public transportation tutors

Are there people in the hotels or at various points of interest to help with understanding public transportation? I keep hearing how easy it is to use, but I%26#39;ve looked at the maps and tried the trip planner and it%26#39;s all still quite confusing to me. I%26#39;ve also never ridden a city bus in my life, so that probably explains it. But I%26#39;m on my own a lot while my hubby is in a conference and I%26#39;d love to run all over the city and do things during the day. Will I be able to find people at the hotel to help me plan my trip? Of should I just budget for a lot of cabs?

public transportation tutors

you%26#39;ve gotta just do it. you%26#39;ll likely end up going the wrong direction once or twice, so you get off and go back the other way. That%26#39;s how you learn it. I always expect to get turned around once or twice while navigating a new public transport system (London Underground and buses being the last.) I%26#39;m a seasoned city-dweller and I did get turned around at least twice on my last visit to London. The key is to not panic about it. You can always get off at the next stop. you can ask the driver if you%26#39;re on the right bus. you can also take cabs for those trips that look too confusing with too many transfers or the like. It%26#39;s all part of exploring the city. Once you do it a couple times, you%26#39;ll realize it%26#39;s a piece of cake.

public transportation tutors

The S.F. transit system actually isn%26#39;t as difficult as it seems. I suspect one reason it has you befuddled is that when you try to read the maps, they look like a spaghetti maze of lines and colors. This is actually a good sign! It tells you there is extensive service all over the City at all hours, by several different kinds of vehicles.

Where are you staying? The concierge at your hotel should be able to help you, and will most likely have an assortment of maps and such. If you%26#39;re in a small hotel without a concierge, ask the desk clerk. Also, if you tell us where you%26#39;re staying and where you%26#39;re interested in going, we can probably suggest more than one way to get there.

Most transit drivers will also be happy to answer questions, although heavy commute traffic might make them less patient than in midday. Cable car gripmen and conductors, and drivers on bus routes around visitor magnets like Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf, Chinatown, Union Square, or Golden Gate Park have heard all the common questions. And if you get really desperate, most passengers will also be glad to help when they realize you%26#39;re visiting.

We%26#39;re staying at the Hyatt Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf.

I%26#39;m thinking that I%26#39;d like to go to North Beach (if you need me to be more specific, I can be), Union Square and the Haight.

Also, we have a tour that leaves from the Ferry building. Because it%26#39;s early on a Sunday morning, I%26#39;m thinking we should take a cab to get there, but we could probably catch a bus or cable car back, right?

Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice. I%26#39;m pretty good in cities, but since many of these excoursions will be me alone, I don%26#39;t want to look too touristy.

If you are a walker, North Beach is walkable from Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf

I wouldn%26#39;t ask a concierge about anything but getting reservations for dinner or theatre. I find that few of them live here or know as much as sub-urbanites such as mini.

Go to the nearest bus or streetcar stop to ask the people there how to get where you%26#39;re going. They%26#39;re the BEST source of help and accurate information. Don%26#39;t even THINK of taking a taxi unless you%26#39;re late getting somewhere.

The FLAG/MAPS page geocities.com/iconoc/Grafix/FlagMaps.html has links to the best on-line MAP of San Francisco, an inter-active PDF created for the San Francisco Municipal Railway best viewed at 150% or greater magnification. There%26#39;s also a link that will tell you HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE. Among other maps and links on the page is an outstanding WALKER/BICYCLIST map that shows the steepness of our streets, a map of our CABLE CAR ROUTES, our 49-mile SCENIC DRIVE, and a superb map of GOLDEN GATE PARK.

The North Beach neighborhood is several square blocks, and your hotel is at the north edge of it. If you have a map, look for Columbus Avenue, which is just south of the hotel. The main streets are Columbus, Powell, Stockton, Grant, and Union. Washington Square Park and Coit Tower/Telegraph area are in North Beach. As you go farther south from Union, you transition into Chinatown.

If the walk to Chinatown or beyond it to Union Square is a bit long, either the Powell-Mason or Powell-Hyde cable car will get you there. Mason is closer to the hotel but Hyde has more spectacular hills and views. If you are of an age to remember Karl Malden%26#39;s TV series ';Streets of San Francisco,'; you saw the Powell-Hyde cable car countless times.

From the Wharf, the F streetcar line goes all the way to Market and Castro, and the Ferry Building is right on the way. It starts running after 6:00 a.m. on weekends. It runs entirely at street level, not in the subway, so it%26#39;s great for sightseeing or just to be able to see where you are.

There are multiple ways to get to the Haight! I can%26#39;t decide which one to suggest. Maybe one of the most direct is to take a cable car to Market and transfer to the 6, 7, 66, or 71 bus. The 71 also runs along the south side of Golden Gate Park and gives you access to sites in the central area like the De Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, or Arboretum.

For someone using only public transit, the MUNI (Municipal Railway) passports can save you a lot of money. They are good on all city transit for 1, 3, or 7 days. Adult cable car fares are $5.00, with no transfer or reboarding; other fares are $1.50 with transfer or reboarding for 90 minutes or more. Scroll down to ';Passports'; on this web page.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/fareinfo.htm

Spend some time on the MUNI website http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mhome/home50.htm

and you%26#39;ll become a confident expert! You can always ask the driver or a passenger for advice.

30 Stockton and F line are your two transit lines, piece of cake, fun people watching. Be cafeful returning as the you want to find Sutter at Stockton or the Powell Mason Street cable car to return. The 30 bus is very crowded returning to your hotel through Chinatown.

Thank you so much for everyone who took the time to help me out! I%26#39;ve been studying the maps, and the only thing I%26#39;m still a little confused on is this - how do I see where the actual stops are on the routes? I can see where some of them have transfer numbers, so I assume they definitely stop there, but is that it? And do they always stop at every stop or do I need to pull a cord or something like in the movies? Sorry to sound like an idiot, but I drive from my driveway to a parking lot every day on my five minute commute. I%26#39;m pretty sheltered with mass transit. I did ride a city bus in Vegas, but that%26#39;s just one end of the street street to the other!

I think I%26#39;m doing well though - planning our routes to Union Square, church at St. Peter and Paul, Beach Blanket Babylon, The Haight, the Ferry Building and everywhere else!

All of the regular bus lines (numbered lines on map) and cable cars (named by street) have stops every 1-2 blocks. The stops aren%26#39;t shown on the map because it would make it impossible to read.

The streetcars (lettered lines) have designated stops every 3-4 blocks. Most--but not all--stops are shown on the map.

The numbered lines that end in L or X are limited or express (respectively) bus routes with designated stops. Be careful catching these, as they do not stop frequently. Most--but not all--stops are shown on the map. Based on your plans, the only time you should be on one of these routes is if you take the 71L to the Haight.

On the bus, you need to pull the stop cord (near the windows) when you get near your destination. The art is in pulling the cord just after the bus passes the stop prior to the one you want. You do not need to pull a cord on the cable car; just hop on and off when the vehicle is stopped. (Don%26#39;t jump in front of traffic!) On the streetcars, you generally don%26#39;t have to pull the stop cord, but it is a good idea to do so just in case.

Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions here!

P.S. Don%26#39;t bother asking a concierge for transit directions. Ask a local; most are happy to help and have a much better understanding of the system. Bus drivers typically have selective knowledge of Muni, so ask them only when passengers can%26#39;t help you.