![]() It comes with some restrictions on baggage, seating, boarding order and your eligibility to change. in addition to the buses, trams, cable cars I mention above, there are also ferries ( Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay) and the commuter Caltrain to San José - all extend your options for accommodation way beyond downtown and will give a more authentic San Fran experience.American Airlines' basic economy is the carrier's lowest-priced main cabin fare. Good luck with accommodation - it will be pricey! As I said, you are better off out of Union Square where most of the downtown hotels are concentrated, it is overpriced and cheek by jowl with San Francisco's netherworld, make use of the public transport network and look at places further out, if you want close to downtown, stay north of Market St (aside from the Tenderloin area). I haven't been to Portland, but I have been to Seattle (and there was a very nice tea shop with whole wall of Barry's tea hidden in Pike Market behind the over-rated "original" Starbucks - the true original was burnt out, what you see is a facsimile!) - the Underground tour is worth doing (though it may be a smidge risqué as it deals with the Seattle underbelly) as is the Boeing Museum of Flight and the - those two are in totally opposite directions so you need to plan them on separate days. Oh and the pre-order meal on the return flight was certainly pleasant and I think worth it and so many others without even leaving the city! Of course there is also the Presido, Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Coit Tower (erected in tribute to the fire fighters), Lombard Street, Nob Hill, MOMA, Twin Peaks, the Castro, Haight-Ashbury. Also visit North Beach, especially for the Italian restaurants. Chinatown is a must visit for the sights, sounds and smells of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and stop off at Old St Mary's - one of the few buildings left standing after the 1906 earthquake. Stop by the Ferry Building and wander the fantastic food market they have there - you'll find no shortage of places to eat in San Francisco. Pier 39 is a bit touristy and can be very packed in summer but it is still worth visiting and the ferry to Alcatraz leaves from nearby - remember to book that one well in advance as it books out. It is delicious and you have to try a chowder in a bread bowl for a real SF experience. Visit the Boudin Bakery down on Pier 39 to see the iconic SF bread being made. The Powell Hyde and Powell Mason lines are usually busier but it is fun to do both - especially downhill! A trip on the cable cars is of course a must (though it is quite a pricey one!) but do the F-Market street car too. There are three cable car lines and they are not quite the same (a different style of car runs on the California line). Another freebie is the Cable Car Museum, you can wander in and watch the cables being driven around the city and find out about the history and workings of the cars. The very friendly volunteers that are building it are happy to give you a personal tour and it is fascinating to watch the work in progress. If you are there before April 1st head over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, there is a tall ship under construction there and it is free to wander in and have a look (though they are happy to receive donations!). ![]() The cable cars are much more expensive than the other options (though definitely a must do!). The local travel card is the Clipper card, an adult card is $3 for the card itself and you top up like the Leap card. There are also the cable cars, the street trams, an extensive bus network and the BART available (though that can be a bit rough across on the East Bay). Try finding somewhere along one of the MUNI lines so you have good access to the city. ![]() It is cheek by jowl with the hotels down town so I would suggest booking a place to stay out of the city. I didn't encounter much by way of aggression and I saw very little that made me feel unsafe or threatened but it is not pleasant or comfortable to witness such appalling destitution and mental health issues playing out in public. It was appalling around the Civic Centre and in the Tenderloin district (which you are best off steering clear of anyway). From the areas I saw, it was very noticeable down Market Street and around Union Square. ![]() I've been there before but I think it is worse now. Though if you think Dublin has a homelessness problem it is dwarfed by the situation in San Fran. San Francisco is a wonderful city with so much to see and do.
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