I was hoping that someone could help me out with this as I am leaving for San Francisco tonight. I am staying in Santa Clara for a convention and my daughter will be taking Caltrain in to the city while I am occupied. What is a good station for her to get off at in San Francisco that she can then walk around? Also, what station would you go to to connect with the BART to get to Berkeley? Are there multiple stations in Berkeley to get off at? And, last transportation question, I have to meet a client in Redwood Shores which I believe is between Santa Clara and San Francisco. Can I drive me car there, part somewhere to get on the Caltrain? Also, on the final day of my trip, we will check out of the hotel in Santa Clara and drive in to San Francisco. Our flight isn't until midnight. Any ideas where we could park our car for reasonable price and leave the luggage in it until it is time to fly? Thanks for your help. This is my first time in California.

Bring a coat! We're entering a deepfreeze this weekend on the west coast.
I'll let others answer your specific questions,
but as far as your last day, why not secure parking at the Airport as you head to SF, or go ahead and check bags and turn in car, then ride BART from SFO, enjoy yourself, and ride back to the Airport same way?

>> What is a good station for her to get off at in San Francisco that she can then walk around?<<

Take Caltrains to the end of the line, near SBC park. It's called the 4th & King station. Walk about 7 blocks north on 4th to get to Market St.


>>Also, what station would you go to to connect with the BART to get to Berkeley?<<

After you walk 7 blocks north on 4th, the Powell BART station is right there on Market.

>>Are there multiple stations in Berkeley to get off at?<<

Take the Richmond line & get off at the Downtown Berkeley station

>>And, last transportation question, I have to meet a client in Redwood Shores which I believe is between Santa Clara and San Francisco. Can I drive me car there, part somewhere to get on the Caltrain?<<<

I don't understand that question? There are Caltran stations at Redwood City, Menlo Park, and San Carlos. Why are you not driving to your client??

>Also, on the final day of my trip, we will check out of the hotel in Santa Clara and drive in to San Francisco. Our flight isn't until midnight. Any ideas where we could park our car for reasonable price and leave the luggage in it until it is time to fly? <<

Sure - hundreds of places to park the car. What do you plan on seeing??? Do you have any problems with just parking on the street??? How about taking a driving tour of SF and stopping/parking anywhere that seems interesting to you. I have a driving tour I've posted here a couple of times, and I could post it again if you are interested.

It's cold here now!!!

Stu Dudley

Thanks for the last minute advice. So, no bikini weather it sounds like. On my Redwood Shores question, I planned on driving into Redwood Shores but then wanted to take Caltrain into the city. Just wondered if that made sense. I am okay with driving into the city on Monday. We have tickets to Alcatraz for 2:00 in the afternoon. Want to walk the Golden Gate Bridge, do the cable cars, and basically just stroll around the city. Didn't know if it would be best to ditch the rental car at the airport and then take some public transportation from there and not have to mess with a car. Can't check my luggage in until 3 hours before flight as that is the only Sun Country departure for Minneapolis.

BART and Caltrain have websites with all the info you need-maps, trip planners, timetables, etc.

For your client meeting day, I would park the car at a Caltrain station (ask the client where the closest station is) and take it into the City. I'm assuming this is a week day. If it's on a weekend, the Caltrain schedule is abbreviated and parking is easier in the City, so I would drive in. If this is on President's day, I would also drive into the City - the Caltrain schedule is probably abbreviated then, and trains are only every hour.

On your departure day, I would drive into the city also. Park the car at the Wharf at one of the garages. You don't want to loose any time at the airport checking the car in and also finding a place to stash your bags.

Another option is to park at the Millbrae BART station. Take the Millbrae ave exit (1 exit before the Airport exit) and park in the large garage there. The station is about 1 block west of 101 & on the right - you can't miss it. Take BART into the City (your daughter should know the ropes by now). When you return, the Airport stop is 1 stop before the Mllbrae stop (which is the "end-of-the-line" for this BART line) Your daughter could get off at the Airport exit or get off at the Millbrae exit & help you return the car & carry the bags.

Stu Dudley

Peoeple have already given you good advise so I'll talk about Berkeley a bit.

There are at least 4 Berkeley BART stops - Ashby, Downtown, North Berkeley and Rockridge.

Ashby station is a bit gritty once the commuters are gone, and not convenient to anything except a wonderful produce market called Berkeley Bowl.

Rockridge is a great shopping area - dozens of interesting inexpensive restaurants, used book stores, furniture stores, clothing boutiques and a very high end food market, MarketHall.

Redwood Shores is not near any Caltrain Station, not walking distance anyway. Caltrain runs on the west side of Hwy 101, Redwood Shores is on the Bay on the east side of 101. There's a bus to the Redwood City Caltrain Station, or the San Carlos or Belmont stations, but I would recommend driving there if you can. If you want to go to the city (of San Francisco) by Caltrain, drive to the Redwood City station, get on 101 *south* from Redwood Shores for one exit, exit at Whipple drive over the tracks and turn left onto El Camino Real to James Street (one block south of Broadway), a left there takes you right into the Caltrain parking lot, or one of them. It's self pay, get a ticket from one of the machines and put it on your dashboard. There are a few decent restaurants on Broadway, which is right at the north end of the train platform, a new Peets for coffee, City Pub for burgers and beer, Erawan or Bangkok Bay for Thai, a couple of taquerias, even a kitschy Bavarian food shop and biergarten.

Actually, Rockridge is in Oakland, not Berkeley.

If you're talking about going to the UC Berkeley campus area, she should get off at downtown Berkeley, which BART just calls "Berkeley."

Rockridge is on a different BART line (Pittsburg-Bay Point line) than the 3 Berkeley stops (Richmond line). Both lines stop at all of the downtown SF stops, (as well as West Oakland, the two downtown Oakland stops, and Macarthur).

For BART maps, timetables, etc., see www.bart.gov.

Consider, if you keep the car, driving the Bridge over to the Marin Headlands. Breathtaking. The trouble with doing the bridge(I've bicycled and walked), is that you have to return, and you won't get to do what I've described above....and it'll be cold and windy.
As far as parking, you can park out beyond Van Ness more readily, and then transit inwards. For instance, if you motor towards Clement to California and out thataways, especially if you go visit Marin first, you should be able to find someplace on the street, then come in one of those transit lines. It's what I usually do.

>>find someplace on the street, then come in one of those transit lines. It's what I usually do.>>

Many areas of the City have 2 hour restricted parking on weekdays. The farther out you get from Downtown, there are frewer restricted parking areas. Along the Calif & Geary corridor, I don't know how far west you have to go until you hit an area with unrestricted parking.

Stu Dudley