starrs

Just the iPhone would be enough. If you need more you can probably use the business center or a computer if your hotel has one, or stop by a cyber cafe or FedEx office. Most of the hotels I stay in have a desktop computer (or a few) available for use for short periods of time. I use them top print out tickets for Broadway shows purchased with discounts from Broadwaybox.com.

october_fun

starrs. thank you. I thought if we didnt take along a laptop etc we may be at a disadvantage whilst travelling.

october_fun

The stars have aligned and I have found a game we might be able to go to. Its a football game when we are in San Francisco. Buffalo Bills V the 49ers. Its the afternoon after we arrive in the US so I hope we dont have bad jet lag.

How long does a game go for? Its starts at 1:15. What time would we be looking at getting away from the stadium. I assume there is good public transport to and from games? Would that game be likely to sell out? We better support the local team I suppose. What colour are they? I dont want to get beaten up on my first day out. lol

Still no dates for the Hockey yet so I am still hopeful of seeing a game while we are in NY.

october_fun

Ive done some googling and found the answers to some of my questions. (should have done that first but I was so excited to find a game we can attend)

Still dont know how long a game lasts though. I did find transport information about the 49ers buses so it sounds fairly easy to get there and back.(it was on the official website) Havent looked at other modes of transport which may be cheaper than the bus but perhaps not as convenient. More googling. What did we do before the internet?

Tomsd

The Niners' (short for 49ers colors are predominately red - with white letters. The traveling jerseys are the reverse - white with red letters. http://tinyurl.com/6nvn28t

And you can leave by the start of the 4th quarter and usually beat the crowd. That should be about 3 hours or so - into the game.

Hey - I flew back on a Saturday - a day early to SF (leaving the week's accumulation of over 100 inches of incredible powder at Aspen)- and went to the Niner football game the next day with a buddy of mine and saw: THE CATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (by Dwight Clark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V1Dx_McGrw )

That really was the dramatic start of the great 49er Super Bowl runs - first with legendary QB Joe Montana and then later with Steve Young.

Dems wer da days..............

Tomsd

Oh yes, for the Niners - buy your tickets early. Coach Jim Harbaugh has the expectations way up there again, even though they are planning to build a new stadium down the peninsula in San Jose. http://www.ninersnation.com/2012/4/2...baugh-jed-york

october_fun

If we get one of the buses it doesnt leave until 30 mins after the game finishes.

Now to work out what type of ticket to buy. Are the cheap tickets too far away to see anything?

sf7307

You have to take one of the buses - there really isn't any other public transportation available.

Type of ticket - I don't know because I don't go to football games, but the stadium does seat 70,000 for football, so you might not want to be too high up in the second deck

october_fun

70,000 - now thats a lot of people watching for me. Will book a package that includes admission ticket and bus. Once again. Thanks.

Cant wait to see look on hubby's face when I tell him he is going to a game. ( when we are lining up to board the bus)

Tomsd

I don't think there are too many "bad" (obstructed view) seats at the "Stick" - and I watched "The Catch" from the second deck and it was just fine. Highest up/"noosebleed" seats also give a good view - even if the players look smaller. http://www.49ers.com/stadium/index.html

And the stadium is close to the airport - toward downtown - and if there was any way to conveniently store your luggage - (I gather you are not renting a car?) - and also depending on your timing - you could go just from the airport to the game.

Hey - even if you are having jet lag during the game, or one too many pints, and/or feeling a bit droopy - you can also go out and catch a taxi back to your hotel which I don't think would be that expensive. It's what - not even 15 minutes to downtown from Candlestick, without traffic? And double check - as they might have other buses, whatever, leaving from there during the game. One nice thing about the buses after the game is I believe they have their own lanes when exiting - which otherwise can become a semi-stationary parking lot. BTW - taking the bus is a bit of an introductory tour of SF, if you have time to catch one to get to the game.

