San Francisco on a Budget

Location, LOCATION, LOCATION! This alone can save you quite a bit of money. If you’re flying to the city (SFO or the Oakland airport) you might consider a downtown hotel located near Union Square. Since you don’t have a car, you won’t have to pay a nightly garage fee to have your car parked at your hotel.

If you’re driving, consider a motel on Lombard Street also known as Motel Row. Some of these properties are fairly expensive but there are a couple which are quite reasonable. Most of them do not charge extra for parking – call and check this out. (Do not rely on the internet information – talk to someone at the hotel directly.) I once booked a room in SF and the website – a third party site – said free parking. Not so and when I arrived very late in the evening I had to argue to get free valet parking. As it turned out, I had to actually drive to a lot almost a block away and walk back to my hotel. Not something a woman alone likes to do in a big city at midnight.

Wherever you’re staying, ask about their extras. Many hotels and motels offer free breakfast and this will save a money also.

Another good thing about the motels on Lombard Sstreet is the location of a major bus line. The 30 and the 30 Express bus runs frequently on Chestnut Street, which is one block from Lombard Street. This express bus doesn’t stop as often so when you board, check to see if it stops at your destination. This line runs near Ghiradelli Square, and downtown to Union Square. Be sure to ask for a transfer so you can ride on the cable car or another bus line at no extra cost.

If you stay (on Lombard Street) between Divisadero and Filmore Streets, walk down to Chestnut, grab a snack at an deli or cookies from a bakery and enjoy browsing through the various shops. On Lombard Street itself, you’ll find a good selection of coffee shops for breakfast and lunch.

If you drive into the city, park your car until you leave. With parking rates very high, you’ll save money by taking the buses, cable cars and taxi cabs. When there are four of you or more, a taxi is less expensive than taking the bus. (You will need the car for trips outside the city – Sausalito in Marin County, the wine country, or the Livermore Valley wine country.)

A few free things to enjoy –

Golden Gate Park, 3 museums, Stowe Lake, and a huge park to enjoy. Some things have a fee but much of the park costs nothing. Stop in at the Japanese Tea Garden and enjoy a cup of tea. (On my last visit, nothing to walk through the Tea Garden.) You might also enjoy a picnic lunch if you visit a deli and buy sandwiches and drinks to take with you.

Coit Tower – the last I visited it (ok, looong time ago) there was no charge to walk around and inside the tower. You might double check at your hotel/motel desk if this is still true.

The Palace of Fine Arts is lovely but I’m not sure the structure has been renovated and is safe for touring. I used to have my elementary school field “art” trips there every year – I went to a grammar school nearby.

Grab the cable car (either downtown on Powell Street near Union Square, or, at Fisherman’s Wharf (you’ll need a transfer or have to pay for the ride-remember ask for a transfer if it’s your first bus ride of the day) and ride it to the top – get off near the Fairmont Hotel and the Top of the Mark. While you might want to go in and have a drink, you can also just walk through the lobby of the Fairmont, one of the oldest and most magnificent hotels in the world. (A drink at sunset at the Top of the Mark would be beautiful.) You might consider going from there to the B of A building (Bank of America Building) and take the elevator to the top which is 52 stores off the ground. If you want to have a drink (or dinner) there at the Carnelian Room, check before you go – the guys in your group might need to be wearing a suit and tie. Again, dusk and evening hours are wonderful because of the view.

Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf are all free to walk around, visit the shops and “people watch.” However, if you dine there, you’ll pay higher prices than restaurants away from the tourist areas. A reasonable Italian restaurant, Caesar’s is located at Bay and Powell is very good for lunch or dinner. It is noisy so it’s not suggested for a quiet, romantic dinner.

Walking through North Beach (the old Italian section of town) and Chinatown are great ways to learn about the city. Enjoy a snack (I suggest the foccaia) at one of the Italian bakeries in North Beach. Also, while in North Beach, tour the magnificent St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church – my parents and other family members got married there. Check out Old St. Mary’s Church, and if you’re nearby, tour the very modern, St. Mary’s Cathedral on Van Ness Avenue. It’s the white structure with a cross that towers over part of Van Ness Avenue. I was in a wedding there several years ago.

There are restaurants on Geary and other non-tourist areas which are reasonable. A few weeks ago a friend and I had a very good dinner at an Italian pizzeria on Clement St. (Sorry, don’t recall the name) With salad, entrÃ?©e, tip and beverage, our dinner was less than $20 total. Again, most of the coffee shops on Lombard Street are reasonable – Mel’s Diner is one of my favorites for breakfast.

Don’t forget the beach – you can walk along the water and if you’re brave, and the weather is decent, you can dip your toes into the chilly water. You might have a drink at the Cliff House, a San Francisco landmark. Be sure to catch the sea lions basking in the sun on the rocks nearby.

Save some money by incorporating your “Bay Cruise” with a trip to Alcatraz Island, the famous prison located in San Francisco Bay. You can only reach the island by taking a boat (ferry) so you can enjoy a short cruise going and coming from your tour. I suggest taking the “dusk” or “sunset” tour because they limit the amount of people for the day’s final tour to about 350 instead of several thousand. It’s also very fitting because you arrive in daylight, but leave after dark, so you’re touring the inside of the prison as it gets dark and dreary. (And, your boat ride back to SF will be at night, giving you another experience on the bay. You need to be fairly fit to walk the paved roads between the various sections of Alcatraz but they do provide transportation for those who need it. You need advance reservations and I had no problem obtaining them online. Your tour will include individual headsets during the tour inside the jail.

Pac Bell Park where the SF Giants (baseball) is worth a peek if you have the time and there is no game. Please check on availability and the price of tours. I was there in a private box (wonderful-the way I like to watch baseball-inside and outside, full kitchen, arm chairs, tv) and we were able to tour the entire facility. If you just buy regular tickets to a game, you’re not allowed on the “club room” floors.

You’ll end up leaving a part of your “âÂ?¦heart in San Francisco.”