ScarletandGray

Family of four with kids 8 and 5. We will have 4 nights in San Francisco (Sat.-Tues) and need help with what to do and where to stay. First flight for the kids, first trip to California. We are flying from the midwest. We will have a rental car. We arrive around 1:00 in the afternoon.

In the city, we want to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz. Recommendations on hotel/accomodations would be appreciated.

Would love to spend a night in/near Yosemite. Again, know nothing about the area other than it's about a 4-5 hour drive from the city. Need recommendation on lodging there as well. From other things I've read, it seems the weather in Yosemite in October could be anything.

J_Correa

For Yosemite, since you only have one night, I would try to get reservations in the valley - probably at the Yosemite Lodge. It isn't luxurious, but it is definitely adequate and is centrally located. That way you can make the most of your time.

For SF, there have been a lot of posts for good lodging choices for families with kids - search on the text box above and the threads will come up.

Wherenow

There are plenty of hotels around San Francico that work well for families. Have you a price range? I've some ideas, but it's all according to what you are looking to pay and where you want to stay. Try and stay clear of Fisherman's wharf hotels - they're rip offs. There are a few gems a few blocks from Union Square - The Omni, for one, that is usually well under $100 on Priceline, and it's a four star hotel.

Yosemite for families - if it's one day, Yosemite Lodge works. Stay in the park, if possible. Yosemite Valley is about an hour drive from the park boundaries, where the other lodging is. Only exception would be if you're heading to the Mariposa Grove, then you could begin or end the day at the Teneya Lodge (formally a Marriott) that's really pretty nice and on the 41 Highway at Fish Camp. Keep in mind, the falls are dry that time of year, so the thunder of the falls that you hear this time of year from the Yosemite Lodge will be history, so some of the perks of that location will be history in October But, there are many things to do and a day will suffice given the kids, and the lodge is central to all in the Valley.

October weather - well, sometimes a little rain, it will be cooling down, more so in the evenings than during the day. In early October, anywhere from the 70s to 90's on the Valley floor - cooler at Glacier point and higher elevations. It's actually pushing 90 in Yosemite today on the floor - a record. Such is the weather around these parts...

ScarletandGray

Thank you for the input. Have booked a room at the Yosemite Lodge and we are staying at Fisherman's Wharf. It seemed like a good location for what we want to see the short time we're going to be in the city. I did contact the hotel directly--saved about $50+/night though! I assumed we would need a car rental but after doing some digging around, I'm not sure that is necessary in SF. However, we are flying in to Oakland aiport and need to get to SF from there. Any suggestions??

Of course we will have a rental to get to Yosemite, a Monday. We plan on staying in the Oakland airport area Tuesday night as our departure for home is Wednesday. Suggestions on airport hotels would be helpful, too.

So, need some input as to whether we should have a rental the entire trip or just the last couple days when we head out to Yosemite.

Thanks much fellow Fodorites!

Stewbear

Well there is a short bus ride to BART from Oakland International then a trip under San Francisco bay on the train that the Kids will love! Get off at The Embarcadero Station then cab to your hotel a short few blocks. Cars are not necessary in "The City" using public transportation & a occasional cab. A Cab from Oakland International will run a lot but I am unsure the cost as it's been years. The City is not car friendly with little parking ( all the hotels charge big bucks to park) & very congested streets.

TrvlMaven

The closest "best" hotel near the airport is the Hilton. Also nearby are Park Plaza and Days Inn. I believe the Hilton is across from rental car drop off.

easytraveler

If you are planning on going to Yosemite, can you either fly in or out of Sacramento? Sacramento is closer to Yosemite than Oakland airport.

At the moment there is a freeway collapse north of Oakland Airport, so getting to OAK from San Francisco may be a challenge. Of course, by October, the freeway could be repaired.

ScarletandGray

Everyone--THANK YOU! This website is a priceless tool! Your input is very helpful.

Airfare to Oakland is booked--got dirt cheap fare which made this trip possible.

Park Plaza near Oakland airport looked appealing (before I saw the response from TrvlMaven) for our final night before departure.

Will look in to the bus/train into SF from Oakland. Kind of wanted to drive down Lombard Street and across Golden Gate Bridge, not sure if the added cost of rental car and parking in the city is worth that expense.

Yes, hope the Oakland/SF connector is repaired soon--I can only imagine the impact that is having on traffic there.

J_Correa

If you pick up your car in SF the day you head to Yosemite, you can drive down Lombard and then across the GG Bridge on your way out of town. The GG Bridge will be a bit of a detour on the way to Yosemite, but not too bad.

cd

We drove across the GG Bridge on our way to Yosemite but while in SF we took a cab down Lombard, he pulled over at the bottom and offered to take a picture.

ScarletandGray

Thank you all--the trip is really coming together.

We will take the shuttle/BART/cab from Oakland International into SF--the kids will love it--thanks for the tip Stewbear!

