Alcatraz
 

Hi. I will be in San Francisco from Nov. 5-9 and would like to visit Alcatraz. Is it better to take an organised tour, or go independently?

I am travelling alone, staying at the Days Inn Downtown/Civic Center. Is it worth renting a car, or can I rely on public transit?

I don't know if there is an organized tour, but I recommend the audio tour which is self paced. Depending on what you plan to do in SF there is usually no need for a car.

Thanks. I'm hoping to visit Alcatraz, see the iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, check out the Pacific scenery and generally chill out by the bay with some good food, before heading off on a 4-week road trip towards Arizona and Texas.

Consider going to Alcatrez on a weekday rather than the weekend - much less crowded.

Thanks. That will make it Monday or Tuesday, then.

Some googling came up with this tour option:

https://m.viator.com/tour/san-francisco/alcatraz-tour-plus-muir-woods-giant-redwoods-and-sausalito-day-trip/0-2660SFOMUI3/info.htm

Pretty pricey, but worth it?

The night tour!!!

Sounds interesting!

It does. I've never done it, but I'm guessing it's really neat.

The key with Alcatraz is to book your tickets as soon as you're sure on your visiting dates. So many visitors arrive here without having done that, and they discover too late that Alcatraz is sold out for the rest of their time here.

I recommend not having a car. Use transit, taxis, and/or Uber/Lyft. Also, consider renting a bike for a day if you're comfortable with that.

I'd visit Alcatraz independent on a night tour. Be sure to get you tickets asap via https://www.alcatrazcruises.com

How much is parking at Days Inn? You won't need a car in SF, parking is difficult and expensive anyways. Rely on Uber/Lyft, SF is ride sharing capital of the world.

Do Alcatraz independently. The self-guided audio tour they have is very good. Be sure to buy your tickets from the official website, and well in advance.

Don't rent a car if you're only visiting SF. Uber/Lyft or Taxi will be cheaper and easier probably.

All booked up for Monday Nov. 7. Thanks for all the responses.

S.F. Public Transit is A+
 

Not too many locals would give San Francisco Muni (light rail, trolleys, buses & cable cars) an A+. Slow and unreliable are all too common. The regional BART system gets better grades.

Still, most of us here recommend not having a car if you're staying in San Francisco and not venturing out of the city. Uber, Lyft and taxis are everywhere.

Four of us 2 adults 2 teens want to go to Alcatraz; all sites i'm looking at are sold out however I found this (see below)

Question: My 16 YO son has a passport but will a Global Entry card work as a gov't form of ID? he doesn't have a D/L.

GF's 12YO son doesn't have a passport or GOES card. No D/L obviously; how does he get in on this tour? How many young kids have gov't issued ID? sure FT'ers your kids have passports duh, but I'll bet that the majority of kids don't.

From this site:

http://www.inside-guide-to-san-franc...r-tickets.html

Same Day Ticket Sales Advisory

Alcatraz Cruises releases a limited amount of tickets each day for same day, walk-up sales only.
Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Alcatraz Cruises does not guarantee immediate availability.
The maximum number of tickets sold to one person is one.
Tickets are sold one ticket per person, physically present. All members of the party must be present in line until the time of purchase at the ticket window for a ticket.
Government issued photo identification is required for purchasing tickets and for picking up pre-paid tickets.

Question - Is there any other way of touring the island if alcatraz cruises is sold out during out stay?