I traveled to San Francisco in March with my brother, who was visiting from England. We rode the train from Anaheim, with a change to the Coast Starlight in Los Angeles. It was such a relief to just sit back and enjoy the view instead of driving. Plus driving involves parking, which is at a premium, with hotels charging $40-50 per night for parking. Why not enjoy a meal and a drink while relaxing in the observation car instead.
The train stops in Oakland and an Amtrak bus takes you to San Francisco. Purchase your tickets to San Francisco wharf so you don’t have to find your own way from Oakland. The bus driver was so kind to drop us off at our hotel, due to arriving in the late evening. We spent two nights in San Francisco at the Best Western Plus (The Tuscan) in the wharf area, which was very accommodating.
Take advantage of the City Sightseeing bus. You can hop on and off during the ride on your 24 or 48 hour pass, depending on the ticket you purchase. There are several ticket options for the City Sightseeing bus with a cost of about $49 for a 24 hour pass. The bus really gives an excellent tour, with a very informative guide on board. Our pass included three bus tours that are differentiated by colored tracks on their provided map. On one of our tours we rode the bus to Sausalito and took the ferry back to the ferry terminal in San Francisco. The cost was about $11.00, but worth it. The ferry travels very close to Alcatraz for some great photo ops. It’s just a short walk back to the wharf area from the ferry terminal. You can take a trolley or taxi if you don’t want to walk.
We had lunch at Codmother’s Fish and Chips in the wharf area. The location is a trailer in a parking area that is now hosting several food trailers with many culinary delights. We jumped back on the bus and rode it until dinner time. We got off the bus at Union Square and walked a short distance, up hill of course, to China Town. The food there is authentic, and there is some great shopping after the meal. We rode a cable car back to the hotel after our meal and shopping, because the City Sightseeing bus stops running around 5:00PM.
Our trip back home involved catching the bus at 7:30AM. Food options are limited at that time of the morning. Most of the restaurants open after 8:00AM. Luckily we found a coffee shop near the stop serving doughnuts and coffee.
I tried the Amtrak Signature steak on the way home. It was a little pricey but worth it. I think that everyone should try the dinning car on a train at least once. It’s a great experience and the staff was wonderful. One of the staff even showed me some of the sleeping car cabins for future reservation plans. Meals are included with sleeping car accommodations, as well as a movie room and bar lounge. Train travel is an excellent way to see any country with many opportunities to meet travelers from all over the world, if you’re the chatty type.
San Francisco is a great place to explore on a weekend trip or longer vacations. Why not pop over to Napa if you have the time.