From Betsy Malloy,
Your Guide to California Travel.
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You may leave your heart in San Francisco, but you don't have to leave your life savings here too. Here are some ideas to keep ways to keep the cost of your trip under control.

• Shop Around for Airfare: Check fares for all three area airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC). Oakland is closer to the city than San Jose, but you can get transportation into San Francisco from either one.

• Don't Rent a Car: San Francisco is a small city (49 square miles) and most of the tourist attractions are located in about a third of it. Parking is hard to find and driving in the city traffic can ruin the best of moods. To make matters worse, many of the centrally located hotels charge for parking. Use public transportation, walk and take taxis instead. If you want to go out of the city on a day trip, rent a car for a day at a car rental agency that has a city office.

• Choose an inexpensive hotel or stay at a hostel: If you don't mind the communal nature of a hostel, they're very cheap, and some have private rooms. They are also sometimes inconveniently located, so ask questions when you make your reservation or locate them on a map.

• Get a Discount Admission Card: The CityPass includes a seven-day Muni Pass for unlimited rides on cable cars, light rail and city buses. You also get admission to various attractions, and a San Francisco Bay Cruise. Be sure you're interested in enough of the attractions and activities to make it cost-effective. Save time and order in advance from Viator.com. The Go San Francisco Card comes in 3, 5 and 7-day versions and offers a lot of choices for things to do.

• Buy a Muni Passport: The Muni Passport is good for unlimited travel on cable cars, streetcars and buses, an offers discounts on many area attractions (usually $1 to $2 off).

• Free Attractions: You can't get much cheaper than this. Some of the things you can see for free include Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Golden Gate Park (some of the park's attractions charge admission, but getting into the park is free). City Guides tours are always free.

• Do Lunch (or not): If you want to try an expensive restaurant, their lunch prices are often lower than dinner. Or, (this is one of my favorite strategies) get a really cheap lunch and spend most of your meal budget for dinner.