Where do I go from the San francisco airport?
My fiance and I have 12 hours between flights in San Francisco, and we're not quite sure where to go when we get to the airport, or how to get there :S What's the best way to get into the city, and where should we go? What should we do?
San Francisco - 12 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Take BART to the 16th Street and Mission stop. Walk over to Valencia street (one block west of Mission St.). Head south, and duck into any of the restaurants, used book stores, thrift shops, or bars. When you're done, just get back onto a BART train going south to the airport. -OR- Take BART to the Powell Street exit. Get above ground and ask directions to a Museum or good gallery in the area. Or take a cable car. Or check out the library. Have fun!
2 :
go to pier 39 and walk around there, alot to see...
3 :
Eric did a great job answering this. Nothing really to add.
4 :
You can do all the normal sight seeing such as Golden Gate Bridge, Cable Cars, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf. Not to mention the hundreds of art museums and restaurants. As means to get out of the airport take the Bart! It runs through the airport. It is about $25 per person and it will take you right into downtown not to mention how fun it is to ride!!
5 :
When we went to San Fransisco a few years ago we rode the Marta or Subway into a loctaion outside of town to rent a car. It only took about 15 minutes to get there. The airport has information on the subways. After you get a car it takes maybe half an hour to get into the Bay Area, You can also check with a local bus service if you dont want to rent a car. Have Fun, be sure to go to Lindburg Street, its fun to drive down. The Naval Pier is cool too, you actually get to walk through a ship. Hope that helps.
6 :
Rent a car. SFO is only about 14 miles from the the city. Arm yourself with a good guide book (such as the "Rough Guide to San Francisco"). Try to visit the following: 1. Golden Gate bridge. 2. Fisherman's' Wharf. 3. Chinatown. 4. for extra fun, drive down Lombard street. Have one meal at the Wharf. Another in Chinatown (for example, at "Golden Mountain" restaurant). Your allotted 12 hours will go by mighty quickly. Have fun.
7 :
San Francisco is a city of many cultures. To see any part of it in 12 hours is fun. I might warn you that this city will make you want to come back. There is no way you can see the whole city in one day. Take the 29 mile drive and it will take you to all the main sites. This drive is the best way to see it. Enjoy as this is my hometown for 61 years. Keep a eye on the time as it will get away from you. Please do see it as it in its self is a wonder. Have the best vacation. PS Don't try to buy the Golden gate bridge. The cost of painting it is huge.
8 :
12 hours not too much. But you can stop by Fishman's wharf and Chinatown. And take a Taxi back to the airport.
9 :
BART is your best way to get out of SFO. there's a terminal right in the airport & takes you directly to downtown sf. i probably wouldnt rent a car just because you're only there for 12 hours. the renting & returning of the car might take up even more time that you don't have. if you do bart, it d be hard for you to see the golden gate (on the other side of sf), but you can go shopping downtown sf (union square), go to fishermans wharf, & maybe chinatown.
10 :
I agree with the suggestion to take the metro/subway. It's safe and relatively fast (about 35 minutes for the city center). The station is inside the International Terminal. Simply follow the "To BART" signs once you've landed. For such a short stay (12 hours), you really don't want to waste valuable sightseeing time going over contracts and waiting at the car rental offices...only to emerge from the airport hours later to the tune of bad traffic. Places to go: - Colma Station is interesting as it is next to the huge cemetries of San Francisco. When the city decreed that no burials would be allowed Downtown anymore, this is where all the corpses went. - 24th Street Station and 16th Street Station is the Latin Quarter of San Francisco. It's home to the oldest structure in the city (Mission Delores Church, 1776). Also good for cheap eats and all manner of Mexican streetlife. - Civic Center station is a major transfer point for the streetcars. Take the N-Line for the awesome (and completely artificial) 1,000 acre Golden Gate Park, with its many gardens, museums, and other attractions or all the way to the end to the beach. Or hop on the K, L, or M Lines for Forest Hill station, where you can try to scale Twin Peaks (be careful if you want to do this one... the two-mile trek is a lot more painful to hike than it seems, although you'll be rewarded with the million dollar view of the skyline below. Of course, you could always cheat and call for a taxi). - As implied, Civic Center station itself borders the stark (and rather depressing) neo-classical government district. Home to the California Supreme Court, Federal Appeals Court, City Hall, and various bureaucracies such as the local FBI office. It's actually far less interesting than it sounds. There's very little public access (since 9-11, the public have been told unambiguously to 'get lost'), and many homeless hang around outside the buildings under the wary eye of security guards inside. The only thing worth lingering here for is the excellent Asian Art Museum. - Powell Street station is in the heart of San Francisco's high-end shopping district. It's physically connected to Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, and two blocks away is Union Square (Macys, Saks, and Neiman Marcus). There's a helpful Tourist Information office next to the station's lower level entrance. A branch of MOMA is nearby. - Embarcadero station is next to the waterfront. From here, you can do the farmers' market in the Ferry Building, walk to ballpark, board a ferry for wealthy, scenic Marin County, or take the F-Line streetcar to Fisherman's Wharf. - Berkeley station is, of course, underneath the world-famous university. It's a fun and relaxing neighborhood, with lots of cafes, shops, and low-key places to go.
11 :
Go to ghirradeli square, there is a restaurant and the view is amazing
12 :
Just catch the Bart train and hang out around Downtown but be sure you return to the airport on time. There's a lot of traffic around the bart stations
