We are going to San Francisco on Saturday, April 24 and leaving mid-day on April 28.
Flying in to Oakland. Staying at the Executive Vintage Court Hotel on Brush St two blocks off of Union Square.

We are planning to see the Muir Woods, Sonomoa Valley, Sausillito (sp), Alcatraz, Chinatown, Pier 39 etc. The only part of the trip that is fixed is a visit to Alcatraz on the morning of the 26th - we already ordered the tickets.

Should we rent a car for a day and do Muir Woods and Sonoma? Would a day trip on a bus be better? What are your thoughts?

How would you fill your days?

Thanks for any advice!

I would rent a car to do Muir Woods and Sonoma. There is no reliable public transportation to those places and you will probably want the flexibility of having your own car.

It looks like the days in SF and Sausalito you are not planning to rent a car and that is the best plan, really. You can get to Sausalito via Ferry and around SF on public transportation.

Have Fun!

Definitely don't miss the Marin Headlands. Fabulous view of the GG Bridge!!! One warning though - it's very windy up there! I've always driven when I've visited Marin County and Sonoma, but I would advise against driving in SF city because parking is very expensive. It's been a really long time since I visited the touristy places in SF, so I'll let other people comment on those.

I would rent a car for Muir Woods and Sonoma - you will have much more flexibility.

If you are interested in walking tours, check out www.sfcityguides.org which offers free walking tours. We took the Chinatown tour and it was great.

Pier 39 is ok - go there to check out the sealions which are cool. The rest is pretty much tourist shops. Some people love it though - I have an aunt who grew up in the east bay and has been going to SF all her life and she MUST go to Pier 39 everytime she is in SF. Other people take the been-there-done-that approach. There is an aquarium there which is cool. It isn't extensive like the one in Monterey, but it does have a tunnel which goes under a couple tanks.

I didn't see Golden Gate park on your list - this is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon wandering around. I love the Japanese Tea Garden.

And what about the Cable Cars? No trip to SF would be complete without taking a ride on one.

DW, it will be very hard for you to find your hotel if you'd be looking for a Brush Street. It's Bush street, just remember our current president. The spelling is the same.

Here's a good SF Trip Report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...traveler&fid=1

Lots of ideas there.

We took 2 Grayline tours on our trip to SF. On the Muir Woods tour I felt rushed. I did enjoy the all day Sonoma/Napa tour. My highlights; Cable Car ride, Golden Gate bridge, Coit Tower, North Beach, Wok Wiz walking tour of Chinatown, Victorian Home Walk and Ghirardelli chocolate.

dwzemens,
The good news is that you will have no problem filling your days. The bad news is that there's so much choice that you might have to leave some good places out.

I'd rent a car to go to Sonoma and Muir Woods. Public transport in the bay area isn't the best in the country and a car will help if you plan to get out of the city.

One spot that you did not mention is <a href=http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/ggpark.html>Golden Gate Park</a> which is a great way to spend a relaxed afternoon.

You might get some ideas by looking at my photographs of San Francisco <a href=http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/sf.html>here</a> and <a href=http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/sf2.html>here</a>.

Enjoy!

dinner at tadich grill, carnellian room and aqua are good 'not to be missed' types of places in SF. drinks at the top of the Mark is also a standard stop for most.

A couple of highlights for us were walking across the Golden Gate Bridge and down the Filbert Steps from Coit Tower.

Don't forget to take a slow drive down Lombard Street -- "the crookedest street in the world."

Also, a walk through the Haight-Ashbury area is interesting, too.