60 minutes for the valet to retrieve it. Use any of the many garages around Union Square, where you will have your car brought to you in a manner of minutes. I've used the garage on Sutter Street east of Powell and the one on Mason Street near Post and had great luck. There are so many wonderful things to do in SF that you don't want to be wasting time stuck on a bus along Geary Blvd. or waiting in line for a cable car or streetcar. By all means, take advantage of public transportation when you're in the more crowded areas, but use the car to explore the beautiful hills and neighborhoods of the city. I wouldn't go to SF without having a car at hand.

Agree with Volcam, a car in SF makes see the town very convenient. Parking and driving in SF is not much different than other mid-sized cities. I think that people who complain about driving in SF have not had much experience driving in a big city such as LA, , San Diego, San Jose, , Chicago, etc. As fa as public transportation in SF, in my experience I have found it to be dirty and somewhat unreliable. I was just in New York City last month, and I the subways there were spotless compared to the buses and light rail vehicles in SF.

I live in the area. My wife and I are still laughing about our last time in SF. I drove my car to the City for a 4 day convention. Stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel. We never touched our car again as we used cabs like most of the locals. The rate to park my car at the hotel was $38.00 per night! For that, I could have had a limo pick me up and drive me to SF and then take me home again. It would have been about the same and much easier.

Today is May 12. The City of SF just announced that they need their cops to write an additional 40,000 traffic/parking tickets in the next 45 days to help with the city budget. That is correct: 40,000 additional tickets is the goal. Our radio stations are discussing it on the morning drive time. That means they will be really on the lookout for tourists. Plus, Parking is really tough. Now you have the "FINE PATROL" really on the look for offenders.

My advice: Enjoy the City without a car. Use the cabs. Then get the car when you need to leave and explore. Always find out what your hotel will charge to park. That will definitely hit a cheap rental car rate if you decide to get a car for a longer time.

As you can see, this comes down largely to personal preference.

Personally, I don't think that the convinience of having a car out weighs the parking fees in SF. But then I am a budget traveller, I like to walk and I don't mind waiting a little while for a bus to show up. I also like the freedom of just getting on a bus or a streetcar and going rather than having to go back to wherever the car is and then drive it to someplace else.

For other people, the cost of parking doesn't put that much of a dent in their travel budget and or they don't like waiting for buses or walking.

I agree with Bob 1. I got a package with the Pan Pacific that included parking recently but otherwise #30 to $35/day parking is the norm in San francisco. Add that to $35/day for a car rental and you have enough money/day to take several cabs and not worry about finding a place to park when you are away from your hotel. Do however rent a car to go to Napa,the coast etc.

Yes, a car in SF is a must if you plan on seeing anything outside of the compact downtown area. Cabs is SF are hard to come by. As far as the buses are concerned, if you do not mind waiting for 45 minutes or an hour for one, then public transit is okay. Personally I prefer the comfort of driving instead of waitng for a bus.