The city of San Francisco is well known for its scenic and traveldestinations as well as its diverse multi-cultural populace, mix Victorian andmodern architecture, chilly fog, and historical landmarks. It is here thatyou’ll find the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. The City of SanFrancisco forms part of the group that forms the San Francisco Bay Area.
With three airports in the San Francisco Bay Area, getting into the city ispretty easy. There’s the San Francisco International Airport located south ofthe city, the Oakland International Airport in the East Bay, and the San JoseInternational Airport which is located in Silicon Valley. Amtrak also passesthrough the city if you prefer getting there by rail.
Moving around the city is fairly easy once you know your way. Surprisingly,the city is not that big. Plus most of the travel attractions are located insmaller areas. You just get the impression that the city is huge due to variousmovies, and Television exposures.
Buses
There’s the Hop On, Hop Off Sightseeing double-decker buses that ply thecity’s scenic route. These buses stop at many of the most popular sights whichmakes them ideal for visitors or tourists. The public buses are part of SanFrancisco’s Municipal transport system which are often referred to as Muni. TheMuni Bus System for instance is a cheap and a good way of gong around places inthe city. However, the crowded rush hour can really be a hellish experience.You can take the bus to the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park and most ofthe known beaches.
Walks
San Francisco is a great city to explore by walking. The city is known forits rolling hills and great waterfront. You will enjoy walking and exploringplaces like Chinatown and North Beach. The North Beach offers a view of theFisherman’s Wharf, the grand church and a number of famous cafs. You can take awalk up Telegraph Hill. Although the climb can be a little tiring, but the viewand experience is beautiful and unforgettable.
You’ll get a new thrill walking the various shopping districts like Haight,from Divisadero to Stanyan, which by the way is famous for hippie culture. Ifyou walk further down Stanyan, you can get to the Golden Gate Park which is agood place to relax and even watch concerts. Just outside the city center,walking along Cow Hollow will give you yet another fine street of greatshopping experience.
If you take a walk at the Castro and Noe Vally, you’ll get to see the citysfamous gay mecca. And there lots more areas and places in the city to takerelaxing walks. The great thing about walking is that its healthy and reallycheap.
Cable cars
Ask someone who just came from San Francisco what the saw and chances arecable cars always belong to th list. Cable cars passes through the most commontourist destinations. From Union Square, to Chinatown, to Ghirardelli Squareand Fisherman’s Wharf, the cable cars will bring you to them. The only problemis, the wait for a ride can really be long. Tickets are sold by uniformedconductors. Be wary of scam artists who will try and sell you tickets on thecable cars. It is best not to buy any tickets off the cable cars.
Taxi
Taxi rides can be a little expensive. Most major cities seem share similarproblems with expensive taxi cab fares. Still, if you’re traveling as a group,taxi rides would be a little cheaper especially if you split the fare among themembers of the groups. The problem, however, is getting a taxi during peakhours.
BART or Bay Area Rapid Transit
It is the regional metro train. It’s really a great way to get around thewhole San Francisco Bay area. There are some trade offs like missing some ofthe travel locations. Still, the eight BART stations in San Francisco makes itthe ideal choice to avoid the city’s traffic hot spots.
By bike
If your legs can carry the stress, you can choose to bike around the cityinstead of walking. There are designated bike lens, however the lanes are notcontinuous and sometimes are a little sporadic. Nevertheless, biking around thecity is a very convenient form of transportation.
If you’re staying in the city for a more than a day of sightseeing, then thebest way to move around the city is by using a combination of the various modestransportation available to your.