I'm off to San Fran at the end of next week for eight nights as a COMPETITION prize win, any tips on places to go and see there?
Ta
El P
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Ta
El P
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San Francisco Advice wanted
- Thread starter El Presidente
- Start date
Digweeds Trousers
New member
Ah - oohhh I know this one! Our company has offices out there and it is without doubt in my opinion the greatest city in the US.
do the usual Alcatraz and Golden Gate bridge etc - BUT there are some musts. Go for lunch on a Saturday down in the Bay and get lashed up on an incredible South American beer called pilso - its draught and better than any of the cruddy American lagers.
You also have to go the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in the City Centre and go to the 35th floor bar - again Saturday nights are fantastic for totty (still great if you ahve a missus in tow) and you can drink cocktails, listen to great Tony Bennet style music live and look out over the bay, the bridge etc - incredible.
Also see if you can take in a baseball game - tickets are easy to get - and also get on the Bart (Bay Area Rail Transport) and go to Wamnut Creek - just a great little place, drink marvellous Californian red wine, eat superb steak and look at loads of Milfs and their daughters and wonder what your life could be....................
Friday nights in the city are great - there is an Irish bar called O'Bannions where all the city birds congregrate about 7pm and get on the lash - oh my eyes, oh my eyes..........
Have a great time!
do the usual Alcatraz and Golden Gate bridge etc - BUT there are some musts. Go for lunch on a Saturday down in the Bay and get lashed up on an incredible South American beer called pilso - its draught and better than any of the cruddy American lagers.
You also have to go the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in the City Centre and go to the 35th floor bar - again Saturday nights are fantastic for totty (still great if you ahve a missus in tow) and you can drink cocktails, listen to great Tony Bennet style music live and look out over the bay, the bridge etc - incredible.
Also see if you can take in a baseball game - tickets are easy to get - and also get on the Bart (Bay Area Rail Transport) and go to Wamnut Creek - just a great little place, drink marvellous Californian red wine, eat superb steak and look at loads of Milfs and their daughters and wonder what your life could be....................
Friday nights in the city are great - there is an Irish bar called O'Bannions where all the city birds congregrate about 7pm and get on the lash - oh my eyes, oh my eyes..........
Have a great time!
Last edited:
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
Quite predictable advice, but make sure you go to Alcatraz. A fantastic experience and an award winning audio tour. I walked about three hours to have a look at the Golden Gate Bridge, but the famous San Fran fog had covered the whole damn thing 
Take the tram somewhere, anywhere. SF is quite arty, so make sure you do some research as to any exhibitions that are on, there is normally plenty.
China Town was quite fun and had some nice eateries.
If you can organise transport, then I would recommend trying to get over to Yosemite National Park.
Take the tram somewhere, anywhere. SF is quite arty, so make sure you do some research as to any exhibitions that are on, there is normally plenty.
China Town was quite fun and had some nice eateries.
If you can organise transport, then I would recommend trying to get over to Yosemite National Park.
Seagull over NZ
Well-known member
Re Alcatraz it gets booked up pretty quickly so I would suggest going there early on in your trip and book for the next day or a few days after. You'll be surprised how quickly it gets booked up. Unfortunately its not the baseball season so you'll miss out there.
A trip over to Sau Solitio (sorry, not spelt right) either across the bridge or out on the ferry is also pretty good as its a cool little part of town there.
The area around where all the ferries go to Alcatraz etc is worth a visit as its quite entertaining with a few street entertainers and from there you can walk up the really steep streets to the most ridiculous twisty street in the world.
San Fran is great, been there twice before.
A trip over to Sau Solitio (sorry, not spelt right) either across the bridge or out on the ferry is also pretty good as its a cool little part of town there.
The area around where all the ferries go to Alcatraz etc is worth a visit as its quite entertaining with a few street entertainers and from there you can walk up the really steep streets to the most ridiculous twisty street in the world.
San Fran is great, been there twice before.
Must do the Napa Valley wine tour. Your hotel concierge will be able to arrange it no problem with pick up and drop off at your hotel.
A day cruising vineyards, tasting wine and hoping on and off a mini-bus may not sound like your bag, but boy is it worth it. The scenary is great. The pace is easy, but not too slow...you really get a move on to the next place. The more the day goes on the better you feel, obviously because you're getting more merrily pissed.
You get a great range of wines to taste and some great things to eat. You get a lunch stop off plus, and I think this is an underated element of the experience, you get other Americans from different states on your tour and you start to appreciate just how vast and different the US is e.g. some States are relaxed, others fast paced, others consider themselves more cultured. It's a riot. Really, really recommend it.
