Im visiting San Francisco with my wife for the first time and are excited. We live in Kansas City and have heard a lot about SF.
My question is should we rent a car in San Francisco or whould we huff it by foot? Ive heard that drivers in that area are nuts on the freeways-should I opt for a shuttle into town or rent?

By the way, were planning sidetrips to Napa and Oakland's Chinatown and Jack London Square.

Please give me some suggestions-id appreaciate it.

Drivers are no crazier than in Boston.. We've rented a car both times we have been there and have taken southern route to Carmel and Monterey and north to Sonoma and Napa.. As for driving downtown S.F. if you remember the strees alternate one way your safe.. The only problem we had was coming home very late one night and the prospects of going down one of the infamous hills scared us..we we drove around until we could see the bottom before we drove down...LOL.. Oh yes, cabs are relatively inexpensive in S.F.

I've done it both ways and I would say to go with whatever you will feel comfortable with. Driving in San Francisco is no worse than driving in any other big city. You don't say where you are staying but if you make it a central location you might find it just as easy without a car. Parking in the city is very expensive, most of the hotel charge 20-25 dollars a night for parking. The last time I was in San Francisco, I stayed in the Union Square area and we just rented a car one day to drive up the coast, there are loads of car rental places around downtown. May I also sugget a sidetrip to Sausalito or Muir Woods, either one can be made on the way to the Napa Valley.

Don't rent a car to come from SFO to the city! You will spend a lot to park it and then when you try to drive around, you will find no parking places at the attractions you want to visit. And, I would recommend visiting the San Francisco Chinatown rather than the one in Oakland--it's older and larger and the trip to Oakland is just not worth the time. You don't need to hoof it around SF on foot--we've plenty of public transportation for you. Suggest you go to www.sfgate.com and click on travel or sfvisitors.org. The drivers are not nuts on the freeways, there' just no place to park the cars! Welcome to San Francisco.

YES, driving in SF is like any other big city and can be very frustrating. I would sum it up this way: aggressive drivers, cars double-parked so you can't get around them in traffic, one way streets with "No left turn" or "No U-turn" signs for miles, trying to figure out where you belong versus where buses and trolleys belong, hectic, busy traffic jams and construction, expensive parking garages. I would recommend a good map and mapping out your destinations beforehand and not let it stop you. I can't imagine NOT having a car with the other places you plan to visit, not to mention getting yoursefl from the airport to yoru hotel. Traffic aside, enjoy the city!

People say its just like driving in any other city but it took us 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive to san francisco from Oakland Airport last year and it was just a 10 mile trip-thats hideous and most cities dont have that. I would take the subway instead-its relatively clean and efficient.

I disagee with the post about Oakland not being worth the time-what struck me about Chinatown in Oakland as opposed to San Francisco is the fact that Chinatown in Oakland seemed more authentic and its actually the 4th largest chinatown in the US, so its not small,but compared to san francisco's it probably is. SF Chinatown is great but too touristy. I also think that you'd love Yoshi's, this sushi bar/jazz club on the waterfront area, it is great. Plus theres the hillside districts with their funky shops and homes-i guess since ive been to SF so many times, it wasnt until I planned outside the box that Oakland came into view.

In anycase, I could never actually leave manhattan but Oakland surprised the hell out of me!

As a San Franciscan, I can tell you that you don't need a car. Within the city, public transportation is your best bet. Parking can be difficult and expensive.

Take the Super Shuttle or another airport shuttle bus from/to the airport.

The BART train goes to Oakland so you won't need a car to get there, either.

In terms of Napa, you can take the "Wine Train" but a car wouldn't be all that bad. There are several rental agencies in the city that would allow you to rent a car for the day.

Trust me, you don't need the car.

The Wine Train doesn't allow people to get on and off to visit wineries. It's basically a rolling meal over some pretty boring scenery. I'm glad New Yorker liked Oakland, but I'll stick with my opinion that SF Chinatown is more convenient and bigger. If you really want to explore the hidden places that many tourists don't see, you can go on a Wok Wiz walking tour with one of the ladies who grew up in Chinatown. The tour ends with a dim sum lunch, visits a temple and grocery store as well as an artist studio. Very nice and no pressure to buy anything. Shirley Fong-Torres who is the owner went to Cal and has a wealth of information about Chinese culture in all of the Bay area. She has a website.

