San Francisco Trip Advice

[UMBS Go Blue]

VTA Light Rail and VTA Buses are cash / Clipper (see below) only - http://www.vta.org/services/tvm.html

Might be better to get a day pass then ($6) instead of $2 for each one-way trip if you also plan to take/transfer onto a VTA bus? Each one-way ride on VTA Light Rail is valid only on Light Rail and is not transferable onto bus, and vice versa.

SF Muni fares, also $2, are valid for 90 minutes and give you unlimited transfers between Muni light rail and bus. At $21 for a 3-day pass, do you plan to use Muni for at least four 90-minute trips per day? If not, then better to do a series of one-way trips within SF and just walk as much as you can. If you do plan to use the cable cars, however, then the 3-day pass is a good deal, because it includes cable car use which is $6 each way ($3 in early mornings and late nights).

While there is a Walgreen's at the SF Caltrain terminal, this particular outlet does not sell 3-day Muni passes. Muni Light Rail (N-Judah and T-Third lines) do serve the SF Caltrain terminal (a.k.a. "4th and King"), and here you can buy 1-way Muni tickets (or Clipper cards) at SF Muni vending machines. Here is a list of all locations in SF to buy SF Muni passes.
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/farezip.php?prod=3D
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm

There is a Clipper Card (http://www.clippercard.com), by the way, which you can buy at all Bay Area Walgreen's outlets and at SF Muni ticket vending machines. This is a handy stored-value card that lets you pay for one-way trips on both VTA, Caltrain, and Muni. You can also load a VTA day pass onto the Clipper Card, but I don't think you can load the SF Muni 3-day pass onto it. On VTA and Muni, you only need to swipe the card upon entering a station or a vehicle. On Caltrain, you need to swipe the card upon entering a station and departing your final destination. You can top up your Clipper Card at any SF Muni and BART vending machine; last I took Caltrain, they were also installing Clipper reloading machines at the SF Caltrain terminal but I don't know if these are operational yet.

[manhn]

Just returned from San Jose/San Fran. I had an awesome time. And it was great meeting up with an FSUer who shall remain nameless.

Anyways, some impressions.

1) In n Out lives up to the hype, people. Great burgers.

2) Santana Row is a lot of fun. Suck it, haterz!

3) Goodness gracious, do you have to take the highway/freeway whenever you go anywhere in San Jose?

4) My favourite neighbourhood in SF is the Haight/Ashbury area (the sun has a different light than I am used to), but I would want to live in the Mission District. In ten years, SOMA will be so cool to revisit.

5) SF has cleaned up a lot since I last was here. Yes, there are still homeless people but their panhanding was not nearly as aggressive.

6) Best coffee: Philz Coffee. OMG, GREAT! And also, Lee's Sandwiches. Vietnamese coffee rocks!

7) My legs hurt so much from walking. And I have to say that MUNI is sloowwwwwww. How do locals go around without injury?

[skatesindreams]

I'm delighted that you enjoyed your trip!