I know this sounds crazy, but during our California trip in early March (staying in Ventura) we are driving up the coast to San Fransisco and staying overnight for one day. Is it possible to see Alcatraz and a few other must see sights in that period of time? Any recommendations? And do I have to book Alcatraz/ferry ahead of time?

Are you staying one night or 2? If you are staying 2 nights and will have 1 full day in SF, then you definitely have time to see Alcatraz and some other sites. If you are only staying one night, then you will have to be very selective about what you see because you wont have much time at all.

In either case, I would definitely make reservations for the Alcatraz tour ahead of time if you want to see it. You don't have room in your schedule to come back for a later tour if the one you want is sold out.

Thanks for the advice. To clarify, we will be there one night, so we plan to have the p.m. hours of one day and a full day the next.

Definitely book your Alcatraz tour now. They sell our rapidly. Also, the tour takes off from Pier 39 - very touristy, but just a short walk away is North Beach - an Italian district with lots of good eating.

If I had only one day in SF, a trip to Alcatraz would not be on my list as it will take up 1/2 a day. However if it is high on your list, I recommend a night trip on the p.m that you arrive which will leave you the daylight of the next day to actually see SF.

When visiting Alcatraz make sure your tour package includes the audio tour. If not be sure to rent one so that you know what you are looking at.

I know this goes against the grain of alot of travellers, but in a new city, I think taking a tour of the city (Grayline type tour)gives you a great overview. Most will pick up at your hotel, run you around and you can cross some things off your list, like Lombard street or Chinatown for instance. Another reason...with limited time, trying to drive yourself or figuring out public transportation to different places would be such a waste of time. After the tour, go back to the places that you wanted to see the most, or go to Alcatraz at that point. I agree with everyone. Make your reservations ahead of time with enough time to get from one reservation to the next. SF is very compact as cities go, so this will be in your favor.