Overnight in San Fransisco

[Vineyard View]

You couldn't pay me to spend a day in Ensenada.

[leongcpa]

San Francisco, my hometown, in my humble opinion, is the most beautiful city in the world. I have an office in the financial district, and the weather is gorgeous today. I have lived in the city 30+ years, ridden the MUNI as a child/teenager/adult, ridden the BART system, dine out almost daily in the City, and have never had any problems. There may be crime, but no more than any other major metropolitan area. Don't listen to Faux News..... San Francisco is a fantastic city to live in or visit....

Edited December 30, 2016 by leongcpa

[ducklite]

Although I am not a resident, I have been visiting San Francisco for business and pleasure on a regular basis. It is a beautiful city with an amazing history. The microclimates are fascinating--and many believe they have a lot to do with why sourdough bread tastes different in San Francisco than anywhere else. Yes, some parts are not so nice, a few are downright gritty and even dirty, but show me any major city in the world that doesn't have it's grime and crime.

 

While it isn't my favorite city in the world, it is my favorite in the US--and I have been to all of them except those in AK and HI. There is a good chance that we will be living in the Bay Area within the next two years. While our budget will probably drive us to the edges of Marin County, I would love to live in SF proper.

 

 

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[Action Dave]

this is a long way off 10/2018 but can someone recommend a moderately priced hotel near the pier?:)

[Action Dave]

I love these posts. Cruising the Panama Canal in Oct 2018 cant wait.

I believe its important to be aware of my surrounding but i will not live in fear. San Francisco in my experience and I have been there many times. An absolutely beautiful city and I dont think i would stay on the ship.. to much to see and do. We Embark from San Francisco and plan on a couple days there before.

[Tara Jane]

this is a long way off 10/2018 but can someone recommend a moderately priced hotel near the pier?:)

 

We have been recommended by friends who live a couple of hours out to stay in the Marina area. We have booked the cow hollow motor inn for 4 nights on their website at 513 USA $ a room. There are several sister hotels one of which I would have preferred location wise but one of our group needs a walk in shower so it limits us.

One thing to note is that the hotels I enquired from all have shower over the bath even in disabled rooms - crazy but factual. I did ask why they are classified as disabled rooms and the answer was because they can fit a wheelchair in the room.

The one I preferred was the colombus by memory, it was closer to fisherman's wharf. We will be there 28 March so can let you know how we find cow hollow.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Tara Jane

[Tara Jane]

Can anyone recommend which hop on hop off bus to use in San Francisco?

We will be overnight on the ship and then staying 4 extra nights in the Marina district. As we are all getting on in years 60s and 70s we won't be going at 100 miles an hour. I am thinking of the 3 day ticket which includes a night tour. My hesitation is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of stops and so there will still be a lot of walking from each stop to the sights.

Thinking along the lines of day ship arrives, wander around ship area and fishermans wharf.

Day of disembarking, men going to alcatraz. The women get a taxi with luggage to our hotel to check in and leave luggage. Then we will be off via bus to macey's.

3 days of hop on hop off

last day we fly out at 9 pm so basically an extra day leaving luggage at hotel and collecting then shuttle to airport. We will be a group of 6, are there the equivalent of what we call maxi taxis? I realise you have uber but don't think that would work for us as any phone calls i make will go via Australia first so will be quite costly. I never use the phone for calls when overseas, just use messenger and viber, and we won't be in San Fran long enough to bother about getting a USA sim etc.

[dkata]

You're missing the most quintessential tourist thing to do in SF and that is the cable cars. Cost is $7 pp one way unless you have a day or multi-day MUNI pass. From the wharf area (powell and Hyde) or Powell and Mason streets) you can take the cable car that goes to Union Square where Macy's is located.

 

Sit on the outside up front and hang on as the cable car goes up and down the steep streets or sit inside and watch the gripman work to use the grips to catch the underground cable that pulls the cable car up the hills.

[ducklite]

We have been recommended by friends who live a couple of hours out to stay in the Marina area. We have booked the cow hollow motor inn for 4 nights on their website at 513 USA $ a room. There are several sister hotels one of which I would have preferred location wise but one of our group needs a walk in shower so it limits us.

One thing to note is that the hotels I enquired from all have shower over the bath even in disabled rooms - crazy but factual. I did ask why they are classified as disabled rooms and the answer was because they can fit a wheelchair in the room.

The one I preferred was the colombus by memory, it was closer to fisherman's wharf. We will be there 28 March so can let you know how we find cow hollow.

 

 

 

We stayed at the Fairmont on Nob Hill. I am almost certain they had both a tub and a walk in shower. They might be an option for you. Great views!

 

 

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[ducklite]

Can anyone recommend which hop on hop off bus to use in San Francisco?

 

We will be overnight on the ship and then staying 4 extra nights in the Marina district. As we are all getting on in years 60s and 70s we won't be going at 100 miles an hour. I am thinking of the 3 day ticket which includes a night tour. My hesitation is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of stops and so there will still be a lot of walking from each stop to the sights.

 

Thinking along the lines of day ship arrives, wander around ship area and fishermans wharf.

 

Day of disembarking, men going to alcatraz. The women get a taxi with luggage to our hotel to check in and leave luggage. Then we will be off via bus to macey's.

 

3 days of hop on hop off

 

last day we fly out at 9 pm so basically an extra day leaving luggage at hotel and collecting then shuttle to airport. We will be a group of 6, are there the equivalent of what we call maxi taxis? I realise you have uber but don't think that would work for us as any phone calls i make will go via Australia first so will be quite costly. I never use the phone for calls when overseas, just use messenger and viber, and we won't be in San Fran long enough to bother about getting a USA sim etc.

 

 

 

Forget Macy's. It isn't all that. Go to Alcatraz, it's fascinating.

 

Uber is an ap, no phone calls required. Find WiFi and get an Uber XL.

 

 

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Edited January 26, 2017 by ducklite

[Tara Jane]

Ok thank you.

Dare I admit I have no idea what an ap is??? I have a 3G phone, will have to visit my optus store here in Australia to see if it will work in USA>

[ducklite]

Ok thank you.

Dare I admit I have no idea what an ap is??? I have a 3G phone, will have to visit my optus store here in Australia to see if it will work in USA>

 

It's a phone app. You download it from the app store. Your phone will work on WiFi which is all you need to run the app.

 

In all honesty if this is too confusing, just take a taxi.

[slidergirl]

We stayed at the Fairmont on Nob Hill. I am almost certain they had both a tub and a walk in shower. They might be an option for you. Great views!

 

 

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If they are looking at motels like the Cow Hollow, I doubt a downtown hotel like the Fairmont is within their budget, as one night in the lowest category room at the Fairmont is what the OP has listed as what they are paying for their entire stay ;)

[ducklite]

The Divic Center Holiday Inn has rooms suitable for wheelchairs with roll in showers.

 

 

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[Philob]

The Divic Center Holiday Inn has rooms suitable for wheelchairs with roll in showers.

 

Unfortunately its not in the best of areas of the city. It's an up and coming neighborhood, Mid-Market, but needs a few more years to ripen.

 

The local street people on the other hand are pretty fermented and ripe already :rolleyes:

[Tara Jane]

Thanks everyone, we are happy with cow hollow, too many cruises booked this year to be able to splurge!!! cow hollow does have walk in shower that's why we chose it over the other closer to fisherman's wharf places.

[Action Dave]

Can anyone recommend a hotel in SF. Moderately priced.:)