 | San Francisco By Car Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 56 |  |
 | |  |  | By Car: Highway Driving in S.F. | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
S.F. can be a hard city to negotiate by car, especially if you're not used to big city driving. Unlike most cities, San Francisco has a major shortage of turnpikes and throughfares... you can thank the 1989 earthquake for that. Most of the old double-decker freeways were torn down and really nothing has been built to replace them. Even if you're just passing through, driving through SF requires using city streets. Here's a few freeway driving tips... 1) Hwy 101 & 280 are the two major north/south roads going to and from downtown. 280 is ALWAYS faster than 101. Hwy 101 is especially bad right where it goes onto the Bay Bridge (Hospital Curve); this area is congested at all hours of the day. Definitely try to avoid the city streets around 2nd and Mission during the afternoon rush hour - it is usually gridlock. The fastest way through the city from north to south is to take Hwy 1 along 19th Ave. This bypasses the more densely populated areas of the city. 2) Hwy 380 connects hwy 280 with the airport, allowing you to bypass 101. Most of the time, this is the quickest and easiest option. 3) Hwy 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) is very beautiful, but is usually only 2 lanes, is very twisty, and can be very slow. However, the drive down the coast from SF to Monterey is breathtaking, and, if you have a car, you should definitely do it. The drive north through Marin County is equally gorgeous, but even more twisty. 4) Going around SF can be done by driving through the East Bay, but often these roads will be jammed up as well - especially during rush hour. If you REALLY want to avoid the traffic of the Bay Area, you'll have to go all the way over to Interstate 5. 5) Watch out for "Fastrak Only" lanes at the bridge tollbooths. Listen to KCBS 740 AM or KGO 810 AM for traffic reports - usually every 10 minutes. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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| | | | By Car: To Car or not to Car | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
One of the most frequently asked questions by potential visitors to San Francisco is "shall I rent a car?" A car can be a major headache in the City; or it can be a complete boon. For anyone not used to driving in a city, navigating the streets of SF can be a major challenge. Double parked trucks alone can drive a person to drink. Parking can be horrendously expensive and hard to find. Or it can be free and plentiful, depending on where you go. For a thorough visit to SF, a car can be very helpful. The 49 mile drive is an excellent way to see what the City has to offer, and you must have a car to navigate the route. If you want the pleasure of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge (and paying $5.00 to come back) you must have a car. For the unbeatable views on the Marin Headlands, you must drive to get there (or be one heck of a cyclist). Visitors who decide to bring a car into the city, will want to choose accommodations outside of the Financial District, Union Square area, Fisherman's Wharf area. There are hotels along Lombard St. that provide free parking to their guests. Otherwise, should you choose to stay in a hotel downtown, prepare to pay hefty parking fees. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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San Francisco
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