I would highly recommend a taxi at that time of night, BART (the subway) would be okay and safe (i.e. if the hotel is very close to the BART station), but why stress, especially since you're not used to big cities, and therefore, probably not used to public transportation either. Just take a cab -- they line up at the taxi stand which is right outside the arrivals level (departures level is upstairs, where you disembark the plane, you go downstairs to claim your bags if you checked them, and to go out to the taxi stand). the taxi will be about $40.00.

Not only can you pick up your car in the morning, it's cheaper to rent a car in the city than at the airport. Depending on where you decide to stay...a lot of people have used Dollar Rent-a-Car on O'Farrell Street (Union Square area). Anyway, if you're staying in the city for a couple of days, it'll be better and cheaper to just rent the car when you're LEAVING the city. You don't want to have to park in the city. Public lots cost in the mid-$30s per day, and hotels charge up to $62.50 (the Hyatt Regency).

Many thanks. Stay tuned...I may have other questions!

urbanite1, for your other questions, it would be best to start a separate thread.

>>urbanite1, for your other questions, it would be best to start a separate thread.<<

Yep - I agree

Stu Dudley

Good Golly Miss Molly, I'm dizzy. I don't even think 4 days is going to be enough time. THANK YOU STU, for your time and knowledge. We are so excited!

Many thanks Stu! From next week my daughter will start to live in San Francisco on 15th st. in Castro.
She and her friends can use your post as their guide to their new city and I will most definitely follow it when I'm there to visit her. Lucky us! Thanks again.

wow....this thread is incredible. Going to San Francisco in 1 1/2 weeks...first time in California (from Chicago area). Thanks a million Stu...I have a lot of ideas now to think about. Probably going to look up lots of websites now...I am a planner and this trip has snuck up on me..so at least I know where to start. It already helped me to book a hotel (Union Square area). If anyone sees me...I'll be in the really good walking shoes....sounds like I will need them. Stu...sounds like you have a right to be proud of your city...it sounds fantastic.

Stu...sorry to double post. I have kind of a funny question...a little embarrassed to ask it. My cute grandkids had one request for me when I visit your city next week. They are huge fans of the old TV show Full House...and they want a picture of me in front of the family "home". I have been doing research and figured out that most of the show was filmed on a lot in the Warner Brother's Studio..but the opening credits are a row of Victorians called the Painted Ladies on Steiner St. I read what you wrote about the homes on Postcard Row...do you know if this particular house is differentiated at all?? Even though this is kind of a dumb question (with all that there is to do and see in San Francisco) but to 8 and 10 year olds this is important. I never knew Danny Tanner and Uncle Jesse lived in such an famed area of San Francisco...ha,ha. Thank you so much.

Can't wait to hear Stu's answer :-)

We don't watch television much - other than sporting events (great Giants game yesterday) so I'm not personally familiar with "Full House".

However, my wife is a SF City Guides tour leader, and she is one of the several people who conduct the "Landmark Victorians of Alamo Square" tour. She has received many inquiries about the location of the various scenes in Full House, so she did some research several years ago and came up with this:

-The opening scenes were indeed of the painted ladies on Steiner across from Alamo Square Park - correctly called "Postcard Row". Painted lades is generally a term for any Victorian with 5 or more colors. There are also scenes of a picnic in Alamo Square Park. If you want to photograph these houses (most photographed spot on SF other than the Golden Gate Bridge), go to the corner of Hayes & Pierce and walk about 10 yards into Alamo Square Park, and then about 10 yards towards downtown.

- The exact house where the people lived is not near Alamo Square. It is 1709 Broderick - just north of Geary. The house faces east - so try to get there mid-morning for a picture.

- The red door of the house was sold to a neighbor.

http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cal...Full-House.htm

The Mrs Doubtfire house is at 2640 Steiner - on the corner of Steiner & Broadway in Pacific Heights.

Stu Dudley

Thank You so much Stu...both for the wonderful answer and for not thinking my question to be too silly. We will be in your city on Sat the 21st and are thinking about the City Guides tour of the Victorians of Alamo Square. I think we could manage an 1100 tour time. I have a feeling a picture of these homes and the park will satisfy the kids. I was thrilled to see your dear wife has had to do research on the Full House question showing I'm not the only one asking goofy questions about TV shows. The only debate I'm having (in my mind) right now is the Victorian Tour vs the Palace Hotel with special luncheon rate tour on that Saturday. We are only in town for 6 days. So much to do...my head is spinning trying to coordinate times. Right now the only for sure I have is an electric bike tour that goes over the Golden Gate Bridge. Obviously with my screen name...I'm a nurse but that doesn't mean I wish to do any tours of your local hospitals so I'm hoping that turns out OK. Again...your help and presence on this board are invaluable.

Wow, thanks for the wealth of information included in this thread! I'm heading to San Francisco for all of Labor Day weekend with my girlfriend, and we are trying to decide with City Guides walks to do. Some of the ones we are considering are North Beach, Coit Tower Murals, Victorian San Francisco, and the Telegraph Hill one. We'll probably be able to get in 1 or 2, but would be exploring these areas on our own if the times don't work out anyway. What I'm trying to decide is which tours would we be able to easily do on our own (with the help of Stairway Walks or other resources), and which ones would be more beneficial to take the actual tour instead.

Also, we are probably going to rent bikes to take across the bridge to Sausalito. I saw the recommendation to not do this in the morning, but I'm wondering, given the holiday weekend (and with the Sausalito Arts Festival), if it would be better to do it earlier in the day to avoid the ferry rush and crowds later in the day. Also, I know the fog can take a while to burn off in the AM, and that it usually returns in the afternoon anyway, so I'm just trying to figure out the best time to do it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

WOW. Thanks so much for all of the information in this thread. I anticpate a lovely weekend when I sit down and read it straight through, marking off ideas for my trip to SF this December!

Thee Stu has spoken !
:)
R5

Boy Stu, you really know your SF stuff.Any recommendations on a nice B&B to stay in Healdsburg?

Nope - we have some very close friends who live there - so we always stay with them.

Stu Dudley

bookmarking

bookmarking

Stu thanks so much for all your valuable info. It's so helpful to have an idea before you get somewhere so you can start to make use of time that is always to short. San Francisco sounds like a great city and I can't wait to visit. For years my friends have been telling me I had to go that it is my kind of place!!!

Great info! Thanks! If you had three kids, 11, 8 and 6, how would you spend a day in San Francisco? Any ideas?