Is parking in San Franscisco hard and expensive?

Show all answers

xReminisce

It really depends on where you park in San Francisco.
In some areas it's very easy to find parking where as others are hard! Meter parking is crazy also, it's 25 cents for 10 minutes!!!! You`re better off taking Muni to get around. $1.50 for adult + 90 min transfers. or $0.50 for 18 and under

ajtheactress

If you are flying in to SF do not rent a car while you are in the city. If you are planning a day trip out of the city arrange to rent a car for the day.

Driving in SF can be a challenge for people. Lots of traffic, steep hills, bridges, one way streets all contribute to making city driving even more stress full.

Parking, as you have heard, is expensive, and difficult to find. Motor Inns in the Marina area offer free parking but you have to travel to see the heart of the city.

If you are staying in a hotel downtown you will have to pay additional for parking rates from $30 - $60 per day. For that amount of money you can use taxis all day long!

SF is compact and has an extensive public transporation system. You can purchase a single or multi day pass.
http://www.sfmuni.org

In addition, the best way to see any city is to walk it. This is even more true of San Francisco with its temprate weather, incredible views and small neighborhoods.

â˜†VivÂª LÂª VidÂª lÉ¹â†“Æƒ â˜† â„¢

Yes like the a previous poster stated it's very, very expensive and you're better off using public transportation. The muni is inexpensive and will take you anywhere you want to go for a 1.50 plus you can use the pass all day [well almost all day they don't really check the tickets that often] Also you can take the bart around town for under 6.00. If you don't like those two methods you can always take a taxi, but be cautious because some of the taxi drivers will try to rip you off by taking long exits so they can get the most money. But hey it beats walking.

Enjoy your trip.

Bowllynn

I was in San Francisco last week. Parking is expensive, usually $20 to $35 each day. I noticed a lot of parking areas. We parked at a meter by Ghirardelli for a short time one day. The meters are expensive, but convenient for a short stop. My husband and I stayed in South San Francisco near Oyster Point, so a rental car was necessary. Parking at hotels outside the city is usually free; there is a daily fee for hotel parking in the city. A lot of people say if you stay in the city, you don't need a rental car. We found the Muni transportation system extremely difficult to understand. We purchased city passes for Muni but only used it one time for the cable car. We rode the cable car one day; it took us to Union Square and we had to get off at Union Square. The only way we could figure out how to get back to Pier 39 was to walk. We had a very nice walk through Union Square and China Town. Those hills are killer walks! Always have a city map handy and somehow become familiar with Muni. We also had GPS in our car; it was life saver getting around the area. Overall, I enjoyed all of San Francisco. The city is beautiful and so interesting. The landscape is breathtaking. I would love to spend a month there exploring all the interesting places and learning the history. Also, if you plan to visit Alcatraz, buy your tickets on line 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Currenty, tickets can only be purchased in advance. Have fun, and plan to spend a lot of money.

sftraveler

don't rent a car. sf is a walking city with plenty of public transportation and cabs.

parking (esp. in certain neighborhoods) is very hard to find. parking garages can be pretty $$ too.

SFdude

There's really no point in getting a rental car (unless you're going to other parts of the state). The streets are narrow and crowded. Parking is difficult to find. The traffic cops are downright mean too. This is no joke either. The SFPD will tow you for even minor violations. And as far as they're concerned, two minutes over the meter is more than enough time to write a ticket.

San Francisco also has the best public transportation system this side of the Mississippi. Of course, that's partly because the competition is basically non-existent in the car dependent Western U.S.

Nevertheless, you can get pretty much anywhere you want using a combination of buses, trams, trains, and ferries.

Both SFO and Oakland airports are connected to Downtown San Francisco by the BART subway system. Grab the handy (red) "Destinations" guide at either of the airport BART stations. This free brochure is designed with tourists in mind. It outlines in detail most of the points of interest in San Francisco accessible by public transportation.

Swimmer Girl

yes
everything in Frisco is hard & expensive.
Guess what else:

I got to LEVEL 5!
Whoo HOO!

Sparklepeen

Yes. As everyone else has said, parking in SF is ridiculous. I used to live there, and seriously--it sucks. For what you would spend on renting the car and parking it, you can get cabs to any place not conveniently served by BART or MUNI, and probably even end up coming out ahead dollar-wise.

If you're flying into SFO and staying at a downtown hotel, taking BART from the airport to the station nearest your hotel and walking the rest of the way is both the cheapest and easiest way to get there. That's what I did last summer, when I stayed at a small hotel just off Union Square. It was only two blocks from the Powell Street BART station, and since all I had was a carryon bag and a briefcase it was pretty painless. Getting to the airport for my flight home was easy, too.

Plus, if you're staying near Union Square and like to walk, there's tons of stuff to see and do within walking distance. Chinatown isn't far, North Beach is just beyond that, and even Fisherman's Wharf and Telegraph Hill/Coit Tower are doable.

So, yeah--skip renting a car and spend the money on cab/MUNI/BART fares instead. It's kind of hard to see San Francisco when you're endlessly circling the block looking for a parking space.

DON T

Parking in San Francisco.Trying to find a parking spot in San Francisco is a nightmare. Jay Gross said it best. "If all the planets are properly aligned, if you're holding your mouth right and if you avoided walking under that ladder, you might, just might, be able to find a parking space in San Francisco".
Parking in a public parking lot will run you a 15 to $20 a day. Parking at your hotel will run you 35 to $45 a day. Hotels do not own their parking lots. If you're flying into San Francisco take public transportation. You can take BART from the airport right downtown. San Francisco's is the easiest place to get around with public transportation no need to rent a car. Spend the money you save on the car rental and the parking on yourself take yourself to a nice dinner. For more information on San Francisco go to http://www.discovering-sanfrancisco.com
you'll find everything you need to know about transportation, must see sites, nightclubs, restaurants and anything else about San Francisco.

dreamingofu_182

yes it sucks trust me!! 10 to 20 to park places the most expensive is 30!! CRAZYNESS

Stanley H

there are plenty of parking meters around but always occupied, and lots of parking lots which charge acceptable

Nickelodeon

Yes. Parking can typically be 20-40 dollars a day. But sometimes you get lucky. If I were you, I'd take a taxi or even BART from the airport and if you're staying in San Fran there's plenty of tranportation which is what SF is known for:
MUNI
BART
Cable Cars
Bus
Trolleys
Cabs
etc.

KiWi

its really really really hard to find a parking spot! and sometimes you have to pay if you go to a parking garage because its hard to find a public parking spot. Bring some cash you're going to need it. its hard to find a parking space really really hard.

Sam Fisher

yes

pooh bear (TL 4 CY)

yes

summer v

YES WHEN MY MOM LIVED IN A APARTMENT SHE HAD TO PAY TO RENT AND ALSO PAY TO PARK LIKE $20-25 A MONTH ITS STUPID BUT YEA

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: