Things to see in San Francisco in more than just one day

You're travelling to San Francisco. You've dreameda street with no curb, turn your wheels to the
of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and Cable Cars,right.
maybe Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz. How areMarket Street slices diagonally through the city. In
you going to get around?fact, many streets intersect at odd angles. It's
It's a compact city sitting on a peninsula betweennot a city with a nice square grid of streets. Add
the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, butthe one way streets, and San Francisco can be
even with compact cities you need a plan foran infuriating place to drive yourself.
getting around.San Francisco has better public transportation than
If you arrive in the city by car, be prepared formany American cities, getting round with public
traffic no matter what time of day you aretransportation can be a better choice. Take cable
driving. Parking is a problem as it is in most cities....cars up and down those hills to Nob Hill,
There isn't enough of it. and it tends to beChinatown, North Beach or Fisherman's Wharf.
expensive.Hop on buses and historic trolleys along Market
Next you really need to think about the hills.Street and the Embarcadero. They are a pleasure
Sounds innocuous enough... driving on hills, and Santo take for the ride alone.
Francisco's hills are part of the charm and beautyThe Muni has an extensive system. Basic tickets
of the city. There are many streets that go up orcost $1.50; the cable cars are $5.00. A "Muni
down these hills, but a handful are trulyPassport" for 1, 3 or 7 days can be a good deal,
precipitous.allowing you to hop on and off without having to
Locals sometimes delight in scaring friends onpay each time. It includes the cable cars, but not
streets which seem to vanish into thin air... withBART, the subway that has one line through the
only a yellow sign that warns of a "hill" or "grade".city.
If you're driving on one of these... let us assureYou can get this passport at several locations in
you the road does continue on the other side ofthe city. Check the Muni website for details. Their
the intersection... just be sure you've had yourwebsite will also help you plan your route online. A
brakes checked. If you're not used to drivinggood transit map is important to have, you can
steep hills, they can be downright intimidating.get one at transit booths or drugstores.
Most of these are located on Russian Hill, Nob HillYou can walk between many of the popular
and Pacific, Dolores and Buena Vista Heights.spots. Most areas are easy and safe to reach on
All of the steepest hills come with stop signs atfoot, but remember that you're apt to run into
the top. Most rental cars in the U.S. arethose hills, so don't ignore taxis. Muni cannot take
automatics, and that's exactly what you want inyou everywhere, so grab a taxi when you need
this city!to.
Parking on the hills can also be a challengeDrive in San Francisco if you want, but you can
whether it's parallel parking or perpendicularget around quite well with public transportation,
parking. (Which it often is on hills -- just be suretaxis, and your own two feet and that's a lot less
you don't fall out of the car if you're on thestress, leaving you free to just enjoy!
downhill side!) It's a law that you must alwaysThis travel tip is brought to you by Stuart Hely,
"curb" your wheels when parking on a hill tofounder of au, the specialists in NSW Central
prevent runaway cars.Coast Accommodation. Check us out for the best
When facing downhill, turn your wheels to theaccommodation deals and news on the beautiful
right. When facing uphill on a street with a curb,Central Coast Beaches.
turn your wheels to the left. When facing uphill on