Gotta Go To Stanford U Medical Center
 

Friends and Helpful Fodorites:

I need to consult with the Stanford University medical staff. Since I've visited San Francisco only once before- a 3-day weekend in 2012 to see the sites- my knowledge of the area is very limited. My tentative itinerary so far includes a flight from Chicago into SFO, then a stay of about 3-5 days (I anticipate the consultation to be 2-3 days). Beyond that, I'm pretty clueless
So, I have some questions: What is the vicinity around Stanford/Palo Alto like? For convenient and affordable accommodations, would it be better to stay at a hotel in San Francisco or Palo Alto (I'll be traveling alone)? Related to that, should I rent a car or is there practical alternative transportation from SF to and then around Palo Alto? Answers to these questions and any other suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks as always in advance. Z.

I fly to San Jose from Seattle four times a year to participate in a drug trial at Stanford Medical Center.

Hotel rates in Palo Alto rival NYC. When I have to stay overnight, I book a room at a run-of-the-mill place in Redwood City.

CalTrain offers excellent service between San Francisco and Palo Alto. When you arrive at the Palo Alto Transit Center, you will find free shuttle buses to take you to wherever you want to go on the Stanford campus.

HTtY

Public transportation on the Peninsula is limited so definitely rent a car. Palo Alto and surrounding communities are generally upscale, likely less expensive and certainly more convenient for accommodations for your purposes than San Francisco and, depending on your interests, have plenty to keep you busy for a couple of days. I lived much of my life in the area and don't hesitate recommending you stay near Stanford. Palo Alto and north and west of there are generally better neighborhoods, including Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside and also Los Altos & Los Altos Hills.

If your intent is to go only to Stanford Hospital from an accommodation close to the train then, yes, HTtY's information is correct. But if you'd like to get around the area and enjoy more options of places to stay, get a car and maybe check rentals on Airbnb. You definitely don't have to pay SF or NYC prices.

Agree with everything MmePerdu said, except pointing out that Los Altos is south of Palo Alto. I would want a car in the area if I were going to have any free time at all.

It would depend on how many times you'd have to travel back and forth between SF and Stanford. And if you have any control over the times of day for your appointments (avoiding traffic etc).

I do know where Los Altos is, sf7307. That's what the "also" was for. I'll try harder next time.

I was just clarifying for the OP.

I neglected to mention Portola Valley. I don't know of any hotels but there are Airbnb rentals. PV has the advantage of being, along with Woodside & Atherton, the most upscale and PV has particularly good access to the hospital from the west, or more precisely, the southwest.

I understand, sf7307. I understood myself but see how someone might not. I went round & round on another thread you may have seen recently with the Stu, insisting I said something I didn't. So I will, indeed, try harder.

If you spend more than one night in Palo Alto, you will want to have a car.

Hotel rates, if I were to book a room for my next appointment in Palo Alto would be $449 at the Sheraton, $429 at Hilton Garden Inn, $369 at Homewood Suites, or $209 at the noisy 1950s style Coronet.

HTtY

That is what I've found as well -- if budget is at all a consideration you will want to head somewhere else (mostly north) along the Peninsula. But then you will have traffic issues.

300+ rentals around Stanford under $150, many under $100:

https://www.airbnb.com/s/stanford--C...s_tag=xfPh6cVy

If you want a hotel, rather than AirB&B, you might do better price wise around Millbrae-Burlingame-San Bruno, but it would be a 30-minute drive each way to the hospital (about 16 miles). I'd personally opt to stay closer to Palo Alto for ease of commuting and because it's a really nice area. We're headed there right now ourselves (for a soccer game at Stanford Stadium tonight).

Some additional possibilities from this Stanford website:
https://stanfordhealthcare.org/for-p...e-to-stay.html.

be sure to visit the Cantor and Anderson museums at Stanford. Both fabulous and easy to get to.

First of all, let me apologize for not responding more promptly. My consultation with the staff and facilities at Stanford was necessarily re-scheduled, and I have been working through the issues related to that.

That said, I was both impressed and heartened by your posts. You have all provided helpful information specific to my questions which I can utilize regardless of the date of my trip. Please accept my thanks, and I hope I can rely on you again should I seek any further help on this topic.

Zola

Hi Zola.

As a bone marrow courier, I often travel to Stanford. My two favorite, reasonably priced hotels are Stanford Terrace Inn and Best Western Plus Palo Alto. The BW+ is within walking distance of the big mall, so lots of shops and dining options. California Pizza Kitchen is excellent. The TI is an easy walk to dining on California St. TI offers a nice comp breakfast and local shuttle to shop or dine. Both are very close to Stanford. There are super shuttles from SFO to any hotel in Palo Alto, so you really don't need a car. The hotels will get a taxi for you to come and go from Stanford. TI will have their comp shuttle take you.

Two of my favorite restaurants are Evvia (amazing Greek food) and Pastis (French bistro) on California St. I am always a woman traveling alone in these instances and have felt comfortable at all the above mentioned.

http://www.evvia.net/home/
http://www.pastispaloalto.com/restaurant.html

Wishing you the best outcome in your consult.
TC

TC:

Thanks for your additional post. The TI and Best Western sound ideal. Since all of this is out of pocket, however, my concept of "reasonably priced" might be different than yours, particularly in light of what some of the other Fodorites have indicated. Respectfully I ask, could you indicate what your accommodations normally cost you?

Thanks, Z.

Zola, if budget is a concern, I'd definitely rent a car since Uber and cabs add up quickly. I've rented from SFO for as little as $10/day from Firefly which I was very wary about but they turned out to be absolutely fine -- just give yourself plenty of time to get to/from the office as they are located a bit further from the airport and keep all your receipts and paperwork in case there are any issues afterwards.

I'd also book a place through AirBNB -- just look at listings that are well reviewed. If you're a new user, you can use my promo code for $30 off your booking -- www.airbnb.com/c/hjun11

Best of luck with the trip and consultation.