San Francisco - Rental Car

[kelley182]

It's looks like we need a rental car for part of our trip to San Francisco but the hotels charge something crazy like $45 to park a car.  Are there alternate places to park a car in Union Square?  Maybe a parking garage?

TIA!

[cheezer]

Try a parking app like Spot Hero. But no matter what parking in Union Square is going to be a miserable situation - either in expense or trying to find parking.

If you do manage to find street parking, you need to turn your wheels or else you'll get a ticket.

[kaylie]

I rented a car from a Hertz near Union Square (got a pretty good deal through priceline, too) and just returned it at the end of the day. That way I didn't have to pay the hotel $$$ to park. There is a public parking garage right at Union Square that was around $25/day I think.

[emilyinchile]

Mar 6, 2015 20:07:06 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Mar 6, 2015 19:25:24 GMT -5 kelley182 said:

It's looks like we need a rental car for part of our trip to San Francisco but the hotels charge something crazy like $45 to park a car.  Are there alternate places to park a car in Union Square?  Maybe a parking garage?

TIA!

Do you mind me asking why you need a rental car?  I absolutely abhor driving in the city and I've lived here for years.  There may be a better option if you let us know what you need it for.

Ditto this.

[v]

Mar 7, 2015 8:23:15 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Mar 6, 2015 20:07:06 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Do you mind me asking why you need a rental car?  I absolutely abhor driving in the city and I've lived here for years.  There may be a better option if you let us know what you need it for.

Ditto this.

I am also wondering.

But if you do *need*  a car, can't you just get a car for the days you need it?  We did a San Francisco/Sonoma trip a few years ago and we definitely needed a rental car for the Sonoma portion -- but we picked the car up at the airport, did Sonoma, and then the first thing we did in San Francisco was return the car.  That way we didn't need to pay for parking.

[marytini]

We also just rented a car for a day to go to Muir Woods, Saualito etc and returned it the same day. Much easier than worrying about parking.

[1confused1]

Mar 7, 2015 14:50:42 GMT -5 v said:

Mar 7, 2015 8:23:15 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Ditto this.

I am also wondering.

But if you do *need*  a car, can't you just get a car for the days you need it?  We did a San Francisco/Sonoma trip a few years ago and we definitely needed a rental car for the Sonoma portion -- but we picked the car up at the airport, did Sonoma, and then the first thing we did in San Francisco was return the car.  That way we didn't need to pay for parking.

x4  I avoid driving in the city like I avoid the plague.

[spankswife]

We rented a car, did wine country, then dropped it off when we got to SF. Our last day we got one again, did Muir Woods, PCH, and dropped it at the airport.

Totally not worth having it in the city if you can avoid it.

[kelley182]

Mar 6, 2015 20:07:06 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Mar 6, 2015 19:25:24 GMT -5 kelley182 said:

It's looks like we need a rental car for part of our trip to San Francisco but the hotels charge something crazy like $45 to park a car.  Are there alternate places to park a car in Union Square?  Maybe a parking garage?

TIA!

Do you mind me asking why you need a rental car?  I absolutely abhor driving in the city and I've lived here for years.  There may be a better option if you let us know what you need it for.

Well we're only going to be there for 5 days/4 nights.  The first night we're going to Monterrey.  Then somewhere else in there we're going to drive up to a river (sorry DH knows the name but I can't recall it right now) and do a wine tour.  So it's either rent a car the entire time or rent a car, return it and then rent a car again.

[kelley182]

Mar 6, 2015 20:41:51 GMT -5 kaylie said:

I rented a car from a Hertz near Union Square (got a pretty good deal through priceline, too) and just returned it at the end of the day. That way I didn't have to pay the hotel $$$ to park. There is a public parking garage right at Union Square that was around $25/day I think.

Thanks! I'll see if I can find this location.

[mbcdefg]

Mar 8, 2015 22:10:14 GMT -5 kelley182 said:

Mar 6, 2015 20:07:06 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Do you mind me asking why you need a rental car?  I absolutely abhor driving in the city and I've lived here for years.  There may be a better option if you let us know what you need it for.

Well we're only going to be there for 5 days/4 nights.  The first night we're going to Monterrey.  Then somewhere else in there we're going to drive up to a river (sorry DH knows the name but I can't recall it right now) and do a wine tour.  So it's either rent a car the entire time or rent a car, return it and then rent a car again.

Is it Russian River?

We rented a car during our trip last year because MH wanted to visit some breweries north of the city, and we wanted to visit Muir Woods. We had the valet at our hotel park it in a nearby pay lot, which we'd normally never do but we got a good hotel deal on Priceline. But it turned out to be a disaster because they got into an accident with it and then jerked us around in regards to paying for it.

Anyway, ditto those who said to avoid renting a car if you can, or just schedule your out-of-city stuff for one day so that you can return it ASAP. It was SO hard to find street parking, and the gigantic hills were a nightmare to navigate. We're lifelong East Coasters and a local friend told us about the "California Stop" at stoplights ... we were terrified of the car rolling back down the hill when we started to go at the green lights. 

Normally we just walk in cities, but the hills and disjointed neighborhoods made it nearly impossible for us. And we couldn't seem to find a good way to take public transit. I don't know if that's just the way the city is, or if we were dopes who couldn't figure it out, but I wish we'd just returned the car after one day and then taken cabs everywhere else. 

[emilyinchile]

Just reread everything @sfgal530 says and picture me nodding along with her.

[Alyssa]

Driving in SF is scary busines; you have steep hills, horrendous traffic, double parked trucks, one way streets, MUNI train lanes....TERRIBLE parking options. Something about parallel parking on a hill scares the crap out of me. I would skip a rental and get a cab.

[definitelyO]

Mar 7, 2015 16:05:01 GMT -5 marytini said:

We also just rented a car for a day to go to Muir Woods, Saualito etc and returned it the same day. Much easier than worrying about parking.

this is what we did AND there was a rental place walking distance from our hotel on Fisherman's wharf so I didn't have to go back to SFO.

[marytini]

Mar 11, 2015 15:45:19 GMT -5 definitelyO said:

Mar 7, 2015 16:05:01 GMT -5 marytini said:

We also just rented a car for a day to go to Muir Woods, Saualito etc and returned it the same day. Much easier than worrying about parking.

this is what we did AND there was a rental place walking distance from our hotel on Fisherman's wharf so I didn't have to go back to SFO.

Oh yes, we rented from a place near our hotel. We didn't trek out to the airport at all.