Tumegoda

We are plaaning to visit San Francisco but we are staying in Oakland, CA. what is the best way to get to Fisherman's Wharf from Oakland? is driving and then parking a car OK? or shall we consider other option? we are planning to drive from Oaklan then park car somewhere near Fisherman's Wharf but have no idea about parking in SF sine we are from Philadelphia. need some help. if driving and parking is not a good option then what is the best way to get there? We are assuming that we can get city tour/cruise and other things from this point. thanks

FainaAgain

How many of "we" are we talking about? Can all of you use public transportation?

How much are you willing to pay for parking, which is expensive in SF?

How close to BART are you in Oakland? How safe is it to walk from BART to wherever you stay in Oakland?

It's easy to take BART to Embarcadero and walk up to Fishermen's or to take the F-trolley and make your way back.

Is there a special reason for you to stay in Oakland?

LoveItaly

Not knowing where you are staying in Oakland Tumegoda it is hard to know what is best for you. As Faina said, BART "might" be good. Or the Ferry from Jack London Square in Oakland to SF.

saps

There is a parking lot directly across from Fisherman's Wharf that is about $20 - $25 for the day to park (Restaurants do validate).

Public transportation would be to take BART then either bus/taxi/cable car/walk to Fisherman's wharf. Probably a toss up if there are more than 2 of you.

LoveItaly

Hi tumegoda, if you post back regarding where in Oakland you will be staying it would help with giving you thoughts regarding the best way to go to SF. Will you be planning to visit any other area of San Francisco besides Fisherman's Wharf?

Davethecat65

I'd suggest taking the ferry from the foot of Clay St. (very close to Jack London Square) to Pier 41. $11.00 round trip to either P 41 or the SF ferry building. You can park for free in the lot on Washington St. which is a block or so from the Oakland ferry terminal. Much easier than driving to SF, which is often a mess due to "improvements" of the bay bridge. Plus, the ferry is fun and easy.

P. 41 is next to P. 39 and is close to the wharf.

trippinkpj

I think it depends on how many "we". Although, unless it's more than 4, I think I'd take the Ferry from Jack London Sq.. Then BART as a 2nd choice

Tumegoda

We (three of us) staying in Homewood Suites Oakland - Waterfront, 1103 Embarcardero,
Oakland, CA 94606

thanks all for helping us out. is this a bad area to stay? also I am looking for sat and sun travel.

Tumegoda

alos, we are interested in taking a golden gate bridge walk and cruise line

ilovetotravel29

I say go for either the ferry, which is fun and affordable, or bart it in....

pricing for parking can be high...as mush as 20 bucks in certain locations near the pier.

bill_boy

Drive in.

Taking the Bart and Muni to get to Fisherman's Wharf can be time consuming. Sometimes you will find free street parking along Bay or Ocean or in some of the side streets that are about 5 minutes walk to FW. The paid parking lots around the area is not that expensive for a few hours and is worth the hassle vs. public transportation.

Besides, its the best way to get to GG Bridge since you intended to go there, too.

Tumegoda

is driving during sat / sun make any difference as far as traffic goes? would it be tough to cross GG bridge in sat 10 am?

BTW: we will be driving to SF after our trip to Disneyland and plaaning to go to Oakland taking route 5 then 152 then route 1 to get some scenic view of SF. does any onw know, is GG and SF Bay bridge has toll in which direction?

bill_boy

GG Bridge , both ways, will be a snap to cross by car during Sat at 10 am. Toll payments required when crossing into San Francisco. However, if your intention is just to cross and view the city from Vista Point (Sausalito, Marin County side), then I'd suggest that you park in the SF side and walk the bridge from there to Vista Point Marin side and then just walk back. No need to pay any toll.

The Bay Bridge toll payment is required when entering San Francisco from Oakland/Emeryville.

Tumegoda

excellent help for all of you. thanks

I am assuming that there will be enough parking lots on SF side to park my car so we can take a walk thru GG bridge.

does anyone know, how long does it really takes to drive 49 miles scenic drive? is it worth to drive all 49 miles? we are in scenic drive but do not want spend whole day driving 49 miles scenic drive route.

LynnieD

Tumegoda, we stay at the Homewood Suites about 4x per year. It is a great place to stay. The hotel is right on the marina, make sure you ask for a marina view room. Pay extra if necessary, as the front facing rooms are right on the freeway. No noise, good included breakfast, pool, jacuzzi.

The hotel offers a free shuttle to Bart. THat is how I get into the city. You can get off at the Ferry Building (I'm not shure what the stop is actually called). On Saturday or Sunday AM (maybe both) there is a very wonderful farmers market at the Ferry Bldg. GREAT spot for breakfast.

Also near the hotel, Oakland Chinatown with fun shops to look in and really good dim sum.

Have fun

LoveItaly

The first BART station in SF from Oakland is the Embarcadero Station.
The Ferry Bldg., is right across the street (across the Embarcadero) which is where the ferry comes into from Oakland. If you want you can take the F Line that will take you to Fisherman's Wharf if you do not want to walk along the Embarcadero to the Wharf (it is a lovely walk). Best regards.

jtrandolph

"BTW: we will be driving to SF after our trip to Disneyland and plaaning to go to Oakland taking route 5 then 152 then route 1 to get some scenic view of SF."

If you are planning to take 152 from I-5 all the way to Highway 1, you had better check with someone. 152 from Gilroy over to the Coast was closed and I have not heard that it has opened again. If it has not, instead, at Gilroy take Hwy 101 south a short distance to Hwy 129 to get to Highway 1.

A drive up the coast from here will be nice, but you need to know that you cannot take Hwy 1 all the way to San Francisco as a major road slide has closed the road. You would need to get off Hwy 1 at Half Moon Bay and then take Hwy 92 up to Hwy 280. Stay on 280, going through San Francisco until you come into Hwy 101, which will lead you to the Bay Bridge and on to Oakland. Have a safe trip.