Priceline Hotel: Do I need a car?

[slolar]

I will be visiting SF in June. We will be staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area (I'll post as soon as I get a hotel!). Is it necessary to have a car in SF? I'm perfectly happy to figure out the BART system to get around. The one thing I *would* want to do is to visit wine country 1 or 2 days, which I imagine requires a car. Is it possible to rent a car in the city for a day (via the hotel)? How best to get from airport to hotel? Any info would be be greatly appreciated!

Sara

[bbbb]

You can ride the Bart from SFO or OAK to the Embarcadero area and get a cab from there. You could also take a shuttle for around $20 per person. Parking in San francisco is just out of control. Last time I was there I paid $40 per night. I don't think you will have a problem finding a rental can in the area. Most major hotels have desks in their lobbys. You might also want to see the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour of Alcatraz is also a great fun thing to see, and it does not cost that much. If you go make sure you get the audio tour. Also buy the tickets online early before you go as June is high season and you won't get tickets at the window, trust me on this one.

http://www.bart.gov/index.aspx

[Colfax]

BART doesn't go to Fisherman's Wharf so you'll need to take a cab or Muni between your hotel and a BART station. If you're flexible to location (not just Fisherman's Wharf) some of the Union Square and Embarcadero hotels are within a block or two of a BART station. Staying in Fisherman's Wharf adds one more step to your airport commutes, but it's doable.

You need a car to go to Napa, unless you go on an organized tour. There's enough to see around Napa that it's worth staying overnight at a hotel in the area, if you have the time.