San Francisco Hotel with easy on and off freeway access
 

We are flying in to San Francisco Airport arriving Saturday morning 9am. We are then driving to Mendocino for reservations the next day. Renting a car so we would like to drive from the airport to San Francisco and spend the day Saturday then get on the road Sunday morning. What we would like to find is a hotel with fairly easy access off the highway and back on again, but something that would still allow us to enjoy the city. I don't mind walking, but don't really want to be completely off the beaten path just to be near the freeway. Any suggestions? We are unfamiliar with the freeway area, but understand traffic can be pretty awful. Weekend traffic may be better than workdays, not sure.

You are driving in on a Saturday morning and out on Sunday so there won't be much traffic to worry about.

You can stay anywhere -- and you won't really need/want to be easily accessible to a freeway (if you mean 101 up from the airport and I-80 out of the city)

You'll want to be accessible to Van Ness Ave and/or 101 North since that is how you'll leave the city.

Anyplace will do really. What is your budget?

Have you thought about taking BART into the city and then picking up a rental car in the city? It will save you the cost of parking [which in SF can be $$$] and also renting in the city costs significantly less than from the airport.

There are several rental companies in the Union Square area and also Fisherman's Wharf area. We like Dollar in Union Sq, as they don't have one way, drop off fees and often have "city specials".

This will also allow you more choice in hotels.

I <i>think</i> some of the city center locations are closed on Sundays -- but yes -- if you can find a rental location in the city that would probably get you a cheaper rate.

I'd probably stay at one of the motels on Lombard Street or that area anyway, which offer free parking, and offer very easy access to the Golden Gate Bridge. ( You do have to understand that there are no freeways within the city, so you come into the city from the south via 101 from the airport, and exit via 101 to the north, but you have to drive through the city on city streets to get from one to the other). But San Francisco is very compact, so really you can stay anywhere - traffic is nothing like NY or LA, and drivers are nowhere near as crazy as in Boston.

Dollar on O'Farrell St near Union Sq is open from 7am to 6 pm, seven days a week.

Thank you all for the input. I do not think a rental in the city would be a great idea since our returning flight out of San Francisco is early morning on the following Saturday. Trying to return a rental car in the city then getting to the airport via public transport, etc. Would like to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. I have seen people suggest Lombard st. hotels in other posts, so I will look into one with free parking. My budget is fairly flexible. Would like to keep the cost $150 or below if possible.

You return the car to the airport, it does NOT have to be returned to where you rented it.

DebitNM is right -- pick up the car in SF and drop it at SFO. There shouldn't be much if any drop off fee for that

Oh - I guess I always see a charge added for drop off at different than pickup location - maybe not the case if within the same city

The motel with parking that always gets recommended here is The Cow Hollow Motor Inn www.cowhollowmotorinn.com/ which is located on Lombard St (US 101), so you couldn't be more perfectly located for getting out of the City. Turn left and follow the road all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge. And the rates are very reasonable.

Once again, Dollar has never charged us for a drop off at SFO when we pick up at O'Farrell St location and the rates are lower there as well.

Other rental companies may still do a drop off fee, it isn't the same city, it is just that Dollar doesn't charge it for these 2 locations - they may be owned by the same people or some other reason; whatever the reason is, they just don't charge a fee.

You will be heading north out of the city over the golden gate bridge, so you could consider staying on the waterfront area near Pier 39 (touristy of course) but right on the 30 bus line which takes you down Columbus Ave (italian area), through China Town and right to Union Square. You'd also be right by the ferry, so if it's a nice day, you could take a ride over to Sausalito or Tiberon for breakfast or lunch and enjoy the view of the SF waterfront; or walk to the Marina, Crissy Field and the Presidio. I think it's a great area to be in. There are many hotels there to choose from.