lanejohann

Thanks to all those who have helped me with the planning of this trip so far
Syd to ny to Calgary/ Banff and ending up in La... 25 days in all for two kids 22 daughter and 19 son husband and me

So now having booked the ny bit and Banff we are up to planning the LA leg

Agent suggested we actually fly from Calgary to San Fran and drive down to Anaheim and then Hollywood or beach area to finish that stint
Apparently Californian car rentals dont worry about one way penalties for car hire.. So if that's the case we are better off,indeed , flying to San Fran and not to LA ...(we were going to do a loop but the one way drive makes better sense... No?)

So if that's the case, we can have an extra night in San Fran when we fly in from Calgary


We could get a car straight away from the airport I guess .. Unless you folk think it's better to get about by public transport in San fran and only get a car when we are ready to leave for LA?
So either way...
Where should we stay?
I've read that Fishermans wharf is ok for a short stay for tourists...anyone stayed in a suite or apartment?
We want to be in the thick of it ...visit Alcatraz if possible..don't know if we can.. Last time I had to wait three days to get a ticket and gave up...don't know if that's the case in winter
We would just do the usual sights...maybe do a little tour.. Or not
Any suggestions for a three night /two day visit with or without car? Is parking hideous? Any advantage in having a car? Could we really get around easily or aspire to go a bit beyond the city limits..not to the wine district .. But maybe somewhere else? Or is there too much to see in two days anyway

Last time it was summer 2005 and I was staying in San jose..came up by public transport once and a friend drove another time...can't remember where we parked actually

Saw Ghirardelli choc factory..not anything I'd see again..unless the kids want to go in
Walked the pier...that was nice..ate chowder..yum! My daughter would love that
Enjoyed coffee at a number of cafes..(that's a really nice scene they have going there)
Did a little city tour up to the bridge..saw Lombard st etc
Went round the harbour and went past Alcatraz

Truthfully San fran is not a city I was ever planning to visit again...some parts reminded me of my own bondi ..(the residences) ...it was great to see a seal tho ...yes ...just one lol...having grown up in Sydney it really wasn't so different and interesting and I'm really more into nature than city visits
Not sure that I'm being entirely fair.. Maybe I wasn't organised and didn't research enough, relying on my friends local knowledge too much rather than reading up on tourists tips

We did get to overnight at Yosemite so that was a bonus!


It's my daughter who wants to go to San Fran rather than Las Vegas and Grand Canyon... And this trip is for the kids so I'll go with their flow


Thanks for any suggestions !

StuDudley

Here are my ideas of things to do & see in San Francisco.
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

My cousin from Denmark visited us 3 weeks ago - mid-week, and all the Alcatraz tours were sold out 3-5 days in advance.

If you have read any of my posts, you know that I'm not a fan of Fisherman's Wharf. Perhaps if your kids were 10-12 years younger, they might find the carnival/souvenir atmosphere of the Wharf interesting.

How long will you be visiting San Francisco??? If you'll be here only 3-4 days you don't need a car. If you'll be here longer than that - there are many, many sites/areas that are best visited by a car.

Stu Dudley

aprillilacs

There is so much to do in San Francisco that you could easily fill two weeks, rather than two days. Given that, I would forgo the car while you are in the city and pick it up as you leave (either at the airport or in the city--check the car rental websites for the cheapest option. You can take BART from the airport into the city for $8.65 or less, depending on your destination.

There's also a new option (for visitors only) to buy a voucher for a round-trip ticket in advance: http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/voucher_sfo

Once you are in the city, you can go everywhere you will want to go for $2.50 per ride on Muni buses and streetcars and $6 per ride on cable cars, or, for a better value, get a single-day ($17) or three-day ($26) MUNI pass that covers buses, metro, and cable cars:
http://sfmta.com/getting-around/tran...tor-day-passes

For a family of four, you might look at vrbo.com or airbnb.com if you prefer and apartment or non-hotel option. Airbnb has been controversial in the city (mostly for taking housing stock off the residential market and not paying the taxes that hotels are required to pay) but the city has instituted new rules designed to better regulate the service. Two different sets of friends of mine have stayed in vrbo or airbnb places (because our own apartment is too small for us to host them overnight) with excellent results.

Stu's lengthy list of recommendations should be very helpful to you in exploring the city. With 2+ days in the city, I personally would spend at least half a day in Golden Gate Park, walk the gorgeous coastal trail at Lands End, and choose some neighborhoods to explore (Mission, Haight, Pacific Heights, Telegraph Hill, North Beach, Chinatown, Japantown, etc.). Do one or two of the free guided walks with SF City Guides (small donation requested) and you'll get a much better sense of what this city is all about. http://www.sfcityguides.org/

Michael

we were going to do a loop but the one way drive makes better sense... No?)

Not necessarily if you have the time for both the coast (Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara) and the Sierra (Yosemite, Sequoia, Gold country).

lanejohann

Ok
A great start..thanks folks!
'Michael..that sounds like a wonderful plan..but with only four days I don't think we could do it...
This leg is the end bit..we would've had 8 days in New York and then 7 in Banff ...this San Fran bit was tacked on principally by my daughter...we were just going to hang aRound LA for a few days initially

My husband is eager to secure a car...so he's on the sites looking now
If it is indeed quite cheap to get from the airport and transport is fine round town , then we probably won't need a car...
April lilacs...thanks for that info.....the three day pass might just be the go...especially if our Calgary flight delivers us some time during the daylight hours of January 29. Then we have the Saturday and Sunday to explore..
So if we don't get a car, until the Monday morning when we start our drive down the coast, then we need to be staying near public transport or at least within walking distance of sights
The guided walks sound perfect...might organise that before we go, if that's possible
Stu...thanks for all that information... I'll note it down and research a bit more
I do remember fishermans wharf form my visit in 2005... I now get what you mean...
Might better just it wander through it rather than stay...unless it's a great for public transport
Thanks again all
If anyone hasa stayed in an actual apartment or suite I'd appreciate any input!