San Francisco is home to cable-cars, hilly streets, Victorian architecture, luxury boutiques, nouveau restaurants, walkable beaches, and a laid-back liberal lifestyle. In fact, San Francisco was the first city in the U.S. to allow gay marriage. In 2004, hundreds of gay couples from around the nation boarded flights to San Francisco and waited in line to say “I do.” Today, the city maintains its laissez-faire ambience and treats its visitors to the same type of carefree manner.
Book a window seat on your flight to San Francisco and you might be lucky enough to get a glimpse of the gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco served as the birthplace of the dot.com birth, and subsequently the dot.com bust, and continues to thrive today as a city of entrepreneurs and invention. The city is constantly on the list of America’s most expensive cities to live in, and property values continue to rise to some of the highest in the nation. With all the entertainment options and the wide range of culture and diversity in San Francisco, it’s no wonder the city of San Francisco thrives on tourism. Flights to San Francisco are always filled with travelers seeking a reprieve from life’s everyday chaos.
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If you’re looking for tank-top weather and margaritas on the beach, cancel your flight to San Francisco. San Francisco is surprisingly chilly, even in summer. Summer temperatures occasionally go above 70 degrees and usually start with a morning fog over the city. Because of the fog, the city rarely sees more than a few hot days in a row, but just a few miles inland it’s clear, hot, and dry. Book flights to San Francisco in the fall when clear skies and temperatures in the 80s grace the city. Winter temperatures are usually in the 40s and 50s and rarely go below freezing. But the winter rain combined with ocean breezes can make it feel cold.San Francisco is a popular vacation destination and has visitors, festivals, and events year-round. It’s advisable to book San Francisco flights and hotels at the same time to ensure your San Francisco vacation is complete.
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San Francisco is a year-round destination, but cheap flights to San Francisco are available at certain times of the year.
Peak Season:
San Francisco’s peak season is the summer. Book San Francisco flights and hotels well in advance or you’re likely to get stuck with increased prices. Hotels sell out fast during the high tourist season. If your travel times are flexible, book San Francisco flights for mid-September to mid-November. The weather is mostly warm and sunny and most of the tourists have gone home.
Off Season:
Winter is the low season so cheap flights to San Francisco are commonly found. This is also when the ballet and opera seasons are in full swing. Talk to your hotel concierge about purchasing tickets to shows.
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Travelers can find San Francisco flight deals to three different airports.
San Francisco International Airport is about 13 miles south of the city, Oakland International Airport is in the center of the Bay Area, and San Jose International Airport is about 3 miles northwest of San Jose. All airports offer shuttles, taxis, rental cars, and public transportation. From both Oakland and San Jose you can connect to BART to go into San Francisco.
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Renting a car in San Francisco can be more of a bother than a convenience. The one-way streets and hills present a challenge, and you can hit gridlock at any point during the day and weekends, particularly going over the bridges. Parking is expensive and street parking is hard to find. The public transportation system is very good and taxis are available. It’s best to save renting a car for any trips outside the city.
The neighborhoods are best explored on foot, and public transportation can get you to and around every neighborhood in town.
The principal public transportation system is San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), which runs about 100 bus lines, including electric trolley buses, the historic cable cars, and light-rail vehicles. The cable cars are as much an attraction as they are a means of transportation, and the ride from the top of Nob Hill to Fisherman’s Wharf is worth the wait—lean out if you dare on the ride down for one of the more spectacular views of the bay. You can also get a Muni Passport for unlimited rides, including cable cars, for three or seven consecutive days.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a fast and efficient subway system linking San Francisco with the East Bay.
Ferries also provide transportation between San Francisco and Sausalito, Larkspur, and Tiburon.
Bicycling is popular, but depending on the level of pedal challenge you’re up for, you may want to stay away from the hills.
Your best bet for getting a cab is to call or get one at a hotel stand. Taxis can be hailed in downtown, particularly during rush hours or outside large hotels, and in the popular spots at night. On weekends and in other areas of town taxis can be hard to find.
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- San Francisco is a city for walking. The promenade between Crissy Field and Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge has some of the best views of the bridge, bay, and city. Take a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, even just part way, for an exhilarating San Francisco experience. In town, climb the stairs of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, a monument to the city’s volunteer firefighters, and a spectacular view of the city and bay.
- Golden Gate Park is the biggest and loveliest expanse of green in San Francisco and is filled with gardens, lakes, sporting facilities, concerts, wildlife exhibits, and museums. On Sundays the main drive closes to traffic and opens to joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers, and strollers. Even when filled with people, the park doesn’t feel crowded and you can always find a secluded space.
- San Francisco has a wealth of freebies and free exhibits; some are free on certain days and some are always free. Here’s a starter list: the Cable Car Museum, Creativity Explored, Fisherman's Wharf's Musée Mécanique, Mission Dolores, Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center, the Randall Museum, galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute, the Tattoo Art Museum, and the Wells Fargo Bank History Museum.
- Alcatraz sends chills up many a tourist’s back. More than just the prison, the island was the location of the first U.S. fort and lighthouse on the West Coast. There are gardens, tide pools, and bird colonies to explore. Make your reservations in advance, even online before you arrive, as the tours fill quickly. If you’re here the end of September, watch or join the Alcatraz Invitational Swim and see if you can swim from the Rock to shore.
- Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square cover several blocks along the waterfront and are probably the most popular sights. But the city’s neighborhoods show you the true spirit of San Francisco, particularly the Mission’s Latin shops and restaurants, North Beach’s shopping and Italian restaurants, Pacific Heights’s extraordinary mansions and bay views, and Chinatown’s sights, herbal shops, and a tour and free cookie at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co.
- The Castro district is predominately gay and is home to many of the city's gay-owned businesses. The area has a neighborhood feel, is safe, and has lots of stylish shops, restaurants, bars, and restored Victorian houses. The Castro is busy during the day and really comes alive at night. There are events and festivals year-round, including the city’s longest running street fair and a Halloween festival bigger and more extravagant than any other.
- Russian Hill has steep streets, lush gardens, and homes occupied by both the wealthy and bohemian. Lombard Street, dubbed “the crookedest street in the world,” has such a steep decline that it has to zigzag, with eight switchbacks, down Russian Hill. Lined with Victorian mansions and some of the most expensive real estate in the city, Lombard is popular with tourists. Traffic is heavy as they queue up at the top to drive down, then gather at the bottom to take pictures.
- Nob Hill is a genteel, well-heeled district originally settled by railroad barons and gold-rush kings whose mansions are now luxury hotels. For something a little different, take an evening Vampire Tour of Nob Hill.
- The wine country is about an hour from San Francisco. Most of California’s wineries are in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley and offer tours, tastings, restaurants, and spas. Napa Valley has more wineries and a higher volume of tourism, and Sonoma Valley is lower key with family-run wineries and a relaxed ambience.
- For discounts on attractions, transportation, tours, restaurants, and entertainment, check out the San Francisco City Pass and the Go San Francisco Card and see if either one fits your San Francisco flight itinerary.
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