Wow, thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Anyone know if there is shuttles offered by the Giants to attend baseball games from downtown? Same goes for Sharks games if they are still in it at that time? I imagine it would be tough trying to score Sharks tickets in the playoffs though.
Don't know about shuttles, but would honestly be shocked if none exist.
Giants tickets in the outfield bleachers are fairly reasonable and definitely worth picking up just for the experience (IMO).
As for Sharks playoff tickets... you'd be surprised how many will likely be available. I've managed to get to all the Sharks/Flames playoff games here in the last 3-4 years without maxing out my credit cards. Sites like TicketExchange (by Ticketmaster) and StubHub always seem to have a decent selection. Also, in my experience, scalped tickets are plentiful around the front entrance near game time in the playoffs. Of course, interest (and thus, demand) is very high this season, so second hand ticket prices will reflect that. Think significantly cheaper than Flames playoff tix, but still significantly more than some people are keen on paying for a hockey game. The atmosphere in the Shark Tank is pretty intense, though. Good team; nice rink.
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I heaven't read the whole thread, so maybe it's been mentioned, but if you want to ride the cable cars (you should, it's pretty cool), do not line up to get on at the station on (I belive it's Market street and Powell St). That's where all the tourists get on, and the lineups are a pain in the ass.
Just head up the street a few blocks, and wait at a stop (just like a bus stop), and you should be able to just hop on (sometimes they dont' even make you pay if it's really busy, but I wouldn't count on it).
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I'm going to be in San Francisco late May and plan on checking out a Giants game. Has anyone watched a game at AT&T Park? If so, what's the best section to watch a game there?
Thanks for all the recommendations in this thread! BTW, if anyone is interested, you can get 50% off Wicked Show tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/crngh3
These are the areas that we usually take our friends to:
1. Drive through the Golden Gate bridge. Try to walk back and forth on the bridge.
2. Go to Palace of Fine Arts (on the way to Golden Gate Bridge)
3. Golden Gate park (Japanese Tea garden)
4. Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39
5. Lombard St
6. Alcatraz
7. Sausalito
The above mentioned areas are only if you want SF. There's still a lot to do/see in the Bay Area. If you want shopping, there are a lot of malls in SF and surrounding areas. Outlet malls are like two hours away (if you like big outlets) in Gilroy or Vacaville.
There's also Filoli Estate. It's a big house/garden in the Woodside area (near Hillsborough, Redwood City area). It's a nice area to relax.
Anyone care to make a hotel recommendation? I'm wanting something with a good location and looking in the $90-$150/night range. Should I be in the Union Square area? Just doing the "standard" stuff, Giants game, Fisherman's, Alcatraz, shopping, pubs, public transit etc.
In San Francisco Muni Metro Streetcar service to the Ballpark is available daily on the T-Third and via other Muni Metro streetcar lines on game days. Fans can transfer from any Metro line to streetcars serving the ballpark at Embarcadero Station - look for trains headed to Mission Bay, Caltrain or Sunnydale and get off at the 2nd Street/Ballpark Station. Muni buses 10, 30, 45 and 47 also stop within one block of the ballpark.
Anyone care to make a hotel recommendation? I'm wanting something with a good location and looking in the $90-$150/night range. Should I be in the Union Square area? Just doing the "standard" stuff, Giants game, Fisherman's, Alcatraz, shopping, pubs, public transit etc.
I'm in the airport at the moment waiting to board my flight to San Fran.
I'm staying at the Parc 55 in Union Square. I will send an update once I've been there for a few days.
From what I've seen on google maps though is that the hotel is walking distance to AT&T park and the BART and Trolley stations are right around the corner.
I'm going to be in San Francisco late May and plan on checking out a Giants game. Has anyone watched a game at AT&T Park? If so, what's the best section to watch a game there?
Thanks for all the recommendations in this thread! BTW, if anyone is interested, you can get 50% off Wicked Show tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/crngh3
AT& T is a beautiful park - try to sit along the first base side if you can. Bring a hoodie or jacket - San Fran gets pretty chilly at night - I learned that the hard way. And you can easily walk from downtown to the park - my wife and I did it for both games we attended
Thanks to CP's advice on the thread I started, I'm going to be staying at the Hotel Whitcomb in SF
Got a good rate for 4 days.
It's in the Market district
i stayed several nights at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Fisherman's Wharf last year and enjoyed it. it was centrally located for all the touristy type things down at the wharf. was a reasonable rate and included a decent breakfast. however you did have to pay for parking. we chose it as a compromise between price and quality for the wharf area.
Does anyone have any experience with driving in San Francisco? I know that it's not usually advised but we want to get to some of the outlet malls which are about an hour out of the city. So we wouldn't be driving around downtown - just trying to get out.
I go to San Francisco about once a month to watch Giants' games. I usually stay at the Westin South of Market on Third Street or the Hilton on O'Farrell. To get to the stadium take their version of the C Train. It costs $2 and drops you off right in front of the stadium. You'll need to get on the K, T or S line. Just follow all the people wearing orange and black. I walked from the stadium to the hotel once this weekend as the weather was nice, and it took about 30 minutes.
