A day and a half in SFO
 

I am flying into SFO at 1 pm on May 14th and then driving to Maripsoa on 15th evening, so that i can get anearly start into Yosemite on 16th.

I am staying at the Hyatt at the airport in SFO, i do have a rental car. So is it worth taking the car in the downtown or its better to take the BART. We are four of us, so i am not sure which one will be cheaper.

Also can someone please suggest me a route because i want to do the Golden gate bridge ferry ride (60 mins), visit the Peir 39, Lombard street, Ghirardelli, China town and anything else with time permitted.

I have never been to SFO so i am not sure where to start, so Please help !!

Thanks

You need to be careful with the GGB now as it is all electronic tolls now. But having re-read your post I don't think you intend to drive over it ! Just be careful if you do though ! :)

I am not sure if i will visit the Muir Woods, but that will require me driving over the GGB.... But thanks for the information...

To get to the places you want to see -
 

except for Chinatown, a car would be a help. Although parking is expensive anywhere in SF and complicated - many "no parking ffom 4-6 PM" etc. , to get to Ghirardelli and Pier 39 and Lombard St in one day from SFO you would likely need a car.
BART to SF will be $8+ each so $32 for each way - so a car will also be cheaper.
TO visit Chinatown you'd best park at the Sutter-Stockton Garage and walk around

Others who drive more in SF may have better advice re the parking lots and charges.

Thanks for the information..

Reading more about it on other forums i saw that there are some resturants on the Peir who offer free parking as far as if we something from their shop so that they can stamp my ticket....

If you already have a rental car, I would probably just drive in. But I would park somewhere fairly central, and then just walk / use MUNI. Check out http://sanfrancisco.bestparking.com/ to compare parking lot prices. The cable cars are a fun (if a bit pricey) tourist attraction in their own right, and they are useful to travel among the attractions you mentioned.

If you do decided to use BART, make sure to get on at the Millbrae station, and not at SFO. It costs about $4 one way into the city, instead of about $8.

Do Scomas restaurant and get their validated parking. Get the Lazy Man's Cioppino (or however that is spelt).

Don't drive it. Don't park at a restaurant and get validated parking. If you are staying at the airport, drive to the Millbrae BART, park there, take BART to the Powell Station.

Get a day pass from Muni: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm

Take the Cable Care to Pier 39 and go from there.....

I'd usually agree
 

But with 4 peoplel and wanting to see a lot in 1.5 days I'd probably drive in.

That's nearly $100 on public transit costs. I think this OP can do a lot better by driving and parking.

Looks like i can find parking using the website given above for like $20 a day and then may be use one day MUNI pass to travel inside the city....

but i am still looking at options to save some money...

A few thoughts from a New Yorker that love the Bay area: with 4 of you and a car booked, if you plan your day's route ahead of arrival and map out various parking garages, you will cover more places behind your own wheels. For 1st. time visitor to SFO, finding parking can be a real headache - here's a useful link - http://www.sfmta.com/cms/pgar/indxpkgar.htm

Among the rules to remember is to always check the various posted parking signs & rules, 100 feet to either direction on your side of the street, and turn your wheels properly when parked as there are lots of hills, and you will be ticketed for not doing so when you are on a grade. Another useful resource - http://www.findingthesweetspot.com/pages/tips.html

Carry extra change (quarters) to feed the parking meter and if possible, get the $20 Parking Card. Watch out for residental zone permit parking, rush hour no-standing/stopping signs and street-cleaning rules, etc. - and if you see an empty & legal parking spot close to where you wanted to be, take it & exercise, walk the rest. Even for Chinatown, if you search the online website, you can find a garage that costs only $12 or $15 for several hours/all day parking if you are prepared to walk a little bit uphill/downhill (i.e. near the Broadway Tunnel. Metered and/or legal parking spots are hard to find but not impossible if it isn't lunch or dinner time with everyone else doing circles in the neighborhood - same for Pier & Fisherman's Wharf.

You can cover the Marina District, drive to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point's metered parking lot, and walk around & take photos, etc. without crossing the GGB, and turn around & head south on Presidio Pkwy to check out Golden Gate Park and/or China Beach, Land's End, Cliff House & down The Great Hwy along the Pacific Ocean with the beaches, stopping along for scenic spots before heading back toward Japantown & Civic Center, etc. Parking is fairly easy, either free or pull into a metered spot & feed it - and for a great view of the city, day or night when it's clear & not foggy, you can only get up to Twin Peaks in a car and/or ride in a tour bus - Muni doesn't get you to the highest spot within the city.

And, what better way to come down the crooked Lombard Street at Russian Hill - after checking your rental's brakes first.

Instead of spending a $100 on Bart & Muni passes, (for the same amount $$ spent) you could park at 4 or 5 different garages in different part of the city, walk the rest, and still have enough change to feed the parking meters and use the Parking Card - and see more for your short stay. BTW, we are heading out there in 3 weeks ...

You can also pay for parking at most meters with a parking app, which is described here:

http://sfpark.org/how-it-works/paybyphone/

I use it fairly regularly. Just make sure you input the meter number correctly. The meter will still flash "expired" but you won't get a ticket (or, if you do, I assume you just send in your receipt).

bestparking.com recently alerted me to a flat $12 all day parking garage right next to Pier 39/41, on Beach between Mason and Taylor. Lots of spaces.

hmmm very intersting.