And we'll drive Lombard Street and the bridge before setting out for Yosemite--wonderful idea! That'll be a Monday morning around 9:00--still a good idea??

thereyet

Hi ScarletandGray, I would like to have a car in SF but would definitly add to the cost as others have mentioned. The bus, BART, cab would work just fine to the hotel. Do go to the new DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park. Wonderful! Also, when you do rent a car, maybe the day before you leave SF, drive across the GG Bridge and at the first exit go back under the highway and on the right is a road that goes out to the Marin Headlands. Awsome views and picnic possibilities. For the kids check out the Exploratorium right next to the Palace of Fine Arts. SF MOMA is another great museum but the kids might not get it. Oh, next to the DY museum is the Japanese tea garden, good place for a snack and a stroll through the formal garden. You will have a great time! thereyet

Rastaguytoday

Mid September to mid October is San Francisco's real summer. The heat from the Great Central Valley cools off and the fog isn't sucked through SF. It's a locals joke, seeing tourists in the summer with shorts on and buying Alcatraz sweat shirts because it's cool and foggy.

SF has a very good bus system, as you probably won't want to negotiate the hills, as most tourists don't.

Google up SF Muni for buses, Bay Area Rapid Transit for BART. You could BART as far east as Livermore and then pick up a rental car there, if you wished.

Cable cars have solely become tourist attractions, @ $5 a pop. Take the #30 bus, the Orient Express through the heart of China Town and end up at Union Square. It's a lot of fun.

Map out your Yosemite trip, it's a longer haul than you think. Reservations are now taken 365 days in advance in Yosemite, so booking as early as possible is mandatory. If you had the $$ to spend, the Ahwahnnee is about $500 for a cabin a night. http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations.aspx Up until about 20 years ago, it was very easy to get accomodations, not any more.

You are coming at a great time, the tourists are gone and the City goes into it's own summer rhythm. North Beach is a good place to hang out with kids.

ScarletandGray

Rastaguytoday--thanks for the Chinatown/cable car info--very helpful.

We have a night booked at Yosemite Lodge. Any recommendations for hikes for kids 8 and 5?

don512

You say that you will have a rental car, which in SF is more of a hinderance than a convenience. Not to mention parking can be very expensive. It would probably be best to just rent a car on the trip to Yosemite. But if you want to keep the car your best options would probably be either on Lombard Street, where there are motels that offer free parking, or (my preference) the Columbus Inn, which sits on the border of the Fisherman's Wharf area in North Beach. It also offers free parking, besides being in walking distance of Lombard Street (the curvy part that you want to see), Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the cablecar turn-around, and the boats the will take you out to Alcatraz. Even if you don't have a car, I think the best choice for you would be in the Wharf area, considering the time you have and the things that you want to do. Yosemote Lodge is a good choice if you are only staying one night. The rooms are very basic, but clean and it puts you right in the middle of the valley. Also the restaurant there is very good as far as NP restaurants go. Hope you have a wonderful time. SF has always been one of my absolute favorite destinations.

J_Correa

For hikes in Yosemite with kids, Mirror Lake is a good bet. It is a mile (maybe) from the shuttle stop, up hill but not bad. The first part is on a road, so not much of a hike, but once you get to the lake, you can wander around some trails there.

The Vernal Falls bridge is another good one. Also about a mile. You can go further than the bridge if your kids are up for it. The trail is uphill, but not bad. I have seen a lot of kids there.

Then there are short hikes to the base of Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall - quarter of a mile or less. Very easy.

There are also bunches of random trails around the valley, along the river, around meadows, and so forth - they are nice to wander along. You get a map when you enter the valley and all these trails are shown. The nice thing is that since the valley is only about a mile wide and there is a shuttle route that makes a loop around the valley, you are never far from a shuttle stop when walking around in the valley. So, if one of your kids poops out along the way, you can catch a ride back

sandys

I second the suggestion of the Exploratorium while in San Francisco.

Depending on the weather forecast, you might want to drive out of the valley to the White Wolf area of the park where there are very nice day hikes - and much less crowded than in the valley.

ScarletandGray

Thanks J_Correa for the advice on hikes as well as waiting to rent a car on our way out of SF. Great idea! Thanks also don512 for the advice of having a car in the city. We'll hold off until the Yosemite portion of our trip. You both saved us a lot of $$$ and hassle as did cd.

Thanks everyone for your interest and time for this post!

jtrandolph

Here is another. DO NOT have a car for sightseeing in San Francisco. Public transportation is wonderful, parking is outrageous and hard to find. Hotels charge up to $50/night. Get your car the day you are leaving the city.

I also second a visit to the Exploratorium for the kids. You won't be able to pry them away, so plan for the time.

One night in Yosemite, with 4 hours or so driving each way from San Francisco won't give you much of Yosemite. Could you possibly make it two nights? Awww..I don't want you to take a night away from San Francisco.....hard choices.

Have a great trip.

October weather in the City can be wonderful. Don't know about Yosemite., but probably no rain that early.

SandyBrit

ScarletandGray:

Are you staying at the Columbus Inn as suggested by poster don512? If not would you please share which hotel you decided on.

I am planning a similar trip and getting more and more confused about which hotel to pick and in what area. Fisherman's Wharf seems to get the most mixed reviews regarding hotels.

We fly out of St. Louis so interested in what your dirt cheap fare was to Oakland and which airport you fly out of.

Best wishes for a great trip and thanks for answering my questions.

Sandy