San Francisco Travel Blog

Finding an inexpensive place to stay in San Francisco may seem like a daunting task, but it’s realistic and possible! Forget those cheap, bedbug-ridden hotels in undesirable locales. Hostelling International’s three San Francisco hostels are the best deal in town. They all offer private rooms as...

Over the weekend, I discovered a perfect little neighborhood spot for strong coffee and a nibble. It all started when I was wandering up Hyde St, looking down so as not to step in the fresh crap on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, I witnessed a debit card spill out of the back pocket of a strolling couple....

Union Square is tourist central and with that comes an excess of lousy, overpriced dining experiences. Follow the golden traveler rule and look two streets over from the Powell Street main drag. You can still hear the cable car ding at all of these spots we’ve crowned the best restaurants in Union...

Need some peace and quiet? Craving space for contemplation? Even laid back San Francisco can feel like a zoo. Traffic, honking taxis, and hustle-bustle common to every city is no stranger in California. Fortunately, it’s easy to escape without ever leaving the concrete jungle. Disappear behind the...

The debauchery of the holidays is over. Time to get out of sloth-mode and move, just a little bit. Shed that fruitcake! San Francisco is not only home to one yoga studio per block (kidding…well, not really), but also an array of unique workouts, which one-up the standard New Year’s joining-of-the-gym ...

Had a few too many glasses of California chardonnay? Those fresh oysters, hot chocolate and sourdough bread not getting along inside? Need a toilet pronto? You’ve come to the best place. (The best place in Australia, however, is a hundred times as good: the Aussie federal government keeps an up...

In the first of an irregular series, your Bay Area Local Expert profiles a Bay Area neighborhood that’s just off the beaten path. For this inaugural Neighborhood in Profile, I’ve chosen a neighborhood that really stands out, both for its character and for its accessibility. The Rockridge...

Say you’re from Ireland, and the bitter feeling of being robbed of World Cup qualification by Thierry Henry’s cheating left hand caused you to rashly book a U.S. vacation for the entire month of the World Cup, June 11th to July 11th. You figured you couldn’t bear the pain of all the...

The City by the Bay is a famously foodie destination, and you could put on a pound or twenty trying to taste its many splendors. So why not burn off a few calories while working up that appetite by taking a culinary walking tour? The grande dame of these tasty tours is Shirley Fong-Torres, founder...

Unlike most American cities, San Francisco’s public transportation is pretty damn good, thanks in large part to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) lines covering San Francisco, the Peninsula, and the East Bay. Also unlike many American cities, San Francisco’s and northern California’s beer is world-class,...