For the games I usually sit in section 121. I go through season ticket holders and buy before the season, but there are always tickets on stubhub. The owners and management sit in the first few rows of 121 and 122 and are free to shake hands if you are close enough. There are tonnes of scalpers with tonnes of tickets available and most have seats below face value, as they buy them at the STH price. They can't sell on SFGiants property, but will do it one foot off of it, so just outside the bricks. They usually hang outside the main gate, across the street from the main gate or kiddie corner from the main. They are much less creepy than the Broncos ponytail.
Driving in SF scares me. I would never do it. If you are going to be taking a lot of transit (which I always do), buy a three day muni passport. It lets you on the trains and cable cars unlimited, but not the BART. It used to be a great deal at $11 for three days, but is now $20 for three days. Cable car rides are $5 each way and buses and trains are $2 one way. If you are taking the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and a train ride at one point it's nice to have the pass as you are not having to pay and find change each time you board a vehicle.
I'd avoid Alcatraz, but instead take a ride on one of the boats that goes under the bridge, around the island and comes back in about an hour. The best one I was on was one of the ten or so independent boats that are between the food market and pier 39. It cost me $10 for the ride, whereas the bigger fleets cost $35 or so and are jammed.
For dinner, try John's Grill at 63 Ellis. It's been around for 102 years, excellent food, better service and was featured in the Maltese Falcon. There is an Italian place called Puccini & Pinetti at 129 Ellis that I tried on Friday for the first time. It was average food for the price, but decent.
Hope this helps.
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Definitely recommend walking around the Warf and taking one of those $20 one hour boat rides around the bay. You go across the warf / north beach... under the golden gate bridge, around past Alcatraz and back in an hour. Very relaxing and scenic with great views.
Take a cable car from the Warf to Union Square, walk around down town (look up the Tenderloin and avoid that section)...
Walk around and eat in Chinatown
Golden Gate park is beautiful
Checked out Hait / Ashbury
I wouldn't recommend having a car while there, but I did rent one for the day (from 10am to 8pm) and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and around town. Got a Volvo convertible and it was great. Kind of scary driving with cable cars next to you but it was manageable.
I wouldn't miss Alcatraz. Was amazing to look around. Did a day tour one trip and a night tour the next. The Night tour really suits the atmosphere.
Here's some photos I took with my crappy point-n-clik camera:
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Does anyone have any experience with driving in San Francisco? I know that it's not usually advised but we want to get to some of the outlet malls which are about an hour out of the city. So we wouldn't be driving around downtown - just trying to get out.
Parking is a pain in the ass and expensive. Parking at night isn't as big of a problem, but during the day sucks. There are a few hotels that are a few miles off that you can park. If I'm spending the day there, I usually just BART/Caltrain there. If I'm just headed there for the night, I drive and parking isn't an issue.
If you are thinking about going to Gilroy (the outlet mall you are referring to) the only thing I can say is, rush hour traffic sucks. Avoid the 101 between 7am-1030am, 3pm-7pm which is usual peak rush hour. 280 is a bit better but still gets hit hard by rush hour in a few spots.
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Anyone care to make a hotel recommendation? I'm wanting something with a good location and looking in the $90-$150/night range. Should I be in the Union Square area? Just doing the "standard" stuff, Giants game, Fisherman's, Alcatraz, shopping, pubs, public transit etc.
Last Oct my g/f and I stayed at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf and it was definitely under $150/night.
For that 3 day pass, is it okay that it doesn't cover the BART?
How's the BART different from the trains/cable cars?
Where can I buy the 3 day pass?
Thanks
Cable cars are a novelty, unfortunately, the lineups can get so long that it's faster just to walk or take a cab.
BART is not covered by the 3 day pass. BART runs from SFO throughout the Bay Area. You pay based on the distance traveled with additional charges for certain stops or travel distances (ie. surplus to go to/come from SFO, go through the tunnel, etc...).
For putting around SF, Muni is pretty sweet. There are plenty of muni stands and stations to purchase passes. But as many have said, the majority of SF is compact so walking and cabs are usually more efficient. If you want to get to the East Bay, your best bet is BART.
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In San Francisco Muni Metro Streetcar service to the Ballpark is available daily on the T-Third and via other Muni Metro streetcar lines on game days. Fans can transfer from any Metro line to streetcars serving the ballpark at Embarcadero Station - look for trains headed to Mission Bay, Caltrain or Sunnydale and get off at the 2nd Street/Ballpark Station. Muni buses 10, 30, 45 and 47 also stop within one block of the ballpark.
For that 3 day pass, is it okay that it doesn't cover the BART?
How's the BART different from the trains/cable cars?
Where can I buy the 3 day pass?
Thanks
For a visitor, the only thing I use the BART for is getting to and from the airport. A cab trip one way is around $40 to downtown, a shuttle is around $20 and a BART ticket is $8.10. It's nice because you just walk through the airport and it takes you downtown and within 3-4 blocks of all the hotels, depending on which stop you get off at.
The three day pass covers all other transit. It's $5 per trip on a cable car and $2 per trip on anything else. If you are going to do a round trip cable car ride it's worth it to buy, but if you aren't I'd just pay as you go. The lineups are long on the cable cars at the end stations, but if you go up one stop you can bypass the whole line and hang off the edge. It's quite fun.
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