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Is it still possible to drive in san Francisco and the Bay Area?

Where should I book my hotel for my first-ever trip to the Bay Area?

  • I'm traveling to the Bay Area for the first time in June of next year. I'll be in the area for the U2 concert at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. I also want to do some sightseeing in San Francisco the day after the concert. I've never been to the Bay Area before, and Oakland has the reputation of not being the best neighborhoods- especially around that stadium. So I was hoping if any Bay Area residents could give me some input. I'm thinking that I have two options: 1) I could fly into Oakland, rent a car, and stay at one of the hotels near the airport and the Coliseum. This way I could walk/drive to and from the stadium on the day of the concert. (However, I don't know how safe that part of Oakland is.) The next day, I could drive into San Francisco, spend the day sightseeing, and spend the night at hotel near the Wharf. 2) I could fly into SFO, take public transportation into San Francisco proper, and stay at a hotel near the Wharf for the entire duration of my Bay Area trip. This way I could take the BART to and from the Coliseum on the day of the concert. So should I book a hotel in Oakland or in San Francisco proper? Which option would be the best and most convenient for me? And if anyone has can think of any other options, please let me know.

  • Answer:

    You can get to SF via Bart from either SFO or OAK airports. I'd advise staying in SF and not near the coliseum in Oakland. There is no need to rent a car while in the city and you can take Bart to the concert. Oakland doesn't have as many interesting things to see and do and even if you stay in one of the downtown hotels there isn't much that stays open past about 9pm in Downtown Oakland. SF's Union Square is probably the best place to stay. There are lots of good restaurants, shops, theaters and clubs in the Union Square area. It is centrally located easy to walk to many places, easier to get cabs, with lots of public transportation options. Driving in the city can be confusing for visitors and parking is difficult and expensive. Muni offers multi day passes that are good for buses, trolley, light rail and the cable cars [unique experience but $5 per ride]. http://www.sfmuni.com Joie de Vivre http://www.jdvhotels.com has several hotels in the Union Square area within your budget. Each hotel is unique and they have a cool free program where they match you with a local person, called a Golden Gate Greeter, who shares your interests to spend a few hours with you and familiarize yourself with the city. http://www.goldengategreeter.com

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I would stay in San Francisco for the whole time your in the Bay Area. Oakland Colliseum is located in East Oakland, which is one of the worst neighborhoods in the Bay Area. And besides theirs nothing really to see there. Trust me. If your staying by the Warf you can easily catch a BART at the Embacadero BART and it takes you directly to the Coliseum. From Embacadero BART it would take about 20 min.. You will have a lot more fun staying in San Francisco. Theirs so much to do and see =)

Daniel

1. Dont stay in Oakland near the airport. Not a good area. You will have an expensive drive into San Francisco because of the parking costs and the heavy traffic every day. I would stay near the Wharf either. If you stay in Oakland, I would go to Claremont Hotel in the Oakland hills but you need a car. http://www.claremontresort.com/ 2. If you are going to Oakland for one event only, you should stay in S.F. There is plenty to see in S.F., and nothing to see in Oakland or the surrounding communities by car except Berkeley. You can take the BART train to S.F. from the Coliseum station but it is not a great location to hang around. I would stay in San Francisco and get the full flavor and character of the city and take BART to Oakland Coliseum for the event. BART runs until midnight. As you can imagine there are tons of hotels in S.F. do you want a major landmark hotel, a chain hotel or a boutique hotel. We dont know your price range. http://www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco/ http://sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels

Flower

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