Useful information if you rent a car in San Francisco
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Distance from San Francisco city centre |
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| 18 km | ||
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| 63 km | ||
Car rental in San Francisco
Where to rent a car in San Francisco
Can you think of anything more West Coast than cruising along the Golden Gate Bridge with the top down on your car rental convertible? It’s as cool as it looked on Full House so pick up your rental car from the airport when you touch down. There are several rental companies to choose from in the arrival’s lounge including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox and Hertz, among others. Payless is located outside the airport terminal.
Rental prices are typically cheaper at the airport, compared to the city, but the best is to compare deals on liligo.com to find the cheapest offers after your arrival from your San Francisco flight. If you do opt for picking up your rental car from the downtown area, you’ll find the biggest brands here.
Driving in San Francisco: what you need to know
Driving in downtown San Francisco can be a nightmare for San Fran newbies. You’ll have hills, one-way streets, expensive parking lots and parking officers to contend with. Parking spaces on the street can be few and far between and parking your car rental at a public lot can cost between $20-$30 a day.
San Francisco has plenty of hills so remember to ALWAYS use the parking brake and turn your wheels against the side of the road, eliminating the risk that your car could roll away! If you want to avoid spending hours in standstill traffic, avoid downtown during afternoon rush hour, from 5pm to 7pm.
Road trips from San Francisco: what to see and do
Berkeley
Home to the University of California, Berkeley is an iconic stop that is just a stone’s throw from San Francisco. It is one of the most progressive and liberal cities in the country. Park your rental downtown and explore the place on foot. There are some delicious spots to eat downtown and after a tour of UC Berkeley campus, stop by the Berkeley Art Museum and the Marina. As it’s a student town, you can expect a thriving nightlife scene so stick around after dark, just make sure you pick a designated driver.
Napa Valley
The beautiful Napa Valley is a perfect day trip, or even better, weekend trip away from San Francisco. Some of the best wines in the world are produced here and we can’t think of a better way of experiencing this region than by hopping from one winery to the next. It shouldn’t take you more than 1.5 hours to drive there from San Francisco, as long as you don’t hit traffic on your way out of town.
Yosemite
Whether you’re an outdoorsy person or not, Yosemite should definitely be on your list of things to do if you’re going on vacation in San Francisco. It’s one of America’s great parks and is only 200 miles east of the city. Pack your hiking book and get ready to walk! Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and don’t miss El Capitan, one of the most challenging rock climbing walls in the country. For the best views in the park, head to Glacier Point.
