The cable car as a means of transportation is lost in antiquity. It s considered a tourist attraction and that s it.Cars are nice to have - but not necessary and much more expensive (not to mention a hassle if you re visiting tourist areas). The most logical solution would be Muni, which encompasses several bus and rail lines. There are no lines to wait in (it s not an amusement park ride - it s public transportation) - you simply wait at the stop for the next bus/train to come and, when it does, you get on. Simple - no long lines . Most, depending on time of day and how busy the route is, come every 5 to 20 minutes.Riding any bus/train within the Muni system is $2 which gets you a couple hours worth of riding (and unlimited transfers in that time for no additional cost) and the system covers the entire city with MANY different lines. The cable car, on the other hand, is $5 per one-way ride, only covers a small portion of the city, and is very slow (hence only a tourist attraction). The latter you ll be waiting in line for, the former you won t. Obvious choice.Here s the Muni website, complete with a plan a trip option: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.phpAnd here s a map of the entire system: http://transit.511.org/static/providers/��
The cable car is a tourist attraction - there is a very limited selection of routes, and there are often lines to get on a car. You should definitely ride the cable car once so that you can report to your friends that you did it, but unless you are going where it goes, it s not a very reliable means of transportation.Taxis are expensive. May be an option to get into the City from the airport, but not always easy to get a cab on the street if you are anywhere other than the downtown financial district.BART is the subway system. Reasonable way to get around, and a very effective way to get from San Fransisco over to the East Bay area (Oakland and Berkeley). SF Muni is a trolley system that is practical in the city.If you are going down the penninsula, you will need to look into Caltrain and the various light rail options.Frankly, when my wife and I go to San Francisco, we say in the South Bay area and rent a car. Driving in San Francisco is a bit intimidating, but not nearly as bad as New York or Boston. Parking is available (although sometimes pricey downtown). And a car gives you flexiblity that you wouldn t have relying on public transportation.
San Francisco is a great place for walking. Short blocks and many bars, coffee places restaurants in most neighborhoods. Traveling by Muni Bus is a good way to go - usually there is a bus within a block or 2 from just about every location in SF. Get a tourist map of the city - they are everywhere for free - at the airport or at hotels or tourist site. Past the advertising sections, there will be a good map of the major areas of the city. Also it will have info of current events attractions. i ususally pick one up when I get back to SF. Also BART will take you from SFO into SF - check at the SFO transportation counter for directions to the bus transfers. BART will also get you to Oakland airport.
If you are planning to see the usual places in The City, walking and city buses. Either cabs or parking is pricey. If you planning to go outside the city to places such as the wine country or Muir Woods, then rent a car. If you do rent a car, you can see more of the city such as the view from the top of Twin Peaks and the vewpoint at the Sausalito side of the GGB (and Sausalito of course, once you are there).
actually, surprisingly enough, with the recent MUNI fare hikes, BART withing the SF city limits (embarcadero to balboa park) is actually 25 cents CHEAPER than MUNI(only $1.75). it limits where you can travel, but is great if you are headed downtown or want to explore the underrated southern part of the city.
Between the MUNI trains and buses, you should have no problem getting around the city. SF is small. A car rental is not needed.
i would say a car if possible, but MUNI is fairly decent
going alone? adult? go on a tourist bus ive been on one forgot how much it cost for adults