Interesting Discussion brewing.
New Yorker, I expected less out of Oakland also and was blown away with the stuff that place has to offer. Its mere location so close to San Francisco is a plus in and of itself. I think San Francisco has a more historic chinatown, heck, everyones heard of Chinatown in San Francisco! I suggest to kenneth that if you do go to Oakland as a sidetrip that you indulge your wife at the Claremont Resort spa-it is divine and the setting is superb. Another must-do in that area is this fabulous restaurant called Chez Panisse in Berkeley-excellent california cuisine. I also agree that Yoshi's is a good jazz clu if thats what ur into-the sushiz great too)

San Francisco is not a drivers paradise but coming from the midwest, youd probably feel homeless without wheels so I suggest driving. It is however a shoppers paradise-check out the haight ashbury district. Your sure to find clothes unavailable back in Missouri. Union Square is good if your into regular italian and NY designers like Gucci, DKNY, etc. AND IN NAPA, THERES A DEAN & DELUCA( bless their hearts). Either way, pack a sweater cause it gets chilly-but really nice( both in San Francisco and Oakland)

The downtown streets of Kansas City during workdays are not much different than SF's in terms of one-ways, construction, narrow streets and congestion.
The main difference is that the interstate traffic in the Bay Area is so much heavier and bridge constrictions exacerbate things.
The above advice is basically my advice. For the downtown visitor, no need for a car. Parking at hotels now tops out at $38 per day.
For touring (Napa, Muir, coast, etc) a car is the only way to go. Easy driving once beyond the metro.
You won't be in Kansas any more, Toto, but it's not that big a deal. (And yes, Boston is much worse).

San Francisco traffic is bad. I live in KC and recently went to San Fran. for a convention and compared to SF, traffic in KC is non-existent. They drive rudely and tailgate at 80MPH, even when traffic is bumper to bumper. Some roads are busy all day and into the late night. As a native of Boston, I just want to respond to the guy that said that Boston is worse-in my experience-San Fran. is worse. I think Boston is bad because of the big-dig construction. San Fran. needs the lord to fix their traffic problems-we sat in a 20-mile long line of cars on the 880 fy going to San Jose from Oakland-gimme a break.

That's why people in LA and SF with high end cars have DVD PLAYERS installed in the dash!!!
So much wasted time and so much stalled traffic, it's a way to pass the time.

All those fancy cars on the freeway and they still drive like idiots in bay area. when i was in the bay for meetings, the speeders were all big expensive SUVs and bmws and lexuses and benze, never seen so many foreign makes in one place like that-its unamerican. If I had a car like that I'd drive slow so not to crash into another rich person-but hell, most of them didnt really earn those nice cars, just got it when their little companies got funded. looked like every teenager in bay drives a bimmer-thatll teach em the value of money. Im happy in Dallas thank you very much-at least we teach our kids.

Having a bad day, Daniel?
Everyone who drives an expensive car got it as a handout from someone else, and is a less than worthwhile human being, who also lacks child-rearing skills?(!)
*chuckle*
And I was just beginning to believe that 12 years of post-high school education was actually worthwhile so that I could feel good about having a solid job which allows me the financial freedom to own a nice car.
Now I find I don't deserve it after all! Drats!
(Wonder if they'll let me return it, while I sign up for some remedial lessons on child rearing).

I once took a driver's license test in SF and felt the testers were the easiest I'd ever encountered, and while it seems sometimes that SF drivers treat signals as suggestions, I don't think driving in SF is especially hard.

It's parking that's impossible.

800,000 people competing for YOUR space.

I lived in SF for years and visited last week. I borrowed a friend's car. Driving is no problem if you know where you're going. Parking during the day isn't a problem either (though it helped that I remembered some lesser-used side streets), except at night if you're staying downtown. Then you have to pay those exorbitant rates mentioned above.

Triple-O

The only way the Lord could solve SF traffic would be to fill in the Bay. I think Seattle has much the same water problem. Daniel, I earned my BMW. You've earned your medication.

So it's un-American to own a foreign car, because we're supposed to show our patriotism by buying an unreliable Ford or GM car? Did you know that Ford has fallen to the bottom in quality ratings? Dead last, having ousted GM from that position, which it held for years.

Buy what you want, Daniel. And while you're standing by the side of the road with your broken Ford, I'll whizz past in my Toyota, but I'll be nice enough to call a tow truck for you.

All that sass is also a sign of bad parenting as well. You people think youre so smart in your fancy german cars. I think you all need a good licking. Thatll teach you to be unamerican-hell, why you all move to germany since you buy their cars. San Francisco is a bad place to visit and raise kids. Theyll be exposed to liberal thinking and artsy fartsy stuff. I recommend that Kenneth not go to that yuppie cesspool at all. Come to Dallas instead, that way youll avoif possible earthquakes! The rest of you can go to hell.

Yes, Daniel, and you should move to Detroit since you love their cars so much. And what's this about needing a good lickin'? You keep your tongue away from me, pal.

Boy, I heard they had great education reform down in Texas, but I guess I heard wrong.