How much does a submarine cost are they hard to drive?

Is it better/more cost effective to fly to San Francisco rather than drive?

• I am going to San Francisco for a week next month, and I am a budget traveler. (I know, I know, San Francisco is expensive, but I am going anyway). I had originally planned on driving the 14 hours from my house in Seattle, parking at my hotel (free parking there) and getting around mainly by public transportation. I only wanted to drive because I wanted to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge myself, and drive around the city anytime I wanted. The cost of gas is equal to a round trip plane ticket, but I am worried about such a long drive. If I flew I would be there in 2 hours. Driving takes up a whole day each way. There is also the risk of having a car accident, breakdown, or car theft while traveling, and the airplane ride is looking better at this point. But then if I fly, how will I get to drive across the bridge? Or have the freedom of traveling around the city without relying soley on public transpo? What should I do? What would you do? What is safer and more cost effective?

• Answer:

  There are really two different answers to your questions, depending on what you want to do. If you want to see the Bay Area and vicinity (e.g., Point Reyes, Mt. Tamalpais, Monterey, etc.), then you definitely want a car (either your own or a rental car). But if you want to see San Francisco, and if you are a decent walker, then you're better off with public transit. I live in the East Bay and do enough driving, but when I go to San Francisco, I almost always take public transit (BART). Why? 1) Traffic can be a mess. 2) Parking in the city can be really difficult or expensive. 3) If you want to take a walk, it's nice to have the freedom to start one place and end up in another, as opposed to always being tied to your car. Public transit in an unfamiliar city is often a bit bewildering at first, but San Francisco's system, MUNI, can get you anywhere in the city for a reasonable price. (MUNI has its flaws, but it's a good method of getting around the city.) Let me give you a few tips on MUNI: 1) The basic fare is $1.50 per bus ride. (You get a transfer, and can ride the system for no additional charge until the transfer expires.) 2) The primary exception is the cable cars, which cost $5 (no transfers). Despite the price, you should definitely ride them once or twice. 3) MUNI maps are available online here: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm In particular, pay attention to the system map: http://transit.511.org/static/providers/maps/SF_211200970116.pdf 4) When you arrive in the city, you should go to the downtown corner of Powell and Market, and buy the following (at the stand-alone MUNI kiosk near the turnaround for the Powell Street cable cars): - A MUNI map. This contains the same information as the online maps linked above. - A 7-day passport for $24. This gives you unlimited rides on the buses and cable cars. (Note: It doesn't cover the new Culture Bus, which is rarely used by anyone.) http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm 5) The back of the MUNI map gives you the "frequency of service" for each bus line; so if you have a choice, you might prefer to walk to a bus line with more frequent service. 6) The MUNI Metro (light rail) consists of the J, K, L, M, and N lines that run beneath Market Street and to other parts of the city. These are more efficient than the bus lines because they don't have to compete with traffic (at least along parts of their routes). 7) The F streetcar is fun to ride. It runs along Market Street from Castro to the Bay, and then up to Fisherman's Wharf on historic streetcars from various cities and countries. 8) BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, an interurban rail system) is more useful for getting around the Bay Area (e.g., traveling to Berkeley or Oakland) than getting around San Francisco, but can be useful for certain parts of the city. It's not covered by the MUNI passport. 9) Note that there are MUNI buses (e.g., #28 from the Daly City BART station) that take you to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. From here, you can visit Fort Point, walk across the bridge and back, or walk along the Bay towards Fisherman's Wharf. Finally, remember that San Francisco is a great walking city -- compact in size, with interesting architecture, lots of great shops and restaurants, and spectacular views. There's no better way to see the city than on foot. There are books with walking tours of San Francisco. My favorite is "Stairway Walks in San Francisco", by Adah Bakalinsky. Some of these go through popular tourist areas, and others through neighborhoods that most tourists never see; but they're all interesting, and are all accessible via MUNI. (However, these walks don't go to all of the major tourist attractions, such as Golden Gate Park. This book does not a replace a more conventional tour book with a list of popular attractions of the city.) Bottom line: For a vacation purely within San Francisco, getting around on foot and by public transit will give you a better experience at lower cost than having a car. You'll also save all the money you would have spent on a rental car and parking fees, and avoid the hassle of rushing back to your car before the meter expires.