San Francisco - Alison Bing [234]
From the depot at 4th and King Sts in San Francisco, Caltrain (800-660-4287; www.caltrain.com) heads south to Millbrae (connecting to BART and SFO, 30 minutes), Palo Alto (one hour) and San Jose (1½ hours). This is primarily a commuter line, with frequent departures during weekday rush hours and less often between non-rush hours and on weekends.
The train routes Amtrak (800-872-7245; www.amtrakcalifornia.com) runs with government support through the San Francisco Bay are some of the most scenic in the USA, so take advantage while government subsidies last. The Coast Starlight is a spectacular 35-hour run from Los Angeles to Seattle via Oakland, and the California Zephyr takes its sweet time (51 hours) traveling from Chicago through the ruggedly handsome Rockies and Sierra Nevada en route to Emeryville (near Oakland). Both have sleeping cars and dining/lounge cars with panoramic windows, and at $98 and $182 one-way respectively, these train journeys can be cheaper than air travel with far lower carbon emissions. For a modest fee, you can stop along the route and resume your journey in a day or two. Amtrak runs free shuttle buses to San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Caltrain station from its terminals in Emeryville and Oakland’s Jack London Sq.
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DIRECTORY
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BUSINESS HOURS
CHILDREN
CLIMATE
COURSES
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
DISCOUNTS & CARDS
ELECTRICITY
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
EMERGENCY
HOLIDAYS
INTERNET ACCESS
LAUNDRY
LEGAL MATTERS
MAPS
MEDICAL SERVICES
MONEY
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
ORGANIZED TOURS
PETS
POST
RADIO
SAFETY
TAXES
TELEPHONE
TIME
TOILETS
TOURIST INFORMATION
TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES
VISAS
WOMEN TRAVELERS
WORK
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BUSINESS HOURS
Standard business hours are as follows. Nonstandard hours are listed in specific reviews.
Banks 9am-4:30pm or 5pm Monday to Friday (occasionally 9am to noon Saturday)
Offices 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday
Restaurants Breakfast 8am to noon, lunch noon to 3pm, dinner 5:30pm to 10pm; Saturday and Sunday brunch 10am to 2pm
Shops 10am or 11am to 6pm or 7pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 6pm Sunday
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CHILDREN
San Francisco has the fewest kids per capita of any US city, which translates to fewer playmates for your kids and lots of doting attention from grown-ups. Most venues listed in this book are kid-friendly, even some of the high-end restaurants. To find the best places for children, just look for the symbol. For more on traveling with kids, check out Lonely Planet’s Travel with Children.
Most museums and parks in town are equipped to keep kids happy and hyper-stimulated. Golden Gate Park has something for every kid: a butterfly-filled rainforest dome and penguins at the California Academy of Sciences, miniature forests at the Japanese Tea Garden, and paddleboats and tandem bikes at Stow Lake. In the Marina, kids squeal their way through the Tactile Dome at the Exploratorium and fly kites at Crissy Field. For vacation photo-ops, check out the charming old carousel and sea lions at Pier 39 Click here, historic ships Click here, and 19th-century arcade games at Musée Mécanique Click here.
Uphill journeys can become big adventures on cable cars Click here, and a ferry ride Click here can make a grand day out. Alcatraz fascinates and creeps out kids, and keeps them on their best behavior for hours.
Other key entertainment options for wee ones are the Asian Art Museum, Zeum, Portsmouth Square, St Mary’s Park, Mission Dolores Park and the Cartoon Art Museum.
Being a cool auntie or uncle (or mom or dad) is easy when you’re in the know about all the hip hot spots for teens in SF, which currently include the following:
Haight St SFO Snowboarding & FTC Skateboarding, Amoeba Music and Loyal Army