San Francisco Driving
Parking Strategies
The San Francisco parking enemy lurks...
Parking is San Francisco is very difficult and expensive. Most hotels charge extra
for parking. Street parking is as easy to find as winning the lottery. The city owns a few
very high tech lots near busy areas such as
Union Square which are not too bad. Before
renting a car for your trip, you should strongly consider investing your $40/day in
taxicabs. Taxi's don't have to park and save you a lot of stress.
Basically, the only good thing about having a car in S.F. is travel to outlying
areas such as Napa and Monterey. Within the city, it is highly counterproductive.
At San Francisco International Airport - there are many
airport parking lots for you to
safely park your car on an out-of-town trip.
When parking in
residential areas of San Francisco - if you take the time to circle to the
further areas from restaurants and shops, you can find free parking but walk a
bit (good exercise!).
In commercial areas
(Union Square,
Fisherman's Wharf) - the same sort of rules apply.
You need to explore parking areas that are further from the central destination
to find the lower priced lots. We've listed some of the most
convenient parking lots below for the major
San Francisco tourist attractions.
Best
Parking Lots By (Popular!) Area:
Fisherman's Wharf (Near
Pier 39):
Pier 39 Garage - Enter at 2550 Powell Street
Pier 39's garage is open 24x7.
Restaurant customers who eat at one of Pier 39's full-service restaurants
receive one hour free validated parking at lunch and two hours after 6 pm for
dinner. The PIER 39 parking garage clearance is 6 ft. 8 inches high for
your truck. Prices
shown in the photo above (live!) as of 2006.Academy of Art
College - Enter at 2350 Stockton
Radisson Fisherman's Wharf - Enter at 250 Beach
Union Square
Fifth and Mission
Garage - Enter at 833 Mission - Cheap with (wow!) 2,585 parking spaces, but a little walking. Phone
for details - (415) 982-8522 Rates as of
April 2006:
| 0-1 Hours |
$2 |
| 1-2 Hours |
$5 |
| 2-3 Hours |
$7 |
| 3-4 Hours |
$9 |
| 4-5 Hours |
$11 |
| 5-6 Hours |
$14 |
Union Square
Underground Garage - Very convenient to Union Square with 985 parking
spaces - Enter at 333 Post.
Phone for details - (415) 397-0631
| 0-1 Hours |
$2 |
| 1-2 Hours |
$5 |
| 2-3 Hours |
$8 |
| 3-4 Hours |
$12 |
| 4-5 Hours |
$16 |
Jesse Square
Garage
- Enter at 223 Stevenson. Open until 11pm - Phone for details
415-978-9634
| 1-2 Hours |
$4 |
| 2-3 Hours |
$6 |
| Daily Max |
$19 |
| In by 10am Daily |
$14 |
San Francisco (SFO) Airport:
Skypark - $16 outdoor / $19 indoor covered - Recommended. Free coffee, donuts, bagels, and newspapers. Auto service and cleaning available if requested during your trip. (650) 875-6655
Parking Corporation of America - $12 per day with tax - self park, uncovered. (650) 877-0250 / South San Francisco
Park 'N Fly - $13 per day with tax - Self park, uncovered. South San Francisco (650) 877-0304
SeaTac Parking - Seattle Airport
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