I will be trvelling alone, and am a little nervous. Looking for a clean,safe, mid range hotel. Can I rent a car and do the coast or wine country in one day? Weather wise, what to pack. Would I need a winter coat, or would a light wool jacket and sweater do?

Welcome to SF, Marcia. I'm goint to top a post for you that's entitled "Need recommendations for SF lodging." There's a lot of good information there. You could rent a car for a day easily and see the coast or wine country. Another thought would be to arrange for a one-day tour. Your hotel will probably be able to help you with this. The weather can vary in early December. It could be rainy, blustery and cold or it could be sunny and delightful. Wear layers--turtleneck, sweater, jacket. You won't need a winter coat. A raincoat with a zip in liner might be good too.

Marcia, What hotels were you considering on staying at in SF. There are a number of areas to avoid, especially the Union Square area, since you are traveling alone.

In order to appreciate the coast and the Wine Country, I would suggest spend a couple of nights there. It is kind of difficult to do see these areas with just a day trip.

re: Mona's post

Union Square area is where most of the hotels are located and it is safe and central for seeing SF, although parking is a premium there.

You can search for a thread entitled "Is Union Square Unsafe" and go with the consensus. (Note: one person uses numerous aliases to bash SF on unfounded grounds, so take that into account)

Adam, I live in SF and know this area quite well. Union Square is a shady area of town. I am not bashing Union Square, but am offering a truthful assessment of the area given that Marcia is traveling by herself.

Marcia, Please disregard Adam's post. There are lots of other area in SF that are nicer and safer than Union Square.

Mona, the only time I EVER see your name on this board is to tell tourists to stay away from Union Square! Do you have any other advice to offer travelers? You sound like a broken record!

Fodorite, I can assure you that I have offered other advice to travelers in addition to the sensible advice of excercising caution in Union Square.

Mona,
If you tell me which neighborhood you reside in (nearest major cross-streets) I will be more than happy to give you a comparative crime analysis as related to the Union Square grid. You can also state all prior crimes you have encountered in your home region and in U.Sq., the percentage of time you spend in each, and how long you have lived in SF -- that's all I need to chart the analysis. Thanks.

Mona, please top the HELPFUL threads. I'd love to see them!

I visited SF last summer. I have never felt so unsafe in a US city as I did there, nor have I seen so many weirdos. It was impossible to visit Alcatraz as the tour was fully booked for a week in advance & I was only staying 3 days (thankfully). The weather was awful for July - cold & windy & frankly I was glad to move on.

www.columbusmotorinn.com

Do exercise caution when traveling alone in SF. Many tourist areas are sprinkled with the city's homeless (the Union Square area, for example), who beg for change. Some may be also be intimidating in their approach of asking for a handout. Don't flaunt purses, shopping bags or cameras; avoid walking through dark streets and alleys; try not to look too much like a vulnerable tourist. If you drive and park a rental car, lock all valuables out of sight.

Ah, Lois, I guess you weren't familiar with the famous Mark Twain quote: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

September is the month to be here.

Marcia, be sure you have a raincoat and if you're going to walk around the city much, an umbrella, too. It could also be warm & sunny, high 60's. Depends on whether we have a storm or not.

I always stay at Union Square - I use common sense and have NEVER had a problem. Yes, people will ask you for money (like they do in ANY large city) but ignore them and keep walking - they don't chase you! I found lots of folks walking at night, I kept to the well-lit streets and I was just fine. Very convenient for theater and dining!

High in the 60's is warm??? Marilyn, you must be from Siberia.

Try the Hotel Julianna. It's close to Union Square - but it's very safe, and very centrally located.

Marcia,

We travel to San Francisco almost every year and love to stay in the Union Square area. Yes, there are homeless people. Yes, they will ask you for money. If you politely say no, they leave you alone. We have never felt unsafe or had a problem in that area.

As for hotels in the US area, there are a wide variety to choose from. We prefer the Hotel Monaco but if that's out of your price range you might try the US Hyatt, the Sir Francis Drake or go to quikbook.com and check their rates.

Adam is right about the parking in US--it can run as much as thirty $$ a night give or take. Adam is also right about the San Francisco bashers like Mona. Thay usually show up only to hinder and rarely offer any truly useful advice.

San Francisco (including Union Square) is a great and fun city. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Davidcs

David, Excuse me but I don't get why you call me an SF basher just because I happen to point out that Union Square is not a good area for a woman traveling alone. I live in SF, so it makes no sense for me to bash my own city.

Marcia, I am sorry that you have to put up with the nonsense on this board by people such as David, Adam, and Fodorite. I urge you to disregard their advice about staying in Union Square. It is not a place you want to be alone at night.

I am a 40-ish female who stayed in the Union Square neighborhood twice this summer. There are several upscale hotels in this area and some affordable ones too. I stayed at the Powell, where the cable car turnaround is. Not as fancy as I usually get, but at a $79 internet rate it was a bargain and in a GOOD neighborhood. What you want to avoid is anything south of Market or the Civic Center.

Yes, there are bums, but you can walk right by them. I am from a small town in the Midwest and I was not scared. I found the cable car turnaround the handiest of spots for fun transportation. I also thought that temps in the 60's was comfortable. You will want a jacket to wear when the sun goes down or you visit the wharf. It is always windy at the wharf.

Have a great trip, San Francisco is a lovely city!

Mona - where would you recommend Marcia stay in SF?