Hubby and I are planning a (first) trip to San Francisco in mid-March 2012. We are flying into SFO and staying at the Marriott Marquis. Based on other Fodorite posts we plan to take BART from the airport to our hotel. Since it sounds like Muni public transport is plentiful (and includes the cable cars) we don't want to rent a car (not to mention $18+ per day for parking at the hotel just seems like a waste). We have already pre-purchased tickets to an evening Alcatraz tour but that's all we've officially planned so far. I'm sure we will do plenty of sightseeing on foot and of course plan to do the bridges and cable cars. However, I was wondering if anyone could personally recommend a tour company that would take us on a scenic drive into Napa and/or Sonoma for a wine country day-trip? I've found several tours through google, but prefer to get firsthand recommendations when possible. Any other SF tips are much appreciated as well!

Should have added, we were thinking of a tour company, but if you've had experience with both driving and using a tour company - we'd like to know the pros/cons of both. Thanks so much in advance.

We've used Platypus Tours and really enjoyed them. They do not pick you up in San Francisco but instead you take the ferry from SF to Vallejo. Platypus will pick you up at the ferry dock.
Check www.platypustours.com for more information.

Thanks elnap29, I'll check it out!

You'll save a lot of money by renting a car for the day and driving yourselves. You will also be able to see a lot more of the area by traveling on your own.

If your primary reason for going is the wine tasting part, then, yes, you would be better off on an organized tour. There are some that will pick you up in San Francisco and others that pick you up at the Vallejo ferry. There are also some that visit Muir Woods in addition to Sonoma.

You can also splurge and hire your own private guide for the day and travel in style in a limo or SUV.

Just an update - based in part on Otis' recommendation my husband and I ending up booking a private SUV tour with Golden Horizons. It was wonderful - since it was just us we were able to go to several wineries in both Sonoma and Napa valleys and it was absolutely perfect. Thanks!!

The BART trip from the airport is a roundabout way to get to the city. I would suggest one of the shuttle services that take you door to door. Google san francisco airporter.

Example
http://www.supershuttle.com/

The Jukebox Marriot, as it's called locally, is one of those buildings we love to hate. Here's a blurb on it.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGD5AFE6B1.DTL

Well, this trip has apparently already occurred, but in the interests of serving others....different strokes and all that. I'd take BART in a minute before I'd take a shared van service. I'd just rather take a train that stops where I know it's supposed to stop than a van that goes all over the place picking up other people and dropping them off (one driver forgot to drop me off altogether, admittedly that was in LA, not SF, but it was the last time I took a shared van anywhere !)