San Francisco - San Francisco area hotel recommendation

Hi!

I'm planning to take my family - me, wife and 5 yo daughter to SF - July 10th through 27th. We're gonna be flying in thorough SFO airport.

Was wondering what would be the best place to stay in the area? We're doing to rent a car, so getting around should not be a problem.

I only have two requests - beach within reasonable driving range, and price - I'm looking to spend to more then $1500 on my stay.

Got any advises?
Also I'm planning to drive to Las vegas for a day or two and visit Grand canyon. How far from Las vegas is Grand canyon? Can I drive there, spend a day, and go back to vegas?

Thanks!

Every hotel in the Bay Area is within easy driving range of some beach, but whether you would want to go to the beach is another thing entirely. In July, the beaches will be foggy, windy, possibly very wet, and extremely cold. This just isn't a beach destination, unless you are looking for a winter-like experience.

As for Vegas, I'm a bit confused. Are you planning on driving to Vegas from San Francisco? That will take about a full day to get there.

maybe give a hint as to what kinds of activities you'll be doing in SF< are you going to be driving out of the city while you're here or?

Many posters have talked about the heinous parking charges and parking signs and meters for those visiting SF..with small children it might be different but you might want to give us a few more details of your trip so we can best advise!

I also agree w/ others - beaches in SF are not what you'd call sunbathing beaches. It's often foggy here in the summer so you beach choices would be close in (Stinson, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica) but not really for swimming.

1st, you should really look at a guidebook and a map. Then get back to us. We'll be more than glad to help, but respect the fact that if you to do a little work on your own, you can ask better questions. wj

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

A car for SF area is fine - if you plan to visit Muir Woods, Monterey, Half Moon Bay, etc. but for the City itself, it's probably a hindrance. Parking is scarce and quite expensive, traffic can be oppressive at times, and many sites are within reach by walking, tram, cable car, bus, etc.

As to beaches - the water is down from the Alaska Current so it is plurry cold, not tropical, and as others have said, July is fog time. ""The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." is attributed to mark Twain, and whether or not he said it, it's always interesting to see goose-pimpled, knock-kneed freezing tourists wandering about in shorts and a tee shirt in July. ;)

We could probably help more if we knew more of your preferences and interests, but it may be that some basic research would be useful. $1,500 and upwards may be a waste if you have not spent $15 on a guidebook or checked some resources online, such as

San Francisco Travel Guide <link (http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/)>

Lonely Planet Guides San Francisco <link (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/san-francisco)>

Bay City Guide (lists of tours, etc. but you can do many of these on your own) <link (www.baycityguide.com)>

I appreciate your replies guys! Will do some research and come back to you with more specific questions.

Once again - thank you!

You probably should reconsider your budget or length of stay. It is an unreasonably low expectation to pay only $1,500 for a 17 nights hotel stay in San Francisco.

Personally, I think the idea of spending so many nights in SF itself is not the best use of your time and money. As people have said, SF is not a resort destination, and if you are going to be in the area for that long, I would encourage you to spend 1-2 nights in a number of other locations instead of driving back and forth to SF every day.

A couple of places would include -
Monterey Peninsula - Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur
Lake Tahoe
Sonoma Valley and the Sonoma coastline
Yosemite