Visiting the US can make you leave your heart, not your life savings. Here, you can have fun and also control your spending. Heading into downtown San Francisco with multiple easy-to-use transit options. However, steep and windy streets mean that driving around San Francisco means expensive parking.
Driving in San Francisco is recommended only if you plan to travel outside of the city. The region’s rail system is accessible and affordable, a convenient alternative to driving.
Consider the tourist offers when you are on a cheap vacation. Consider the free stuff, like going to see top attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Park has free admission; while there may be an admission charge to use the parks, attractions may charge admission
San Francisco CityPass allows you to visit multiple attractions. This is a seven-day Muni Pass that allows unlimited cable car rides, other public transportation, and rides on historic trolley buses. In fact, it also includes the bay cruise and admission to other attractions.
Deep discounts on guided tours, bay cruises, and many shows and entertainment can be guaranteed to save you money. There’s also the half-price box office at Union Square that offers same-day discounts for many performances.
Eating in an expensive restaurant, especially on a strict budget, is possible in such a way that you can have lower lunch prices than dinner. Follow a strategy, get a cheap lunch and spend your food budget on dinner. Every June and January, there is Restaurant Week in San Francisco, where San Francisco’s best restaurants offer set meals at discounted prices.
Another way to save is to buy your plane ticket at least one month in advance to enjoy a lower price. However, October is the cheapest month to fly and is also the best month weather-wise, while July is the most expensive. To shop for bargains, visit Oakland Airport (OAK), near downtown San Francisco.
Hotel prices are on the rise, but there are hotels with the lowest list prices. Find hotels that offer nice locations and there’s nothing like hidden parking fees.
Taking car rental to most tourist attractions is a good option. But finding parking is very difficult and with city traffic it can easily spoil your best mood. While downtown hotels charge $40 or more for parking per day and this can really be a budget buster as it can be more than the cost of rent. In fact, parking garages are expensive and during times of special events, the rates go up even more. Instead, renting a car for a day is best, since taking care of parking is not your problem.
Muni service includes historic cable cars, vintage streetcars, local buses, light rail and the F line with routes to and from Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, the SOMA district and more. Train and bus travel is cheap, allowing travel in any combination for 90 minutes, although the historic cable car can be a bit pricey.