Need help with a San Francisco budget please!

[kkmcan]

We want to plan a trip to SF for next year (maybe in May). I don't know where to start on a budget so I thought I'd see what you guys could come up with.

Okay here's our stats:
Family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids (12,9)

We will drive from Tucson and stay overnight somewhere on the way and somewhere on the way back. Could maybe do our overnights at Disneyland neighbor hotels since we have annual passes.

Would like 3 nights in SF and 1 night in Monterrey.

So total 6 nights.

We don't spend a lot of money on food or souvies so we will bring some food with us such as breakfast cereals, juice boxes, snacks etc.

We might rent a car for this since we don't want to put the miles on our Xterra (and it gets horrible gas mileage).

That's it! I see a lot of stuff to do in SF that's free- Golden Gate park, strolling down to the Pier/ Fishermans Wharf. Probably want to get ice cream at Ghiradelli's one day. Take kids to exploratorium and maybe to Alcatraz.

Also we want to visit the aquarium in Monterrey.

Thanks for any input you can give me.

 

[mamacatnv]

Look at a "CityPass" for SFO - we got them for a 3 day trip and they more than paid for themselves.

With the ages of your kids I would highly recommend:

The Exploratorium
The Calif. Academy of Sciences (if they are done with their major remodel)
A walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge
A Bay Cruise. Alcatraz is pretty cool, but not sure your kids will appreciate all the history that goes with it.
Tour the Presidio
Ride a cable car
The SFO Zoo
Look at walking tours. We like to walk from Union Sq. thru China Town to Columbus Ave (one of the few diagonal streets in the city) into the wharf. We did this walk with DD in a stroller and DS was about 12.

Monterey: We like the Monterey Bay Lodge - nice pool, super comfy beds and close to the wharf, the trolley for Cannery Row and the beach. It is across the street from Dennis the Menace park and the room used to come with a full hot breakfast at the restaurant that is attached.

 

[jlp879]

There are a variety of good family hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Some of them even include continental breakfasts in their rates. It's a good area for kids since there is a lot of street life in the area.

If you don't care about the hotel too much, you can get some great deals on Priceline for hotels in that area.

There's a cable car stop right in the area and it's close to the Muni line as well. Make sure to get Muni day passes as the cable cars get expensive to ride as a family if you don't have them.

Kids love walking through Chinatown and there is a cool (and free) Cable Car Museum right in Chinatown.

 

[tracys2cents]

Most San Fran hotels charge a ton ($35) for parking , but I can heartily recommend the Columbus Motor Inn. Gets great reviews and is very clean, nicely located (can walk to wharf), good restaurants nearby. Can't remember if we had a microwave but i think we had a fridge. PARKING INCLUDED IN THE RATE!
There's a Cartoon Museum in SF that the kids might like.

 

[christine*]

I grew up in SF and now I live in Tucson too! small world. Remember to bring a jacket everywhere! Fisherman's wharf looks sunny, until you get out of your car and the wind is blowing. golden gate park also has a HUGE playground, i think your kids would love it. it's like 5 different themed playgrounds combined all into one. right outside of golden gate park is the 9th and Irving district that has lots of family owned resturants that serve everything from Thai to Ethiopian . it's like Tucson's 4th ave, but more diverse and bigger. all the museums and the zoo in the city don't charge admission on a select date during the first week of the month to residents, look those up and stay away from those days because they're always super crowded. And I know everyone loves to eat while they're in Chinatown because it's yummy and cheap, but be careful, health code violations are the norm there.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Remember to bring a jacket everywhere!

Yes! Bring a jacket! And it is especially cold/windy walking on the Golden Gate bridge. I grew up north of San Francisco and always drove across to get places and it wasn't until I was in high school that I actually walked partway across the bridge and I couldn't believe how cold it was, even though it was sunny.

Also, if you plan on going to the Exploratorium, I would highly recommend you look into seeing the Tactile Dome while you're there. I think you have to make reservations in advance for it because the spots fill up quick. I went there when i was in elementary school and it was so much fun. Now, it's been probably about 25 years since i've been so I don't have any recent experience with it but it was sure fun when I went. I'm not even sure how to describe it but you make your way through this dome and it's dark inside so you have to feel your way through. They put different textures on the wall and there are different types of things you crawl up and go down. It's not a maze because there's only one direction to go so you don't get lost. Anyway, i thought i would mention it since I still remember how fun it was.

 

[michelle1]

We used Hotwire and stayed at the Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf for $59/night and it was in a great location...a very lively area for the kids. My kids (10 and 12) loved the Alcatraz night tour and we rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. In Monterey we stayed at the Intercontinental (Hotwire again) and it is right next to the aquarium and Bubba Gumps restaurant which we really enjoyed. The hotel just opened in May and it is REALLY nice!

 

[Lizzybear]

Most San Fran hotels charge a ton ($35) for parking , but I can heartily recommend the Columbus Motor Inn. Gets great reviews and is very clean, nicely located (can walk to wharf), good restaurants nearby. Can't remember if we had a microwave but i think we had a fridge. PARKING INCLUDED IN THE RATE!
There's a Cartoon Museum in SF that the kids might like.

