Philob

Last year, $300, was the daily rate for a compact 😎

In San Francisco (anyway), health insurance is mandatory for employers above a certain number of employees. Either the employer provides private insurance or contributes to a "medical reimbursement account" for each employee. Some restaurants absorb the surcharge, other will pass it along. In the beginning it was a thing about whether the surcharge should be added in the first place and why the customer should pay it. It's now just another item that's added to the bill. We were in Honolulu recently and the surcharge was added to some of our restaurant bills. Best to call ahead and ask if the restaurant adds the surcharge, then don't go if you don't want to pay it.

Do you have a credit card that can pickup the rental damage? Unless it's different up north 🙂 Credit cards generally offer "secondary"** coverage, but goes "primary" when the rental is out of the country. Or a few cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, has only "primary" coverage. **If secondary your regular auto insurance must pickup the coverage, check with your agent.

Remember some countries require your passport to be valid at least 6 months after expiration for entry. The new catch phrase is now: 'LOOK BEFORE YOU BOOK"

In the past they would return your old passport with a bunch of holes punched or snip off a corner. They either stopped doing this completely or someone actually checks to see if there is an unexpired multi-year visa in the book.

TV news reports 8-10 weeks expedited, 10-13 weeks regular. They can try to make an appointment with their nearest passport office, but it has to be within certain number of days before travel, but the website and telephone #s are slammed.

I think C only use one insurance company. If you go to an insurance broker like the ones mention on this forum you'll get comparisons between multiple companies and an actual IRL broker to ask questions and get answers.

And many women will keep their maiden names for cultural or professional reasons.

Unless one of your insurance companies provides "primary" coverage they will both be pointing at each other to be the primary. Primary = the one who pays first. Credit card policies tend to be more restrictive in what they cover and under what conditions.

We don't use BofA, but was in HI a couple of weeks ago, got the bill 🤨, no foreign transaction fees. Thinks BofA need to retrain their reps.

Uber/Lyft/Taxi. Depending on how much luggage you can handle, less than a mile walk on level sidewalk.

Can't help with what to do with your luggage, but absolutely DO NOT RENT a car/suv and put your stuff in it while you enjoy your activities. Chances are you won't have your stuff in the vehicle very long and you'll be explaining to the rental agency about the bashed out glass (they've heard it before) and filing insurance claims when you get home. And these folks don't even care if your sitting in the car.

Super Shuttle is long gone. Ride share (Uber/Lyft) pickup is top floor of the domestic terminal parking lot. Taxis are at Arrival level "outer curb".

Check what "medical evacuation" is defined in the policy you are looking into. Evacuations from ship to shore are handled by the coast guard of the particular country's waters that your in, hopefully, for free. Medical Evacuation may not mean that you'll be evacuated to the US or to your home town, but from one island facility to the next closest place that has better emergency medical facilities to treat you. Also "primary" coverage doesn't mean the company will pay the medical provider directly. "Primary" travel insurance means you file your claim with them when you get home and get reimbursed and no need to get your other health insurance involved. In most instances overseas medical providers will require YOU to make payment at time of service. If you call the insurance company while your waiting in the ER they maybe able to make payment arrangements. Otherwise make sure you have a high limit credit card(s) to take care of the bills. And secure as much documentation about your treatment, a description of your illness and treatment and itemized bill are the bare minimum.

Just book with her current ID name and travel with those documents. Air/Cruise lines only care that the booking name matches the IDs. Many women keep their maiden names for cultural or professional reasons. She can get new ID when they come up for renewal.

SWMBO packs hers & Kid. I pack mine. Then she tells me to take out stuff I probably won't need and will replace it with stuff that she probably won't need either.

Muni Metro will not go to pier 27 or 35. It'll go underground before the Ferry Building. Ask the Metro operator where to catch the F Line towards Fisherman's Wharf for the rest of the way. From the Ferry Building its less than a mile walk to pier 27, a bit more to pier 35, on a flat wide sidewalk

There's Park 'n Fly SFO on the other side of Highway 101, uncovered lot.

Muni Metro train, stations almost right in front of the pier (Brannan) and the stadium (4th& King). Only one stop in between.

Pier 30, right in front on the Embarcadero. https://www.redsjavahouse.com/

Pier 30/32 is in between two Muni Metro Stations; couple of blocks north, past the Bay Bridge is the Folsom Station, couple of blocks south is the Brannan Station https://www.transit.wiki/Pier_30/32 Board the front car, tell the train operator you want to take the F Line to Fisherman's Wharf and they'll call out the stop. Be sure to get a transfer so you won't have to pay again getting on the F Line. For cheap burgers & cheap beers with a million dollar view, Red's Java Hut. Best dive burger joint in the city. Don't ask for lettuce or any other greens (except peppers n'pickles), they don't have that kind of stuff there. Full bar in the back.

West Oakland BART lot? Recommend you review your vehicle's insurance coverage.

Weekend, straight shot, no issues, less than 45 minutes from pier to terminal. From there pad in check-in, security, and dash to gate. Plenty of time if off the boat by 8ish. Good luck!

Another BART option would be to park at one of the off-site SFO parking lots. You'll have to shlep your luggage on/off the parking shuttle at the SFO BART station.

There's a couple of Safeway's and other grocery stores in the area; you'll need to enter your address and to a search. In case you didn't know the Mt. Davidson area is hilly.