This list of best tips for traveling to San Francisco, will help you organize a trip to one of the most charming cities in the world to also make the most of time and get to know all the most important and tourist places.
Located in a privileged location around the bay of San Francisco, the city surprises the traveler for its European style and more relaxed atmosphere, compared to the large cities of the United States, such as New York or Chicago something that makes it really special in the In addition to visiting all its essentials such as the Golden Gate and Alcatraz Island, touring the most famous neighborhoods such as Castro and Chinatown, you can enjoy its pleasant climate and good gastronomy.
Based on the experience of the 4 days we were in the city, during our trip through the National Parks of the Western United States, we have made this selection of 10 essential tips for traveling to San Francisco. We start!
1. What is the best time?
Even if Any time is good for a trip to San Francisco, we believe that the period from May to September is the most favorable since during these months you will enjoy pleasant temperatures, located between 15 and 20 degrees and little chance of rain although you must remember that despite the good weather in this city, Low fog is common throughout the year.
In spite of this, it is also advisable in this time of good weather, to wear some coat especially for the open areas of the city and a jacket for when the cold of the sunset begins.
The worst time to travel is in winter when the rains are more frequent, there are strong gusts of wind, there are fewer hours of light and the cold is usually much more present than at other times of the year.
2. Entry requirements
To travel to San Francisco or the United States it is necessary to obtain, at least 3 days in advance, the ESTA authorization from this official page that costs $ 14 and lasts for two years. Remember that lately there are many websites that hide after deceptive titles and perform this procedure for more than 80 dollars when it is something that you can easily do online. Keep it in mind and don't fall for them.
The customs control of the United States, despite the bad reputation, is quite fast even if you don't speak English. Think that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the country and there will always be someone to help you.
In this area you will have to show your passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months and fill out a customs form with your details and those of your flight, after the checks you can pass the checks.
Spaniards do not need a visa if they take a tourist trip of up to a maximum of 90 days. If you are from another country we recommend you check the page of the American Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to know exactly what the mandatory documents are.
Passport
3. Travel insurance
Travel to San Francisco or to any city in the United States without travel insurance, we believe it is an imprudence that can cost you dearly.
He thinks that the health of this country is paid and only a medical consultation can cost you 500 euros, a night in the hospital 6000 euros or an appendicitis 25000 euros. For this reason, it is essential to hire the best travel insurance for the United States, which covers all medical expenses and offers you 24-hour telephone assistance, especially if you do not master English.
We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.
In terms of security, the city is one of the best in the country and you just have to be attentive in the most tourist areas and on the trams to avoid theft or some unpleasant surprise.
4. Change money when traveling to San Francisco
To get dollars on a trip to San Francisco, it is advisable to get money at ATMs, rather than changing euros at the airport or taking money changed from a bank in your home country. We recommend, not to pay commissions and always have the current exchange, use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
Currently, one euro equals $ 1.11, although it is a value that fluctuates a lot and you have to look at it regularly to know the exact change when the time comes to travel.
Dollars
5. How to have internet in San Francisco?
If you want to have internet in the United States, something very necessary today, especially considering the amount of applications we use in our trips and the need to be in contact with our family and friends, you can choose several options:
- Buy a SIM card at the airport or at a phone shop in the city.
- Buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, saving you all the time of the negotiations and making the whole process to have internet in the United States much more comfortable, fast and easy.
In this case, with the Holafly SIM you will have several Gb to surf the Internet (depending on the option you choose), they will send it to you for free at home, you will keep your WhatsApp number and you will have assistance service in Spanish. You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
More information on the Holafly post, the best prepaid SIM card for travel
6. How to go from San Francisco airport to downtown?
The San Francisco Airport, located 20 kilometers south of the city, has 4 terminals connected to each other by a free train and is connected to the city center by these means of transport:
- Meter: The yellow BART line will take you from the International Terminal to the center stops (Civic Center Powell Street, Montgomery Street and Embarcadero) in 30 minutes for $ 9.
- Bus: lines 292, 398, KX and 397 (night) of the SamTrans company will leave you at numerous downtown stops in 60 minutes for $ 2.25.
- Private transfer: It is the most comfortable option to have a driver waiting for you at the arrivals terminal and take you directly to your hotel. You can book this service here.
- Cab: The price of 55 dollars can be profitable if you are several people.
To find more detailed information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from San Francisco airport to downtown.
San Francisco
7. Where to sleep on a trip to San Francisco
If you go to travel to San Francisco in high season, from May to September, it is almost essential to book a hotel in advance, to reduce costs in a rather expensive city.
One of the best areas to stay is in the center of the city, around Union Square, having good bus and tram communication to all the interesting points of the city and the airport. We stayed at the Grant Hotel, located 5 minutes walk from Union Square and 10 minutes from Chinatown and we highlight in addition to its magnificent location, that the hotel has parking, 24 hour reception and one of the best quality / price ratios of the city.
Other areas to look for a hotel are the tourist districts of Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach (Little Italy), with good communication by public transport and a wide range of restaurants.
If you want something cheaper (less than $ 100 a night) you can stay in Richmond District, half an hour by bus from downtown.
To find the best hotel at the best price we recommend using this search engine.
Fisherman's wharf
8. How to get around the city
To the travel to San Francisco Keep in mind that despite its complicated mountainous geography and location around a bay, this city has an efficient and extensive public transport network.
