San Francisco in 2 days
 

Hi, I'll be traveling to SF from LA with 2 girls (total 3) for a short weekend get away trip...we'll be there all day Friday and all day Saturday. Do you have any recommendations as to what's fun to do there, places to eat and places that are not so touristy but worth visiting (the locals go to). We have been to the Golden Gate, fisherman's wharf...

Also, do you know if there's a train/bus, public transportation that we can take from the airport? Also, what hotel is worth staying at that is walking distance to the main attractions? We're staying only 1 night. Thanks so much!

BART is the most efficient public transportation from the airport to downtown.

Take BART from SFO to a hotel on the Embarcadero & stay on the Embarcadero near the foot of Market St. Stay away from the Wharf if you want "places that are not so touristy but worth visiting (the locals go to). Maybe have dinner on Union St (not Square), or on Chestnut St (3 blocks from Union St). There are perhaps 30 restaurants in this area - from burgers to places more upscale. Lots of bars too. We dined at Flores (upscale Mexican) on Union St a few weeks ago http://floressf.com/ . Also consider dining in North Beach (Little Italy) - which is a tad touristy but popular with the locals too.

Here are some things to do & see:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

Bart drops you very close to the Hyatt Embarcadero, but so many hotels in that area. Are you 3 adults?

Thanks for all your responses. Yes..it ll be 3 adults. Which station do I get off if staying at one of the hotels in Embarcadero?

Also, with only 2 days to explore, do u think renting a car is needed? Or just take taxi/Uber? Or train/bus?

<I>Or just take taxi/Uber?</I>

I'd take Uber or Lyft with 3 people. Indeed, BART from the airport will be just under $27 each way. Depending upon traffic, I'd strongly consider Uber or Lyft from the airport - it will be easier, not much more expensive, and would allow you to choose your hotel without worrying about proximity to the bus.

As to restaurants... what sort of food do you like?

Get off at the Embarcadero BART exit. Hyatt is within 15 yds of the BART station.

I don't use Uber or Lyft - but they MAY not be allowed access to SFO for pickups. We do, however, take regular taxis from SFO to where we live in San Mateo - and they are readily available. Last night we met 2 other couples for dinner & a dance show downtown. We live in San Mateo (5 mins from SFO), another couple lives in Oakland, and another in the Golden Gate Panhandle area in San Francisco. None of us drive by car into the Downtown area at any time close to commute-traffic time. Total gridlock on the freeways & in downtown. If you arrive anytime after about 2:30pm on Friday or before about 10:00 - you may witness this gridlick on 101 & 80 getting into the city, and then on the surface streets on Friday "get-away day".

BART is a 30 mins train ride - plus about a average 7 min "wait" time for the train, plus walk time to the SFO BART station & ticket purchase time.

Stu Dudley

<I don't use Uber or Lyft - but they MAY not be allowed access to SFO for pickups.>

They are allowed - we use them all the time (to and from), and the price is half of what taxis charge.

Great! Thanks again for all the tips! We love to eat! Lol. We are not picky with food. We love Italian and Sushi the most! Ok, we ll take Uber..sounds like it makes the most sense for our trip. We ll be landing at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning at SFO.

<I>They are allowed - we use them all the time (to and from), and the price is half of what taxis charge.</I>

Yep. We use Lyft for pretty much all trips to and from the airport.

<I>We ll be landing at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning at SFO.</I>

Well, there will still be traffic, so BART makes some sense, but you would also be taking BART during rush hour with bags, which is kind of annoying. Personally, I'd just take a Lyft or Uber even knowing I'd hit traffic, but that is just me.

<I>We love Italian and Sushi the most!</I>

You might check out either Okane or Sushi Hon. Okane is more of an izakaya vibe, but very good; it is run by the same team as Omakase, next door. Sushi Hon is a great value for omakase and they have a nice sake selection. I can't speak to Italian as much, but I really like SPQR.

Thank you, travel gourmet!

It sounds like the trip was last weekend, but for future reference, we took Uber to/from the airport and it was approximately $30 for each trip. Very efficient and much easier than BART.

Thanks for all your comments. My trip is coming up in two weeks. :)

Take Uber but not forget to use an ancient tram or Cable Car) It`s the symbol of the city, you should))) I`m delighted from the last trip here with EayUsaTravel.