Vacation In San Francisco - WHERE SHOULD WE STAY?

We are going to San Francisco for a small vacation next month. Leaving 04/24/09 %26amp; coming back on the 27th. We are flying into SF and want to stay in the city somewhere (it is our first trip). So far we want to see the golden gate bridge, ghiradelis, %26amp; the alcatraz tour.



Any tips on where we should stay would be helpful. We are both around 35 years old. We enjoy bars / restaurants / water sports /



Thank You All For Your Answers!Vacation In San Francisco - WHERE SHOULD WE STAY?
The big name hotels near union square will be expensive. There are a number of smaller hotels further west of union square that are affordable, but parts of that area is a bit sketchy and there's a good chance there won't be parking if you're renting a car.



I recommend finding a hotel in the northern part of the city, maybe near fishermans warf......somewhere along Bay St. If you stay in that area it's not too far from fishermans warf and the north beach area/chinatown area. There's also a supermarket nearby, and you're a 25-30 minute walk or a 15 minute bus ride to downtown.



if I remember, there's a Best Western hotel on Bay St which would be convenient in terms of location.



goodluck
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.c...

My favorite jdv Union Square Hotel is the Hotel Rex, but thier other Union Square hotels are nice too. Check out

White Swan Inn

Petite Auberge

Galleria Park



And for some great ideas of things to do check out these websites:

http://www./www.jdvhotels.cVacation In San Francisco - WHERE SHOULD WE STAY?
i would recommend union square if you like the shopping aspect %26amp; central location to most of the sites in town. however, if you want something within short distance of bars %26amp; restaurants i would recommended something in the north beach area. if neither matter, i would recommend a tall hotel that allows you views of the city.. which is priceless.



as for getting around, there's always public transportation that allows you to get just about everywhere in the city. feel free to ask people at bus stops for help... we're friendly folk. or you can always ask any bus driver.



as for prices check out sidestep.com for hotel deals. for reviews on the locations (hotel, bar, restaurants, etc) check out yelp.com
It sounds like your main focus is the north end of the city. For that reason I would recommend the Hotel del Sol, a sweet little motel just off of Lombard in the Marina. I always put my visiting friends there.



The wharf is about a ten-minute drive or 30-minute walk from the hotel.



http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/del_sol