San Francisco flights and hotels?

[Just k]

Hi Everyone,

I am heading down to San Fran from TO in November for the first time and am looking for deals on flights. It is pretty expensive so far..about 600 plus. Anyone had any luck with flights that are more reasonable?

Also I am looking for a hotel for a few days, even a vacation rental or something, does anyone know of any good sites to check out other than craigslist? Also, what areas would be cool to stay in (lots to do around, artsy places, ethnic places and/or places not too far to get to by bus/car)? Are there places that I should totally avoid to stay in. It will just be my husband and myself...so let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks!
K

[new_vr]

Hi Everyone,

I am heading down to San Fran from TO in November for the first time and am looking for deals on flights. It is pretty expensive so far..about 600 plus. Anyone had any luck with flights that are more reasonable?

Also I am looking for a hotel for a few days, even a vacation rental or something, does anyone know of any good sites to check out other than craigslist? Also, what areas would be cool to stay in (lots to do around, artsy places, ethnic places and/or places not too far to get to by bus/car)? Are there places that I should totally avoid to stay in. It will just be my husband and myself...so let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks!
K
You can sign up for kayak...it finds all the prices every day, and emails them to you.
I booked my hotel thru hotwire.com and it was a pretty good deal.

[Just k]

Thats a good idea .. Will get on board with Kayak. Hotwire is not a bad idea either, but I just don't know where to stay in San Fran. Any ideas?

[new_vr]

I stayed in Fishermans Wharf, which is touristy but otherwise fine.
I think Union Square would be nice.
There are some areas that are a little seedy..but for the most part it's a really nice city.

[at1212b]

San Fran is a awesome place. I would highly recommend anybody to go there. And as such, it is a World Class city with alot of history and true eclectic culture and scene.

They even had a old TTC Streetcar there (the PCC ones). Amazing to see people still ride that as daily transportation.

I found that there is no cheap way from Toronto to San Fran directly. San Fran comes with world class prices without the access. That access is reserved for LAX (LA International Airport). With that being the hub of the West. It might be a bit cheaper to connect from LAX as well as coming back.

Back when I went a few months ago, alot of sales and flights to LA, but none whatsoever directly to San Fran. So it doesn't look like there's a easy way around it... connecting flights of some sorts might be best option for price, but at the expense of losing a whole day at the airports and on planes.

[Just k]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely check out Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf area hotels...found some decent deals on Kayak and there are some to be had on hotwire as well. San Fran does sound amazing but you are right, there is no away around the price. I may be able to use that air canada promo code and reduce the price a tad, which may make me feel a little bit better!

I can't wait to explore the city. Any cool places to check out that aren't standard/typical?

K

[new_vr]

I definitely recommend renting a car for a day or two, and heading down hwy 1...maybe to santa cruz or something. We also went through Big Basin Redwoods Park, which was just awesome.
In the city, I recommend getting a transit pass. The one that works on the cable cars is good, because otherwise they are expensive.

[webworm]

Hi Everyone,

I am heading down to San Fran from TO in November for the first time and am looking for deals on flights. It is pretty expensive so far..about 600 plus. Anyone had any luck with flights that are more reasonable?

Also I am looking for a hotel for a few days, even a vacation rental or something, does anyone know of any good sites to check out other than craigslist? Also, what areas would be cool to stay in (lots to do around, artsy places, ethnic places and/or places not too far to get to by bus/car)? Are there places that I should totally avoid to stay in. It will just be my husband and myself...so let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks!
K

Check out Southwest because they have 50% of fares until Oct 23rd. You can get $223.00 including taxes.
Southwest Airlines Air Itinerary and Pricing
Air Itinerary
Trip Date Day Stops Routing Flight Routing Details
Depart Nov 08 Sat 1 BUF-LAS-SFO 2984 Depart Buffalo (BUF) at 11:50 AM
Arrive in Las Vegas (LAS) at 2:00 PM
250 Change planes in Las Vegas (LAS) departing at 2:55 PM
Arrive in San Francisco (SFO) at 4:35 PM
Return Nov 15 Sat 1 SFO-LAS-BUF 2216 Depart San Francisco (SFO) at 11:15 AM
Arrive in Las Vegas (LAS) at 12:55 PM
247 Change planes in Las Vegas (LAS) departing at 2:00 PM
Arrive in Buffalo (BUF) at 9:15 PM

Pricing
Passenger
Type Trip Routing Type of Fare Base Fare Fare
Discount
of 50%
Adjusted
Fare U.S.
Taxes PFC Security
Fee1 Passenger(s) Total
Adult Depart BUF-LAS-SFO Wanna Get Away $161.86 $80.93 $80.93 $13.07 $9.00 $5.00 1 $108.00
Return SFO-LAS-BUF Wanna Get Away $174.88 $87.44 $87.44 $13.56 $9.00 $5.00 1 $115.00

Total $336.74 $168.37 $168.37 $26.63 $18.00 $10.00 $223.00
1 Security Fee is the government-imposed September 11th Security Fee.

[huskylord]

Back in September I got a good deal for the Westin St. Francis through priceline. Give it a try. I really liked the room and loved the location.

[pnorris3]

As the one poster mentioned I would try flying out of Buffalo if you can. You can get much cheaper flights to San Francisco than flying out of Toronto.

[JC69]

Don't stay in the Tenderloin area...lots of good food there but it's seedy. Book your Alcatraz trip before you go, they sell out fast. You can get the Alcatraz trip included with a Citypass which also includes the transit system pass and access to the MOMA and other museums/galleries. Fly from the US, we got flights for just over $300 (Syracuse), but watch out for supplements on baggage etc.

[porkchopbread]

I'm going to SF myself in 2 weeks. I'm driving down to the states and flying out to SF from there.

If I flew from Vancouver, it would have cost me $400+ per person with Air Canada. I'm flying from Bellingham (which is 30 minutes after the border), after the currency exchange, it is $525 for 2 people.

So maybe if it's possible for you is to see what kind of deals you can get from a nearby US airport.

I found a hotel on the internet that seemed ok. It's called Andrew's Hotel. About $110 a night. A few blocks off union square. The reviews on trip advisor look good.

[Eyeman]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely check out Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf area hotels...found some decent deals on Kayak and there are some to be had on hotwire as well. San Fran does sound amazing but you are right, there is no away around the price. I may be able to use that air canada promo code and reduce the price a tad, which may make me feel a little bit better!

I can't wait to explore the city. Any cool places to check out that aren't standard/typical?

K

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf except for a quick visit. It has become one of the world's major tourist traps. I'd recommend The Seal Rock Inn for a good inexpensive place to stay. It's out near the ocean and Cliff House and the Great Highway, a nice scenic area.

As far as airlines are concerned, check Oakland and San Jose. They are usually cheaper and less congested.

[wannadeal]

Recently opened to the public:
California Academy of Sciences - the only place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof. I saw it on discovery channel and it looked very interesting! enjoy the link!
http://www.calacademy.org/