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Public transport in San Franciso

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  • 10-03-2014 11:33am
    #1
    spodoinkle
    Registered Users Posts: 308 ✭✭


    We're heading to San Franciso for 4 or 5 days, we're hiring a car to get there and staying at Union Square, I think parking is working out about 30 dollars per day. We have the option of dropping off the car sooner.

    We are planning day trips to Santa Cruz, Sacremento and San Jose. Would it make more sense to keep the car or leave it and use public transport instead?


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    #2
    Dave1442397
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭Dave1442397


    If you were staying within the boundaries of the BART system, I'd say dump the car, otherwise keep it. We never tried to park anywhere downtown except at the hotel, but we used our car for all our day trips.

    https://www.bart.gov/stations


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    #3
    iusedtoknow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭iusedtoknow


    Dave1442397 wrote: »
    If you were staying within the boundaries of the BART system, I'd say dump the car, otherwise keep it. We never tried to park anywhere downtown except at the hotel, but we used our car for all our day trips.

    https://www.bart.gov/stations

    Dump the car and rent one for day to get to Santa Cruz.

    For Sacramento, you can take the train from Jack London Square on the east bay- you get there via a ferry from the ferry building. For San Jose, hop on the Caltrain from 4th/King

    For Santa Cruz, rent a car and drive down via route 1, back via 280 and avoid the 101 like the plague.

    Within the city, get a 5 day travel card, that will cover you for the muni bus, street car and historic tram.


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    #4
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    What about Napa? (Just north of SF) Beautiful area, and the landscape of vineyards is pretty impressive to see.

    There's also some amazing view spots in the hills on the other side of the golden gate bridge.


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    #5
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    spodoinkle wrote: »
    We are planning day trips to Santa Cruz, Sacremento and San Jose. Would it make more sense to keep the car or leave it and use public transport instead?

    I lived in Santa Cruz for ten years before moving up here to Seattle.

    But... as regards tourism; Its really a beach town for the people living in Silicon Valley, there's the Boardwalk, which is a peir with restaurants and a small fun fair near the beach and really thats about it. There's a nice downtown.

    As a destination I'd highly recommend continuing on to Monterey, about 45 mins further south. There's the historic Cannery Row area, the Aquarium, 17 Mile drive through Pebble Beach, and the town of Carmel. Its a lot more Touristy than Santa Cruz.


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    #6
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    spodoinkle wrote: »
    We are planning day trips to Santa Cruz, Sacremento and San Jose.

    Sorry to start questioning your plans but any reason for Sacramento? I dont know much about the place really, in all my time in california I never had a reason to go there even though I've driven past a lot on the on way to the mountains. I'd recommend spending the day driving around Napa instead.

    Also San Jose? There's the Tech Museum and an okay downtown area. But not a lot else. The tech sprawl of Silicon Valley really covers the whole south bay so Sunnyvale, Mountains view, palo alto are as relevant as San Jose.

    You can also do a loop in the car, down the coast to Santa cruz, over the mountains into silicon valley (and San jose) and then back up the freeway through all those tech communities to SF. Do them all in one day.

    Just thoughts.


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    #7
    iusedtoknow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭iusedtoknow


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Sorry to start questioning your plans but any reason for Sacramento? I dont know much about the place really, in all my time in california I never had a reason to go there even though I've driven past a lot on the on way to the mountains. I'd recommend spending the day driving around Napa instead.

    Also San Jose? There's the Tech Museum and an okay downtown area. But not a lot else. The tech sprawl of Silicon Valley really covers the whole south bay so Sunnyvale, Mountains view, palo alto are as relevant as San Jose.

    You can also do a loop in the car, down the coast to Santa cruz, over the mountains into silicon valley (and San jose) and then back up the freeway through all those tech communities to SF. Do them all in one day.

    Just thoughts.

    Sacramento has a great historic old-town which is a nice place to while away an afternoon. There are some great museums and the downtown area is pretty pleasant.

    I'd agree with San Jose though, i don't really like the place.

    Santa Cruz is a great day trip from the city, especially in the foggy summer.


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    #8
    Dave1442397
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭Dave1442397


    Don't forget the redwood trees! Muir Woods is probably the closest to SF - http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

    If you drive north from Santa Cruz about 10 minutes, you'll get to Felton. Felton is the home of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, which has some fabulous hiking trails, as well as nice picnic areas.

    Just next door to Henry Cowell Park is a place called Roaring Camp Railroad. Here, you can take a train tour up through the redwoods. There are also daily train rides that will take you from Roaring Camp down to the Boardwalk and back.


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    #9
    nazzy
    Registered Users Posts: 204 ✭✭nazzy


    Just on San Jose, we went there to see the Winchester Mystery House. It was fascinating! But that's all we did down there, seems to be some fancy shops and that jazz but didn't spend a lot of time there.

    www.winchestermysteryhouse.com

    Well worth a visit!


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    #10
    spodoinkle
    Registered Users Posts: 308 ✭✭spodoinkle


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Sorry to start questioning your plans but any reason for Sacramento?

    Also San Jose?

    You can also do a loop in the car, down the coast to Santa cruz, over the mountains into silicon valley (and San jose) and then back up the freeway through all those tech communities to SF. Do them all in one day.

    Just thoughts.

    I read on boards theres an old west style town in Sacremento so wanted to visit that, and we are going to see an ice hockey game in San Jose.


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    #11
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    I almost forgot... the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot:

    http://www.mysteryspot.com/

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Spot


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    #12
    val_jester
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭val_jester


    spodoinkle wrote: »
    We're heading to San Franciso for 4 or 5 days, we're hiring a car to get there and staying at Union Square, I think parking is working out about 30 dollars per day. We have the option of dropping off the car sooner.

    We are planning day trips to Santa Cruz, Sacremento and San Jose. Would it make more sense to keep the car or leave it and use public transport instead?

    San Francisco's public transport around the city itself is quite good, but relying on public transport to go to any of those places is not worth the hassle. SF is an expensive city for parking, and there will probably be an in-out fee on top of the $30, but it is worth keeping a car to drive to Santa Cruz and San Jose.

    For San Jose because depending on the time of the game it will be a lateish finish and you are going to be in hurry to get the train which is always annoying. For Santa Cruz because it is a stunning drive, and there are lots of little places such as half moon bay and pescadero along the way that are worth dropping into for even just a few minutes. Public transport outside the city is fairly expensive, a lot of hassle and travel times tend to be on the long side.


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