Hi all,
Got a couple of SF questions.

1. What's a good family type hotel for $100 per night or
less that is close to the trolleys?

2. I have about 5 days there. I was planning on doing
a city tour, a bay cruise, the Muir woods, the Big Sur.
Is there anything else I should not miss?

3. What's the weather like from beginning to mid
May? Should we pack sweaters or shorts?

4. Do I need a rental car or can I use the trolleys
for most of the attractions? Also, I'm not very
comfortable driving thru hills/mountains

5. Are there may be hotels in a nearby city that
are slighly inexpensive?

6. How do you recommend we go from SFO airport
to the hotels? cab, rental car, etc?

Thanks a bunch!
C

Can't respond to all of your questions, but here are some thoughts:

2. Big Sur is a pretty long drive from SF--if you take the coastal road (US 1), and that drive is spectacular. But I'd suggest driving directly from SF to Monterey (not on US 1) and seeing the Monterey aquarium, at that point you could get on US 1 and have a great drive to Big Sur (all of that is probably going to require an overnight stay in Big Sur or Monterey/Carmel.

As to a bay cruise, that's fine--but consider taking the ferry to Sausilito and spending the day.

3. I'd plan on it being pretty cold--sweaters rather than shorts.

4. Driving in SF (if you don't like hills) is not a good idea; also parking is scarce. However, to reach Muir Woods and of course Big Sur, you'll need a car. One possiblity (which I have done) is to rent a car at the airport and drive to your hotel in SF--plan on parking it (make sure the hotel has parking) while in SF and then drive to your other destinations. The Trolleys are fun, but you're not going to see a lot of the city on them--walking is really best.

5. To my knowledge there's really no other city close by that would provide easy access to the places in SF you're likely to want to see. And especially since walking is the best way to see Chinatown, North Beach, Fishermans Wharf, etc., you really need to stay near those places. Last time I went (several years ago) the Fishermans Wharf area had some inexpensive hotels.

One last thought--you may want to consider spending 3 or 4 days in SF and then going south the Big Sur/Monterey and spend 1 or 2 days before heading back to the airport.

Have fun! San Fran is a beautiful city, and the coastline from Monterey to Big Sur is a wonderful sight.

Expect May weather to be in the 60s during the day, perhaps reaching to the 70s. The fog and wind in SF are real, so bring that sweater, but most of all, be prepared to layer, as mornings and evenings will be quite cool, but the days may be warm.

You do not need (nor do you want) a car in SF; you can get around on foot and with public transit. I assume that by "trolleys," you are referring to the cable cars. There are two cable car lines, and they probably will not take you everywhere you want to go, plus they are very crowded, being a tourist attraction themselves. But there is a streetcar/subway system and a bus system. They are easy to use and will take you where you want to go. www.transitinfo.com has lots of information.

Take a shuttle from the airport, or a taxi if there are three or four will probably cost around the same. Use a search engine like www.google.com, plug in "san francisco airport transportation" and you should find out what you need to know.

Save the rental car for when you go outside of SF. If you do not like narrow, twisty roads, do not bother to go all the way down to Big Sur (which, BTW, is a three-hour drive from SF). Just enjoy the Monterey?Carmel area; if you have kids along, take them to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

SF is an expensive city. With a budget of under $100 per room, you're looking at motels. You will NOT find a suite situation for that price, as far as I know.

Hi. I stayed at the King George Hotel on Mason Street which is in the Union Square area and it was just about 100.
It is not a luxury hotel or anything but the sevice was excellent- the rooms were clean and it is within Walking distance to most everything.
You want to add Alcatraz to your list of attractions. You may want to call ahead for tickets. Take an audio-tour- it is narrated by former prison guards and a crimial. The kids will think the prison is cool.
Hope this info helps. You will love SF!

We were in SF over 7/4 last year and froze. Layers, long pants. You must go to Alcatraz.

Hi,

SF is a wonderful city. We stayed at the Best Western in the Fisherman Warf area and got an entertainment rate.

Don't miss Alcatraz but be sure to make reservations in advance.

You really need a car to leave the city area...there are tours but they can get expensive with a family.

You should not miss Big Sur and Carmel get brave and rent the car it is worth the stress it is beautilful.