San Francisco is known as the city where everyone can find the charm they love. Combining relaxation with artistic imagination, it has one of the most creative cityscapes in America. It has the artistic charm of the city and the laid-back vibe of the west coast with a lifestyle and culture that has everything. The Bay Area is home to several large cities in addition to San Francisco, and often the names San Fran and Silicon Valley appear in reference to the greater San Francisco Metro area. San Francisco is a city in Northern California, along the Pacific Coast. It is the only city-county in California. San Francisco and San Fran denote the same city. The Bay Area refers to the extended metropolitan area of San Francisco, which includes San Francisco and other cities and counties that surround it. This area is divided into five sectors, including San Francisco, the Peninsula, South Bay, North Bay, and East Bay. California’s Santa Clara Valley, which is known as Silicon Valley, is considered to be a prominent center of technology across the globe. It is not just one city but a group of cities, with the center being the South Bay. What to do in San Francisco Three key areas of the city Being the tourist capital of Northern California, San Francisco can be covered in three major parts: At the center is the downtown area, with the bustling Union Square and the Financial District, which is regarded as the West Coast’s Wall Street. To the northeast, across downtown, is the Fisherman’s Wharf region, a must-see for first-time tourists. This is also where boats leave for the now-closed high-security prison turned tourist site: Alcatraz Island. The Golden Gate Bridge and Haight-Ashbury (the original hippie center) districts are also staples of any San Francisco holiday. The City and Beyond Wine lovers must visit Napa Valley, one of the finest wine-producing areas in the USA. For tall trees, visit either Muir Woods National Monument, the Redwood National and State Parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, or Yosemite National Park. For beautiful scenery, go to Lake Tahoe and Angel Island. If you’re into techno stuff, a trip to Silicon Valley is a must. Stanford University and Googleplex are two of the most famous educational and tech sites there, making it worth combining it with a trip to San Francisco. Before you go Tipping Culture Like most Californian cities, many service workers in San Francisco are immigrants from Asia and Latin America. These jobs can be extremely stressful and tip culture has been introduced, with 15-20% of the total bill being regular practice. Tips for dinner will be higher than lunch, and may be even higher for some service industries other than restaurants. When paying close attention to the bill, some restaurants might include gratuity already. Getting here With three airports, San Francisco and the Bay Area have plenty of access. Most visitors flying into San Francisco will use San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The East Bay is served by Oakland Airport;
and San Jose Airport serves the South Bay. SFO has four terminals and a free AirTrain service that operates 24 hours a day. From the airport, visitors can take public transportation (including rail service to the city), an airport shuttle, a taxi, or other options. Tips for getting from the airport to downtown: 1. Uber/Lyft: US$40 under normal conditions, but this can increase to US$60-80 at peak times. 2. Taxi: US$45-65 plus 15% tip. Be careful about overcharging. 3. BART: You can board at Level 3 of the International Terminal. The ride to downtown takes approximately 30 minutes and costs about US$10. In San Francisco, BART stops at Civic Center, Union Plaza, Powell St, Montgomery St, and Embarcadero. The Powell St stop is closest to Union Square. 4. Shared Van: When leaving Level 3 of the International Terminal, look for Door to Door Van. These vans usually have between seven and eight passengers and charge about US$17 to downtown. A tip of 10% is customary, so have some small bills ready. Getting around locally Getting around locally is through San Francisco's main local transit network known as Muni. There are around 80 routes that allow you to access most of the city. Muni bus, cable car, light rail, and historic streetcar services are included. Also, some routes are open 24/7. Because of this, San Francisco is one of the few major cities on the West Coast where travelers can navigate the urban core just with public transportation.
How to ride: Boarding must be done by paying in cash or with a clipper card, which is a transit card used in the Bay Area and works on the BART, Muni, Caltrain, and the Golden Gate Regional Buses. Muni riders can make unlimited transfers within 90 minutes of their original ride. This is excluded to transfers with cable cars. For cash riders, you must request a fare receipt from the driver to transfer within the 90-minute window.
Muni Metro and Light Rail
The Muni Metro and Light Rail have six main lines that are the J, K, L, M, N, and T. A one-way cash fare is $2.75.
Muni Buses
Most popular routes have a bus coming every 10 minutes. Less popular routes will have a bus come every 20 to 30 minutes. Bus fare is $2.75. Use Google Maps, Next Bus, San Francisco Public Transport or any app relevant to check bus times.
Cable Cars
There are three main cable cars that are used for crossing the Oakland Bay Bridge. These are Powell to Hyde (passes Lombard St), Powell to Mason (ends at Fisherman’s Wharf), and the Californian St line. The first two are especially popular with visitors. Historic Streetcar The vintage streetcar service started in San Francisco back in 1962, giving it a history of over 60 years. As of now, just the F and E lines are still in service. The unique designs of the streetcars are an attraction by themselves. Most tourists take the F line, which goes from Fisherman’s Wharf to The Castro. This route goes by all the important attractions like the Ferry Building, City Hall, and Union Square. by GreatPretender by GreatPretender Uber & Lyft Ride-hailing in San Francisco is fairly easy and is usually the best travel option if you're short on time. UberPOOL and Lyft Line are shared services that can be cheaper, however, Uber’s shared rides only go within the city. Driving For trips outside of San Francisco, driving is the best option. The major rental companies are Hertz, Alamo, Avis, and Enterprise. You can make reservations on their websites or apps, or on Zipcar and Zuzuche, which may be cheaper. In the last few years, Kyte has also become a popular rental option in North America. by Eight Banners Descendants Required documents: Present a valid international driving permit. If you hold a driver’s license issued by China, you must have an officially certified translation. A passport, credit card in the driver's name, and other pertinent details must be provided.
For information on driving and car rental in the USA, click below.
U.S. Car Rental and Road Trip Q&A
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Guide
San Francisco on Screen
San Francisco was named one of the ten most charming cities in the USA. Its charm comes from its diverse culture and stunning natural surroundings. It is a popular location for filmmakers, and over 100 productions have been shot in the city. Some of these include:
Golden Gate Bridge: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Pacific Rim, San Andreas
Redwood National Park: Planet of the Apes
Palace of Fine Arts: The Rock
Alcatraz: Escape from Alcatraz, Birdman of Alcatraz, X-Men: The Last Stand
Chinatown: Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx
Transamerica Pyramid: Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness
Union Square: Zodiac