A day cruising vineyards, tasting wine and hoping on and off a mini-bus may not sound like your bag, but boy is it worth it. The scenary is great. The pace is easy, but not too slow...you really get a move on to the next place. The more the day goes on the better you feel, obviously because you're getting more merrily pissed.
You get a great range of wines to taste and some great things to eat. You get a lunch stop off plus, and I think this is an underated element of the experience, you get other Americans from different states on your tour and you start to appreciate just how vast and different the US is e.g. some States are relaxed, others fast paced, others consider themselves more cultured. It's a riot. Really, really recommend it.
Lord Bracknell
On fire
... be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
REDLAND
Active member
Buy loads of coloured balls and thrown them down Lombard Street
Mendoza
NSC's Most Stalked
probably the only place on earth more camp and gay than Brighton, great China town too.
Go surfing under the golden gate bridge is my recommendation
Go surfing under the golden gate bridge is my recommendation
I came across the best tramp ever in San Fran, just at the bottom of one of the cable car lines. Instead of making up the usual sorry excuses about what he wanted the money for he just shouted out "money for booze!" I reckon he did pretty well out of it too.
Alcatraz, Golden Gate, the area around Fishermans Wharf all worth a visit
Alcatraz, Golden Gate, the area around Fishermans Wharf all worth a visit
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
There was a guy dressed as a hippy with a sign saying "Need cash for weed", used to clean up. As well as 'The Bushman' - 20 years of dedicated service, hiding behind some bush branches, jumping out and scaring the tourists. 
By the waters edge/quay if my memory serves me correctly.
By the waters edge/quay if my memory serves me correctly.
"I've just booked 8 days in a hotel plus flight to San Fran for £650."
Did you win the £650 to spend on a holliday then?
- Thread starter
- #12
Nope, the prize was £1000 to spend on a holiday, the one priviso is that I have to visit a University for an hour whilst I am there. So I have £350 for SPENDS, and am off to see a Professor of FILM at Stanford.
Very nice too! If you excuse ur self 10 mins into the chat and head to the wash rooms for 1/2 an hour the time will fly! Btw head up to the Napa Valley while your there you wont regret it!
Peter Grummit
Well-known member
Make sure you wear that wig...
Tooting Gull
Well-known member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,033
Amazing city, you'll have a great time. Alcatraz is just a superb trip in good weather, especially if you've watched the films too much like me. Great breakfasts, especially one big place in Union Square, and also down by the ferry terminal. If you want a posh meal, I'd recommend Kuleto's in Union Sq. Also some seafood down near Fishermans Wharf.
The organised touristy tour in an open-sided bus is actually a really good and quick way to see SF, goes everywhere, up to Golden Gate and back past Pacific Heights. It is a shame you're out of baseball season, as the view (if you pick your seat carefully on the Giants web site) looking out over the bay is tops if the game is shite. Plenty of galleries to have a look round, if that's your bag.
Napa has to be done - we've still got a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's director's reserve in the kitchen, his vineyard is well worth a visit. Treat yourself, hire a convertible for the trip (very reasonable).
The organised touristy tour in an open-sided bus is actually a really good and quick way to see SF, goes everywhere, up to Golden Gate and back past Pacific Heights. It is a shame you're out of baseball season, as the view (if you pick your seat carefully on the Giants web site) looking out over the bay is tops if the game is shite. Plenty of galleries to have a look round, if that's your bag.
Napa has to be done - we've still got a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's director's reserve in the kitchen, his vineyard is well worth a visit. Treat yourself, hire a convertible for the trip (very reasonable).
Hannibal smith
New member
Obviously, The bridge is a must. The easiest way to see it is to hire a bike from around Pier 39 and ride over it. Carry onto Sausilito (sp?) the other side, have lunch and get the ferry back. The area is reasonably flat so you don't need to be by an means fit to bike it.
The sea lions on Pier 39 absolutely STINK.
The sea lions on Pier 39 absolutely STINK.
Barry Izbak
U.T.A.
All good advice but sadly the Giants (baseball) don't start until April so you'll miss one of the most superb ballparks in the States, even if they have one of the most hated players, but don't get me started.
The other attraction not to miss are the seals in the harbour. Hundreds of them laying around on the jetties by the bars. I watched them for ages. Excellent
- Thread starter
- #20
I'm sure if you wear your nice red outfit and wig you'll find all sorts of people only too happy to show you the best ways to have fun
ESPECIALLY as I'm from Brighton and am NOT taking Mrs El P