My husband and I will be in San Francisco for a week .Anyone heard of the Marina Motel on Lombard this is where we are staying.Is it nice?Also are these greyline tours worth taking to Carmel and the wine country,or are we better off just renting a car and getting a map.Any suggestions on what to do and see would be great

Sorry can't help with the hotel--only can tell you that Lombard is full of medium priced "motel like" hotels which are just fine if you don't need luxury. It's a very safe, although quite noisy, part of the city. Look into the Pacific Heights Inn for something a bit quieter---near Van Ness and Union. I would just rent a car and drive to Carmel or to Napa. But, don't rent the car until you're ready to leave the city because you won't want or need it in SF. By the time you take the tours with driving time, you will have very little time at your destination and in the Napa Valley especially, you will be at the mercy of someone else's ideas of what wineries you should visit.Lots of rental car offices near Union Square.

Definitely RENT a car when you want to go north or south. Forget any kind of tours (although do have a designated driver while going through Napa - it is easy to get "involved" with the wine and get tipsy. . . ;-)). I agree with the other poster - pick up the car downtown SF and then drop it off at the airport. There are some rental car companies that do charge a drop-off fee, so make sure you ask. Haven't heard of the hotel where you're staying, but honestly, when you're in SF you're usually out in the city walking around and not spending a lot of time in your room. Lombard is a fine location for walking to other places and/or you can catch a bus to get around as well. DO NOT rent a car and attempt to drive in the city. 1) People are crazy when they drive there; 2) Parking is a total mess as well as very expensive; 3) You can walk/mass transit/taxi it everywhere in the city. It is not worth the aggravation and cost IMHO. BTW, one of my favorite restaurants is Trattoria Contadina - Union and Mason. Every time I go to SF I go there for one meal. Small place, nothing fancy, but good fun and good food! Enjoy yourselves - SF is one of my most favorite cities in the world.

The Marina Hotel looks nice, they also have some rooms with kitchens.

Their site is at http://www.marinamotel.com/

I topped a couple of posting regarding the Marina Motel for you. Have fun!

I haven't stayed at the Marina Motel but have heard good things about it. To be honest, it looks like it has a little more character than some of the motels in the vicinity, though I'm sure that they're mostly comparable. The area is nice: close to the Marina, the Presidio, and public transportation (your best bet for getting around the city).
As for heading north, I'd suggest renting a car and heading out to wine Sonoma or Napa. Two other options north of the city include Point Reyes National Seashore and Muir Woods (redwood stands).

Go to Sausalito on the ferry.
Wine Country is great. If you can, call the Jarvis vineyard and get a reservation. You have to pay $25/person unless you buy a case of wine, which is about $50/bottle. It's a once in a lifetime experience though. The entire winery is built inside a mountain. The owner leased the equipment that built the chunnel between London and France to carve out the mountain. Made big $ in telecommunications and does this for fun. Not to be missed.