San Fran Car Parking
 

As part of our 3 month US tour we want to go into SF for 5-7 days.

But we are being quoted up to $45 per day by the hotel to park our car.

What are our options?

We have just looked at parking at the airport and getting a shuttle in.

The hotel is down near Fishermans Wharf.

Thanks

Where does this visit come in your itinerary?

If you had a standard car rental, I would say you should simply give up the car and book another one for when you leave.

BUT you probably got one of those incredibly cheap rentals only available to overseas visitors, so this might not make sense.

In general, parking near airports but not on the airport property is cheapest for long term parking. Such lots will have a shuttle to the terminal, where you can get transportation into the city. We usually drop one person and the baggage at the hotel, then the second person takes the car to the parking and makes his way to the hotel without the hassle of bags.

You should consider Oakland as well as SFO for long term parking as it may be less expensive. If you are toward the end of your trip, it may be cheaper to drop and re-rent as above, but you will have to know the costs to run the numbers.

A gentle hint: calling it "San Fran" marks you as a tourist.

I agree that you should drop the car and pick up another when you are ready to leave SF. You can probably make that arrangement from whom ever you have the rental agreement with. Its going to be cheaper than the parking fees. You won't need a car in SF. Good luck and enjoy your visit......

Some budget motels such as Cow Hollow Motor Inn and its sister properties (including Columbus Motor Inn) offer free parking. Both of these motels are well situated for sightseeing.

HTtY

Parking fees in public structures such as the garage at Sutter and Stockon are variable, with a rate of $1 per hour between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. It's a deal for visitors who plan to use their car during the day.

Do what I do & park somewhere in the City where there is not restricted/sticker parking, no meters, and watch out for once a week street cleaning (your car might be towed & ticketed). Then take public transportation to the Wharf.

Stu Dudley

<i>Do what I do & park somewhere in the City where there is not restricted/sticker parking, </i>

that is terra incognita for first time visitors.

That's why there is never a parking place for residents in my son's neighborhood!
You can park long-term at some Bart stations and Bart into the city. The cost is around $6.00 per day.
Check www.bart.gov. You reserve and purchase a permit online.
This is available at only select Bart stations. It is available at Milbrae which is close to SFO. It is also available at several East Bay stations if you are driving in that area.

Portsmouth Square garage (underneath Portsmouth Sq plaza in Chinatown) is $27 per 24 hrs. It's open 24/7. That's about as cheap (for a garage) as you'll find in SF.

http://www.sfpsg.com/directions.php

If you are renting a car and not going to USE it for your time in San Francisco why would you keep it just to pay for parking unless you got one heck of a car rental deal.

You can get visitor passports for the MUNI (transportation system) which include the cable cars (that otherwise cost 6 Dollars to ride each time and each way). Transportation to and from the Wharf is easy to use and there are several routes not including the numerous bus routes all over the city.

IMO a car for use IN town is not worth the trouble or the time trying to find free parking somewhere and once you've found it what are you planning to do to get from that freebie to where you actually want to BE?

<i>The hotel is down near Fishermans Wharf.</i>

The 30 Stockton bus passes by the Stockton St. garage I mentioned and will goes close to Fisherman's Wharf.

http://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/...ps/30-stockton

There is a large public car park, about 3 storeys a block away from Fisherman's Wharf area that may do deals on long term parking. I don't know how you would find out though.

Use the website Best Parking to find parking rates in the city for 5-7 days.

You do not want a car in The City. I live there and still hate to drive there.

Parking is very expensive all over SF. Have you thought about asking the rental car company if they will let you leave the car on their lot at the airport or wherever they are located? They may let you leave it there for no charge.

You would be better off to take it to a car dealer and get the oil changed. Some dealers allow this, especially near SFO, as a benefit to travelers. Tell him you will be out of town for a few days and will pick it up on your return. Paying for the oil is cheaper than paying for the parking.

>>Parking is very expensive all over SF<<

It's free in front of the house where we lived in the Noe Valley. Also free on the streets around us - except on 24th St & some areas along Church. In fact, I would bet that street parking is free in the majority of the "spaces" west of Van Ness.

Stu Dudley

<i>Parking is very expensive all over SF. </i>

Let's not exaggerate. Besides being free in residential areas, some public parking lots are definitely cheaper than others, both public and private--e.g. the Stockton St. garage, corner of Stockton and Sutter.

Do your guys really expect a tourist to leave a rental car parked in a residential area for 5-7 days? There are alternate side of the street parking issues to deal with aren't there ? And while "I" could find my way from west of Van Ness to FW and from Noe Valley as well, I hardly think an average visitor is going to do that which entails taking public transit to FW and back again to retrieve car when they leave SF.

The best option in my book is too simply not have a car IN SF. If you have one when you get there, turn it in, and then when you need one when you leave, rent one.OR if you have to have the car the entire trip, stay where there is free parking [Columbus Motor Inn, Cow Hollow etc.]

<i>Do your guys really expect a tourist to leave a rental car parked in a residential area for 5-7 days?</i>

yes. That's what I recommended to some friends. But I can understand that a tourist might have difficulty orienting himself to residential areas. In most of SF, I believe that alternate parking takes place about twice a month--in my neighborhood it is every second and fourth Monday and Wednesday of the month. But a vehicle may be towed after 5 days if someone complains about its presence for longer than that.

>>Do your guys really expect a tourist to leave a rental car parked in a residential area for 5-7 days?<<

Why not??? He asked for "options". Maybe he lives in London & doesn't have a problem with parking a car on the street & taking a bus to "elsewhere" and back. I think this is a better option than parking at the airport. I'm not sure there is a shuttle from an off-airport "cheapie" lot directly into the City. The OP may have to take a shuttle to the airport and then another means into the city. Better option would be street parking on Rollins Road (close to the Millbrae BART station) & take BART in - but that's $8.50 RT or so.

>>There are alternate side of the street parking issues to deal with aren't there ?<<

Street cleaning on one side of a street is twice a month for about 4 hrs - at least in the Noe Valley. The specific days are posted (ie. 1st & 3rd Wednesdays). "Restricted" parking (2 hr max) is also posted.

Stu Dudley

To the OP; I suggest you park your car in FRONT of Mr. Dudley's residence and ask HIM to watch over it for you.