# San Francisco \[travel advice\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813 "2019-03-31T18:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/41 "2019-04-02T19:48:20Z")
Oh yeah, we saw \*Rent \*in San Francisco too. Great show. We got to see if for free for volunteering as ushers for a mid-week show. That same week we went to some event in Golden Gate park and the cast was there doing promos or something, performing a few songs from the show. Very cool. We also saw \*Cabaret \*which was amazing as well, but we literally had the worst seats in the house - balcony, last row, upper corner, near the fire exit. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/42 "2019-04-02T19:56:19Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I live in San Francisco and I agree with this. When friends visit, I usually take them to the most obvious tourist attractions. They always enjoy it, and I love becoming a tourist in my own city. > > Recently a friend and I took the [SF Love Tour](https://sanfranciscolovetours.com/), and it was an absolute blast. When I lived there, a bunch of B.A.D.'s (Bay Area Dopers) got together on a weekend afternoon just for the hell of it and we decided to take a tour of Alcatraz. Unfortunately, we found out that you needed to make a reservation ahead of time, or wait incredibly long (I don’t know if its still like that) so we bailed and took a tour of the sub that used to be moored near there. It could still be there. It was the same sub they used in the movie Down Periscope (1996), starring Kelsey Grammar. It was fun being a tourist like that knowing that I could just take the Muni home. Goddamn it I miss that city! Sorry, I’ll stop multi-posting now. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/43 "2019-04-02T20:11:29Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Just be sure you get on the right “subway.” There are two of them - BART, the “heavy rail” subway, doesn’t go to the Castro; MUNI Metro, the city’s light rail system (which runs underground on Market street; it uses the same entrances as the BART stations) does. Yep, I should have mentioned that. Pay attention - If you have a Clipper Card and accidentally go through the wrong turnstile, good luck asking for a refund. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/44 "2019-04-02T22:45:12Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > When I lived there, a bunch of B.A.D.'s (Bay Area Dopers) got together on a weekend afternoon just for the hell of it and we decided to take a tour of Alcatraz. Unfortunately, we found out that you needed to make a reservation ahead of time, or wait incredibly long (I don’t know if its still like that) so we bailed and took a tour of the sub that used to be moored near there. It could still be there. It was the same sub they used in the movie Down Periscope (1996), starring Kelsey Grammar. It was fun being a tourist like that knowing that I could just take the Muni home. > > Goddamn it I miss that city! > > Sorry, I’ll stop multi-posting now. It is still there. You can pay to get on, which I didn’t do. I’m doing SF walks from a deck of flash cards, one of which was down the Embarcadero and past this. (And the great arcade also.) Now that I’m over 65 I have a Clipper Card for geezers which gives you about 2/3 off, so taking the BART from Fremont becomes affordable. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/45 "2019-04-02T23:11:55Z")
And then there are the bad memories. I worked in Fremont for a little while and I didn’t have a car. My daily commute was to walk five blocks to the Muni station and take that downtown to switch to BART to get Fremont where I got off and caught a bus which dropped me off five blocks from where I worked. And back. Uphill. Both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/46 "2019-04-02T23:25:03Z")
A lot of people complain about Muni, and it isn’t perfect. But, man, it’s easy to get around the city. I’m lucky, though, to live half a block from an L-Taraval stop. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/47 "2019-04-03T12:52:13Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Now that I’m over 65 I have a Clipper Card for geezers which gives you about 2/3 off, so taking the BART from Fremont becomes affordable. I was considering adding in my post that it’s the _only_ way you can get the geezer fare on BART (Which can be a substantial difference if you’re coming from say, Fremont or Richmond) but figured it was cluttered up enough already. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/48 "2019-04-03T19:06:38Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I was considering adding in my post that it’s the _only_ way you can get the geezer fare on BART (Which can be a substantial difference if you’re coming from say, Fremont or Richmond) but figured it was cluttered up enough already. It takes too long for a visitor to get anyway. I investigated getting something similar in New York, and it would have arrived about the time I left. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/49 "2019-04-03T19:51:00Z")
Clipper card is also $3 just to get the physical card. Better off loading a disposable card with what you need for the trip. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Just be sure you get on the right “subway.” There are two of them - BART, the “heavy rail” subway, doesn’t go to the Castro; MUNI Metro, the city’s light rail system (which runs underground on Market street; it uses the same entrances as the BART stations) does. The key is BART lines are color coded, MUNI trains use letters + the main street (e.g. J Church) for the lines, buses use numbers (sometimes with an R for “rapid” or X for “eXpress” attached), and cable cars use the name. From downtown to Castro, there are several trains you can take that go that way, they don’t split until later. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/50 "2019-04-03T20:43:45Z")
Just wanted to add if not already mentioned: - Big Sur is around 3.5 hours drive one-way from SF if you are hugging the coast going thru Santa Cruz (I would recommend for your southbound leg, since you will be on the “right” side of the road for all the scenery). Going back to SF you can take hwy 101. I hope you are planning to stay down near Monterey or in Big Sur at least one night and not thinking you can make a day-trip out of it - you will be driving most of the day if you do that and it can get exhausting. - Ferry Bldg/Plaza - Farmers Market on Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays. Look for the long line at the trailer serving the Porchetta sandwiches - get in the queue - you will not be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/51 "2019-04-03T21:24:53Z")