Agreed, we stayed there and thought it was great value for the location. We didn't use the parking but yep the fact that it's free is a huge plus point over other hotels in the area
We loved Monterey Bay Aquarium, seriously the best one we've ever been too and well worth the money. We ate at Hula's which is within walking distance of it and is a great little Hawaiian themed restaurant

 

[splash5]

We used Hotwire and stayed at the Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf for $59/night and it was in a great location...a very lively area for the kids. My kids (10 and 12) loved the Alcatraz night tour and we rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. In Monterey we stayed at the Intercontinental (Hotwire again) and it is right next to the aquarium and Bubba Gumps restaurant which we really enjoyed. The hotel just opened in May and it is REALLY nice!

How do you know how many beds you will get in the room if you do hotwire? Also, how did you know how much to bid?

 

[kkmcan]

WOW, I haven't checked this thread in a while. Thanks for all the good advice. I'd love to do the hotwire thing- those were some excellent deals you got. My original plan was to do this trip next summer but now we've gone and booked a Disney cruise for Dec 2009 so more than likely San Fran will be postphoned.

Still, I'll keep all these ideas in mind as I do want to get there soon.

 

[carj]

This is a very timely thread for me to read today. My husband has a conference in San Francisco in June and we are thinking of tagging along.

I am having trouble deciding if San Francisco is going to be a fun trip for our kids. I have no doubt that there are fun things to do there but I am really looking for things that are unique to San Francisco. If we do go along, this will be our family vacation this summer because of the cost.

 

[PrincessKell]

grrr lost my post

 

[PrincessKell]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60713-Activities-San_Francisco_California.html

THey have tons of things to do in SF. There might be lots of free things if you google "free activities in San Francisco Ca" I love doing that for places I want to go.

I have lived in Northern Ca most of my life and googled free in SF and found things I have never seen or done before! I live barely 45 minutes away too!

If you are willing to drive there are great things to do in the surrounding counties as well. Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Solano counties all are great. just googling will lead you to some awesome places.

Jelly Belly factory
Norcal beaches are amazing,
Armstrong woods (if you are willing to take a drive)
Charles Shaultz museum (think Snoopy)

Have fun to anyone who is coming this way! There is always something going on for adults and kids. Lots of free things going on in Golden Gate Park as well.

 

[mamacatnv]

This is a very timely thread for me to read today. My husband has a conference in San Francisco in June and we are thinking of tagging along.

I am having trouble deciding if San Francisco is going to be a fun trip for our kids. I have no doubt that there are fun things to do there but I am really looking for things that are unique to San Francisco. If we do go along, this will be our family vacation this summer because of the cost.

How old are your kids?

SFO has some things that are unique to the area:
Alcatraz, especially the night tour, Cable Cars, The Exploratorium, China Town is amazing as in the view of the city from the center of the Golden Gate Bridge and don't forget the majestic redwoods that are a short drive North. Some "unique" museums IMO include the cable car museum, the Sour Dough Bread Museum and the fortune cookie factory. There are also ships and submarines to tour at Fishermans Wharf and the surrounding wharf areas.

Drive S. to Monterey and play in the tide pools, stop in Santa Cruz and take a ride on the Big Dipper. A visit to the Monterey bay Aquarium is a must. It is an aquarium that is unique in that it is not there to just entertain you, it is there to educate you and it does a fine job.

There is so much to see and do in the area, this doesn't even scratch the surface.
Happy Planning

 

[CPT Tripss]

Most San Fran hotels charge a ton ($35) for parking , but I can heartily recommend the Columbus Motor Inn. Gets great reviews and is very clean, nicely located (can walk to wharf), good restaurants nearby. Can't remember if we had a microwave but i think we had a fridge. PARKING INCLUDED IN THE RATE!
snip

. . . it was a steal!

Check out the free walking tours that the public library gives . . . I can't locate the website now, but google it.
Also, rent a bike, ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and take the ferry back to SF. Blazing Saddles is one company . . . there are others. You don't need to be in great condition, I'm 60, overweight and I had a ball. DW took the ferry over to Sausalito, and we had a nice lunch before returning . . . so if you have a kid too young to do the trip, there are options.

 

[michelle1]

How do you know how many beds you will get in the room if you do hotwire? Also, how did you know how much to bid?

Sorry, I've been away from the computer for awhile! With Hotwire you don't bid but you type in where, your dates and number of adults and kids. It will show you a bunch of different choices with price, number of stars, amenities and location ( eg, in SF is shows Fishermans Wharf, Downtown etc) and once you choose and pay you will find out what hotel you are getting. It's a bit of a gamble but it does tell you which hotel chains are used for each category. We never choose anything less than 3 stars so we know at minimum we are staying at a Holiday Inn. We have always gotten 2 beds but you can call ahead to the hotel and request it once you have your confirmed reservation. I got addicted to using Hotwire and booked 10 nights out of 14 on our California trip and saved a ton of money...the other thing I liked was the hotel part of the trip was paid before we went so no visa bill after we returned.