San Francisco Parking - 31 ft. RV... / Public Transportation
 

Hi there,

we (2 adults, 2 children aged 6 and 2 years, the little one is in a baby stroller) are travelling to California next week and are going to spend a couple of days in San Francisco, too.

We have a 31 ft. RV and booked a campgound in Pacifica, south of the city.

Our main sighseeing day in SF will be a Sunday. We want to get downtown as early as possible and return to our campground in the evening.

What ist best for us? To drive into the city and park our RV somewhere (where?), or to use public transportation? We just saw that the only thing near our campground is a bus station, and the whole trip into the city including walking, bus and BART would take over an hour... not very satisfactory.

Thanks for any suggestions!

B & I & L & L (B.I.L.L.) :-)

I would sincerely think about taking public transportation into San Francisco. You don't want to be in a congested downtown area with a large RV, especially if you don't know where you're going.

You'll be in San Mateo County. Here are some buses to get you to SF transportaton. Look at the Coastside lines.
http://www.samtrans.com/schedulesand...imetables.html

If you go to the Daly City BART station, you can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)into downtown San Francisco.

BART runs very frequently. I would get off at the Powell St. Station. Here's a BART map. http://www.bart.gov/schedules/bystation.aspx

You can check the prices online. You will need a ticket to go through the BART turnstiles, and have to keep it until then end of your trip. You'll need the ticket to exit with.

When you get out, you will be where a cable car line ends. On your right is San Francisco Centre, a large mall with Nordstrom as its anchor.

Follow the cable car tracks about 3-4 blocks and you will be at Union Square.

See StuDudley's dissertation on San Francisco, which he just published. That will tell you everything you would want to know about SF sights, particularly if you only have one day.

SF's public transportation, MUNI, will get you anywhere in the city, and runs very frequently, even on Sundays.

Driving and parking a car in SF is challenge enough. There is nowhere to park a 31' RV that is any more convenient than Pacifica.

I live in SF and think I'm going to have an aneurysm every time I drive downtown. The one way streets, pedestrians, bike lanes... DON'T DO IT! To make matters worse (for you), it's illegal to park anything over 22 ft in quite a few neighborhoods.

I second Rastaguytoday's comment about Daly City Bart station. Plus when you've returned there is a nice Cold Stone Creamery waiting for you.

I would be worried that the brakes of a 33 camper wouldn't be up to holding its weight on the v e r y steep hills.

Would a small rented car would be another solution? We are talking here about Memorial Weekend-Sunday... I suppose the city is quite full (so public transportation as well?), would we be able to find a parking lot somewhere?

Yes, there are pay parking lots all over the place, and street parking (for a fee) in most locations. If you rent from Enterprise, they will pick you up. Plus, if you have a car, you can get from place to place much more quickly than you would using public transportation. It's a good idea!

The link below is for City owned public parking.
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/pgar/garages.htm

The 'secret' garage is the Ellis-O'Farrell garage on the Ellis side. Only 2 stories and easy to get. through.

Walk to Ellis, go through Macy's and there's Union Square.

To get there from Pacifica, 280 to the end > 4th st. exit > Third street (note Giants park on right) > left on Third to one block North of Market > Left on Geary to Stockton St. (Union Square) > to Ellis > right on Ellis 1/2 block to the garage.

Note John's across the street. That's where a scene in Dasheiell Hammet's Maltese Falcon, classic film Noir with Bogart.

Enterprise is closed on Saturday and Sunday... Too bad, because it is close to our campground... Other rent-a-car companies are not so close, require public transport to get there, I suppose...

This Memorial weekend is the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge, so I expect that the city will be busier than usual.

Thanks for your suggestions! We look forward to our trip!

Just drive that boat into the Ocean by Pacifica and the currents should take you in/under the Golden Gate. :)

Seriouisly - I wouldn't try to drive a 31 foot monster anywhere in any city in the US.

In the end we took BART into town, it was ok.
Thanks to all!

Good for you and glad it worked out. :)