**Moderator Note** Thread title edited to more clearly indicate the topic. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/52 "2019-04-04T15:32:43Z")
Hey, this is great. Thank you very much. We fly in Monday, fly out Friday. We fly into San Jose, and will go south to Big Sur, take that in, spend the night in Carmel, then up to San Francisco. We will be there the rest of the time, and have to be in the city Wednesday night for Hamilton. We are going to take in Muir Woods. Some want to do a day trip to Yosemite, is that a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/53 "2019-04-04T15:41:26Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Hey, this is great. Thank you very much. We fly in Monday, fly out Friday. We fly into San Jose, and will go south to Big Sur, take that in, spend the night in Carmel, then up to San Francisco. We will be there the rest of the time, and have to be in the city Wednesday night for Hamilton. We are going to take in Muir Woods. Some want to do a day trip to Yosemite, is that a good idea. There’s no possible way you can take in Yosemite in one day, and most of the day will be spent in travel to it. Also, I believe the feds are now restricting travel in and to the park, so if you do go, be sure to check on the need for reservations, etc. You won’t exhaust the sights & sounds of Yosemite valley alone in a week. Some people take backpacking trips out of the valley for weeks at a time. Don’t get too ambitious and miss everything! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/54 "2019-04-04T15:44:02Z")
A day trip to Yosemite is doable, but it’s gonna be a long, long (long) day. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/55 "2019-04-04T15:52:31Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > We are going to take in Muir Woods. Some want to do a day trip to Yosemite, is that a good idea. You can go there for a day trip, but be aware that there’s quite a bit of snow there now. Your ability to get around inside the park could be limited. Tioga Road, one of the main routes through the park, is closed, and I suspect a lot of hiking trails are also closed. You can get to Yosemite Valley, which is beautiful even when covered with snow. The trip itself is scenic. It takes about three hours each way, so you’d be spending quite a bit of time in the car, but you’d probably enjoy the sights along the way. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/56 "2019-04-04T16:19:28Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > It takes too long for a visitor to get anyway. I investigated getting something similar in New York, and it would have arrived about the time I left. Don’t know about NYC but there are [locations](https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/map.do) (Walgreens, Whole Foods, and the transit offices) in the Bay Area where you can get a Clipper Card on the spot. > [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Clipper card is also $3 just to get the physical card. Better off loading a disposable card with what you need for the trip. I don’t know if the retailers charge $3 or not. I got mine ordering it online (the only way you can get a geezer card) and the fee was waived. Ordinary People can get the fee waived by activating the auto-load feature that will put cash on the card when it drops below $10. Your paper ticket is good only on BART while Clipper is good on almost everything. In any event, it is too late for the OP if he’s leaving on Monday; he should hit up Walgreen’s instead. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/57 "2019-04-04T16:37:40Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Don’t know about NYC but there are [locations](https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/map.do) (Walgreens, Whole Foods, and the transit offices) in the Bay Area where you can get a Clipper Card on the spot. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t you buy a Clipper card at the BART station at San Francisco Airport? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/58 "2019-04-04T16:42:44Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Your paper ticket is good only on BART while Clipper is good on almost everything. As I understand it, cash loaded onto a Clipper card is usable on any participating transit system. But if you link the Clipper card with a credit card (AKA Autoload), the source of funding may not be associated with all the transit systems. For example, my Clipper card works on BART, but won’t get me onto MUNI. I think it would be best for **dauerbach** to load the card with cash rather than associate it with a credit card. Of course, you’ll want to be careful not to load too much cash onto the card, or you’ll be stuck with unspent funds when you go home. This bit of absurdity was brought to you by the Bay Area’s balkanized transit agencies. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/59 "2019-04-04T16:49:21Z")
[Here](https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/map.do) is a map showing where you can buy Clipper cards. It shows that you can buy them at the information booths in each terminal at SFO. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813/60 "2019-04-04T19:28:26Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Don’t know about NYC but there are [locations](https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/map.do) (Walgreens, Whole Foods, and the transit offices) in the Bay Area where you can get a Clipper Card on the spot.I don’t know if the retailers charge $3 or not. I got mine ordering it online (the only way you can get a geezer card) and the fee was waived. Ordinary People can get the fee waived by activating the auto-load feature that will put cash on the card when it drops below $10. Your paper ticket is good only on BART while Clipper is good on almost everything. > > In any event, it is too late for the OP if he’s leaving on Monday; he should hit up Walgreen’s instead. Getting the cards is easy. I got a MetroPass in NY. Getting one with the discount is what takes the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/san-francisco-travel-advice/831813.md?page=4)