City Guide
- Population: 870,887 (estimated in 2016).
- Area Code: 415
- Tax: 16.25% - 16.6% on hotel rooms (based on hotel location), 8.75% sales tax on purchases
- Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is -8 hours GMT. Daylight Saving Time applies between second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November, during which its time offset is -7 hours GMT
- Credit Cards and Charge Cards are widely accepted. ATM machines can be found in many major downtown department stores, hotels, and the Moscone Center
Tipping Guidelines
- Restaurants: 15% - 20% of the total bill is a good general rule of thumb, however please note that many restaurants will automatically add 18% gratuity/tips to the bill for parties of 6 or more people
- Hotel Personnel/Porterage: $2.00 - $3.00 per piece of luggage or parcel
- Valet Parking: $2.00 - $3.00 to attendant
- Housekeeping Services: $2.00 - $3.00 daily
- Taxi/Towncar: 15% of total fare
- Concierge Services: $5.00 or more
- San Francisco International Airport connects non-stop with more than 65 cities in the U.S. and over 30 international destinations. Just across the Bay, Oakland International Airport is popular with low cost airlines and in recent years has been one of the nation's fastest growing airports.
- From San Francisco International Airport, taxicabs run regularly from designated taxi zones. Approximate fare to downtown San Francisco is $45-$60 plus tip. There are also numerous airport shuttles that run door-to-door service in shared ride vans. Approximate fare runs $14 - $17 per person. For public transit, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) operates rapid rail service directly between the airport and various locations throughout the Bay Area. One-way fare from the airport to downtown San Francisco is $9.65 per person. Similarly, Oakland airport also offers many options for ground transportation.
- Uber and Lyft are also available in San Francisco. Check the apps to see if cars are available nearby. A surcharge may apply for airport pickup/dropoff.
- One of the best ways to see San Francisco is on foot. After all, San Francisco was rated as the "most walkable" city in the U.S. San Francisco City Guides offer free walking tours everyday of the week, on a year-round basis. If you prefer to be on wheels, Bay City Bike offers self-guided bike rental tours.
- Public transportation (including the world-famous Cable Car) is largely served by San Francisco Municipal Railway. Basic fare is $2.75, except for the Cable Car which is $7.00. Each fare is calculated per person each way.
- Car rentals are widely available at the airport, or if you are in the downtown area, Hertz Rent-A-Car has several locations in the city. Another popular way to sight see in the city is by GoCar, the first-ever GPS-guided Story-Telling car.
The dining scene in San Francisco is as diverse as the residents. Few places can compare in terms of quality and the dizzying number of options. The only problem you will face is in choosing where to go.
For restaurant reservations and other information, check Open Table.
| Convention CenterFinancial District & North Beach | Union Square & Downtown |
Union Square is among the top four shopping areas in the nation: boutiques, spas, galleries, and San Francisco's only Frank Lloyd Wright building line nearby Maiden Lane.