Tomsd

Well, I believe you used to be able to take taxis to the Stick, but maybe that was for baseball. We lived in the Marina/Union St - and could be there in about 15 (20 max) minutes - without any traffic. Also see this page for more info: http://prod.static.49ers.clubs.nfl.c...ttipsfinal.pdf

Tomsd

Uno Mas: Looks like you could also ride the Muni/subway - and then transfer to a Muni bus when you get closer to the park.

If you are staying in downtown SF - that might be a good option/ace in the hole. Or - as you said - if you can get a package - ticket and bus - that works for your schedule - great. You can doze on the bus on the way back if necessry.

Tomsd

Uno mas mas: We always drove - didn't take taxis - and if we weren't tailgaiting with my buddy - who liked to also BBQ after the game - waiting for the traffic to clear out - we usually liked to head out before the end of the game to beat the traffic and listen to the end of the game on the radio. Except for very important games that is.

Tomsd

A ha: Now I think I have it. If you wanted to leave during the game - I think you could catch a muni bus over to the Bart station and from there - back into the City, even if you had already reserved a seat on a bus that didn't leave until after the game. Does that make sense?

Aduchamp1

October is the beginning of the regular season in hockey.
In 2011, the Rangers home opener was delayed by weeks due to planned rennovations at Madison Square Garden. There is supposed to be more construction this summer. Additionally the players agreement expires this summer. And there have been lock out in the past.

Please note:

It is una cosa más.

october_fun

aduchamp I looked up last octobers matches and noticed that there were no games in NY for the first few weeks so my expectations of finding a game to coincide nose dived a little. I wont get my hopes up too much but after starting this thread I must say it is now something that I really hope I get to do. At least the 49ers game in San Francisco will give us a taste of a sporting event.

Tom, we should be arriving the day before the game and not on the day of the game. Havent booked a hotel yet but now that I know there is a game I probably better do that. Is there a huge influx of fans who stay overnight? I am not too worried about having to catch a cab back to hotel if we find ourselves struggling to adjust to the new time zone. I think the idea of the bus and using it as a bit of siteseeing is a good idea.

sf7307

No, hotels do not fill up because of Niner games - most fans are "local" (within 100 miles of San Francisco) and just come for the day.

I highly recommend you do NOT do the Muni/BART thing. First, finding the right bus (if regular buses even ply Candlestick on game days) will be tough, but more important, you do NOT want to be roaming around the neighborhood around Candlestick Park looking for a bus or otherwise.

Tomsd

Geesh. On game day - they most certinly run buses from Bart over to the Stick - and the transfer point is busy - and not that deep into Hunter's Point. But better if you take a bus trip from the hotel. I would recommend you stay downtown by Union Square and the Grand Dame is the St. Francis - where as a young lad back in the 50's - we would stay when my dad went to a medical conference - and I just loved the coin machine that washed the change and also sorted it? http://tinyurl.com/85b3uje And if you get a tower room - you have a great view.


From the St. Francis - you can also hop on a Cable car to get down to Fisherman's Wharf and maybe have a famed Irish Coffee at the "birthplace" - the Buena Vista. Actually - it came over from Shannon, Ireland but it makes for a good story. http://www.thebuenavista.com/home/home.html

In any event - I came back just now to post this map which I was showing to another traveler - who wanted to get to the Airport from Half Moon Bay - but if you zoom in and out - it will give you an idea of the SF area.

http://www.travelmath.com/drive-dist...f+Moon+Bay,+CA

Tomsd

And are you in SF for the Buffalo Bills game? Should be a lively one. The next week - against the defending Super Bowl Champs - the NY Giants - will be HUGE.

http://footballschedule.me/san-francisco-49ers-schedule

october_fun

Tom yes we will be in SF for the Buffalo Bills game. Ive searched and in the three weeks we are in the US that is the only game scheduled for any of the cities we are in during our stay. So its that game or none.

The St Francis is more than I want to pay. Dont want cheap and nasty but also dont want to pay too much as there are a lot of extras in hotels we dont use. With three weeks of hotels I have to set a limit on expenses or else we wont have fun money.

I love coffee so I will have to check out Buena Vista if we are near.