The most iconic transport that runs through the city center is the tram or cable car although among the 3 lines that run through the city, we recommend using at least once, the historic F with trams over 150 years old, which runs from the Powell and Market stop to Fisherman's Wharf for $ 2.50.
Another widely used public transport is the bus that allows you to reach all points of the city between 5 and 1 in the morning.
If you have little time it is advisable to book the tourist bus that stops at the main attractions of the city while listening to the comments recorded in Spanish.
Another good option to move around the city and arrive in a healthier way to the different viewpoints of, for example the Golden Gate, is renting a bike.
Get on the tram when traveling to San Francisco
9. Places of interest and city routes
Among the most symbolic places in San Francisco include the Golden Gate and Alcatraz Island, which are how you can intuit two of the essential visits.
After seeing this vermilion orange bridge from all the viewpoints around and visiting the most famous prison in the city, you can start the walking routes through the most charming neighborhoods among which Castro, Fisherman's Wharf (old port), Chinatown, Little Italy, Mision (Latin Quarter), Japantown and the hippie neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury. In addition to visiting these neighborhoods we recommend you go up to the Twin Peaks viewpoints and the Coit Tower and take a relaxing walk through the Golden Gate Park.
Among the curious places of the city are Lombard Street, the most winding street in the country and the Painted Ladies, Victorian houses painted in different pastel colors.
To complete these routes it can be very interesting to know the history of the city, book this free tour of San Francisco Free! or this more complete tour by minibus, both with a guide in Spanish.
Based on our trip to San Francisco we have made these three personalized guides that will help you not miss anything important in San Francisco if you have 1, 2, or 3 days.
Remember that if you are going to carry out several payment activities you may find it profitable to buy the San Francisco Explorer Pass or the Go San Francisco Card, two cards that include most of the city's tourist attractions.
Another of the best tips for traveling to San Francisco is to complete this list of the 10 things to see and do in San Francisco, to fully enjoy the city.
10. Where to eat in San Francisco
Another of the reasons to travel to San Francisco It is to try the delicious international food and some of the local delicacies.
One of the most typical dishes of the city that is served especially in the stalls of the old port area, is the clam chowder, a clam soup served inside a round homemade bread.
In port restaurants, such as Pier Market and Crab House, it is also common to try dishes with boiled crab such as Dungeness crab, accompanied by vegetables or noodles.
If you want to adjust the budget a bit, you have the appetizing burgers of the In-N-Out, the sandwiches of Tommy's Joynt and the puppies of the Rosamunde Sausage Grill and another good option to reduce costs is to order a pizza at the Tony's Pizza Napoletana or the Golden Boy Pizza
Other recommended restaurants in the city are the Italian Sotto Mare Oysteria & Seafood, the Veganburg that serves vegan burgers, the Mexican Street Taco, the Japanese Akiko's Sushi Bar, the Korean Surisan, the Fog Harbor Fish House that serves good seafood or the Hops and Hominy, to try good American food.
For desserts we recommend Ghirardelli chocolate ice cream and It's It's chocolate covered ice cream sandwich.
Try the hamburger on a trip to San Francisco
Tours and excursions
Once you have made all the important visits of the city, if you still have extra time, you can complete the trip with one of the best excursions in San Francisco.
These day trips will allow you to know some of the wonders that are closest to the city such as Sausalito, Muir Woods, Yosemite, the Napa valleys or Silicon Valley.
The first excursion proposal when traveling to San Francisco is the town of Sausalito, located 10 kilometers from the center, where you can enjoy a small coastal and quiet town where you can stroll along the main avenue Bridgeway full of shops and art galleries besides seeing the floating houses of Main Dock.
You can reach Sausalito by bike, car, bus or book this comfortable ferry from Fisherman's Wharf.
Another even more comfortable option is to book this city-guided tour that includes Sausalito, in a mininus and with a guide in Spanish.
The second recommendation is the Muir Woods huge sequoia forest, located just over 12 kilometers away, which if you do not have the opportunity to visit other parks in the United States that have this type of forest, it is the perfect place to see trees of more than 150 meters high and over a thousand years of life.
To reach this impressive forest you can rent a car or book this excursion that includes Sausalito or this one that includes the visit to the renowned California vineyards.
The latest proposal is Yosemite, one of the most impressive National Parks in the United States where you will discover an incredible valley surrounded by great mountains such as El Capitan and Half Dome, where you can also make hiking trails and enjoy the most nature.
The park is located about 300 kilometers (4 hours) from San Francisco and you can go by rental car or by booking this bus tour with a guide in Spanish.
More tours and excursions in San Francisco here
Yosemite
Do you want to organize a trip to San Francisco?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to San Francisco here
The best hotels at the best prices in San Francisco here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
10 essential tips for traveling to the United States
Rent your car in the West of USA at the best price here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from San Francisco in Spanish here
Book your San Francisco Airport transfer here
The best offers of Flights to San Francisco here
The best hotels at the best prices in San Francisco here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
10 essential tips for traveling to the United States
Rent your car in the West of USA at the best price here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from San Francisco in Spanish here
Book your San Francisco Airport transfer hereIf you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 essential tips for traveling to San Francisco, add yours in the comments.
