How useful is a car to visit San Francisco?
I'm travelling to SF in February and would like to hire a car at some point to drive out-with the city, however I'll be staying in a hotel in the middle of the city and the hotel change $30 a night to valet park the car.
How easy is it to get around SF without a car? and ho easy is it to get parked in the city?
TLDR: Is it worth hiring a car for my week long journey, or should I just hire on on the days I'm likely to need it?
Best Answer
TL;DR: Hire only on the days you're likely to need it.
You'll almost certainly want a car if you want to get out of the city (Marin, Santa Cruz, Napa, redwoods etc), but if all you're doing is exploring the city, a car is unlikely to be worth the hassle. Getting around the city center with a combination of public transport, Uber and your own feet is easy, and virtually all major attractions in the SF/Oakland/Berkeley area are reachable by public transport.
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Do you need a car when visiting San Francisco?
While most major cities in the United States offer some kind of public transit system, San Francisco has hands down one of the best! An intricate network of trains, buses, street cars, bikes and those world-famous cable cars will get you almost anywhere you want to go in the Bay Area.Is it better to rent a car or use public transportation in San Francisco?
Choosing to rent a car in San Francisco will mostly depend on your selected itinerary. Renting a car can be expensive, especially after you include the cost of parking. If you are staying in the city, public transportation is likely your best option. But you will need a car if you plan to venture outside of the city.Is San Francisco car friendly?
Fortunately, the city has dependable public transportation that makes every San Francisco neighborhood accessible. The network of Muni buses and trains, cable cars, and streetcars makes getting around San Francisco a breeze. And it is environment-friendly, too!How do you get around when visiting San Francisco?
The best ways to get around San Francisco are on foot and by using public transportation. Most of the popular attractions are within walking distance of the city center, and the large municipal transportation system (called the Muni) operates bus and streetcar lines, leaving little need for your own set of wheels.10 MUST KNOW TIPS Before Visiting San Francisco
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Answer 2
Last time we toured the Bay Area, we rented a car at SFO and drove to and stayed in the outlying areas (San Jose, Napa, and Monterey) before we explored downtown SF. Once we returned to SF, we returned the rental car to the airport, took transit back to our hotel, and "finished" our vacation.
Like any other major city, getting around by car is an exercise in futility having to worry about parking (and then paying for parking).
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