Tips for Visiting San Francisco on a Budget
- Avoid busy times, not only the obvious summer vacations and holidays, but also anytime there's a big convention in town
- Try leaving the car at home, especially if you live in the Bay Area and can take public transportation. You'll save parking fees and aggravation and get a chance to enjoy the city on foot.
- If you've been to San Francisco before, think about doing something different. Stay in a different area, go to the MIssion for dinner or follow a street you've never been on.
Best Bites
Pacific Cafe (7000 Geary Blvd at 34th), far from the "tourist" San Francisco, has served fresh seafood, simply prepared for over 25 years. Crawl through the crowd in the small waiting area to put your name on the list as soon as you arrive, collect a complimentary glass of wine and strike up a conversation while you wait, a pleasure almost as great as the meal itself. Portions are large (we always carry half our meal home), so save by sharing one entree. To get there, drive west on Geary toward the Cliff House and look for the restaurant on your right. You'll find a free parking lot a block up street.Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe (566 Columbus Ave), a narrow, triangular-shaped space at the corner of Columbus and Union Streets serves sandwiches big enough for two. Try grilled eggplant on focaccia bread or opt for a thin-crust pizza instead.
A big brunch should hold you until dinner time. Buy a Sunday newspaper and read along with the locals in line at Mama's on Washington Square (1701 Stockton at Filbert), who line up for French toast and "m'omlettes," or drive west on California Street to Presidio, where you'll find Ella's, where the weekly brunch menu includes items such as a bacon scramble with brie and chives or a sausage omelette with grilled eggplant, black olives and fontina.
Cut meal costs by heading to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market (Market at Embarcadero) on Saturday morning to pick up some fruit, artisan bread, handmade cheeses or other items for a picnic lunch or in-room breakfast.
Dine About Town San Francisco's annual dining event, Dine About Town is usually held in late January. Bay Area favorites such as Absinthe, Chaya Brasserie, Fior d'Italia and Universal Cafe offer three-course lunches and dinners for reduced, fixed prices.
Where to Stay
Check our recommended hotels and area campgrounds.You can keep the cost of your San Francisco getaway in check and you won't have to stay in a dump, but you will have to do some work. Use the "Hotels in a Known Area" section of our guide to finding a place to stay in San Francisco, cheap, and you should be able to get a four-star hotel near Union Square for the price of a low-end motel, as long as there are no major conventions or events in town that take up all the rooms.
Parking at most nice San Francisco hotels can cost $40 per night or more. Drop off the bags at the front door, skip the valet and park yourself in a city-run parking garage for a more reasonable rate.
What to Do
You'll find plenty of things to do in San Francisco for free, and if you're a people-watcher, you can indulge yourself all day long at Fisherman's Wharf or seated outside a North Beach Cafe.Walking is always free, too. Try our favorite San Francisco walks, pick up a copy of Stairway Walks of San Francisco, or just strike out on your own.
Instead of taking an expensive bay cruise, just take a ferry ride to Sausalito instead. They leave from Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building.
Getting To San Francisco
Driving? San Francisco is 87 miles from Sacramento, 385 miles from Los Angeles and about 200 miles from Lake Tahoe.Flying? The nearest airports are San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK). Check airfares.
What Do You Think?
Poll:What do you think of San Francisco as a vacation destination?Yuck! | OK | Good | Awesome!
See what other visitors think about San Francisco
