Help with staying outside San Francisco

[sbouncer]

Hi all,

Hope someone can help me out with some information, my family is planning a week in the San Francisco area in June. We are interested in seeing things in and around the city as well as the areas around Napa Valley. My question is: We are looking at staying around Pleasant Hill, CA, with that is the BART system easy to use to get in and out of the city? Or shuld we look at staying closer. We are looking out there because there was a good price on a 2 bedroom suite at the Residence Inn, I couldn't seem to find anything with 2 bedrooms reasonable in the city....Oh, we will have a car as well......Thanks in advance for any ideas or comments.

 

[grizbuzz]

Hmmm...I wouldn't recommend staying in Pleasant Hill. I live in the East Bay and while I do really love living here, it's a very different feel than the city. We actually feel like we're going on a "mini-vacation" when we go to in SF. You're looking at an hour commute (the BART ride alone is almost 40 minutes) to get into SF from Pleasant Hill. And Pleasant Hill isn't getting you any closer to Napa area.

But if your priority is space - having 2 bedrooms - then this could work. Just don't expect the same experience as staying in the city, or staying in Napa.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I don't know much about the East Bay - we normally just drive through it, but I did want to give you a heads up that BART doesn't go to the North Bay (Marin, Sonoma, Napa counties) so you'll still have to figure out another mode of transportation for that. Have fun!

 

[mamacatnv]

We always stay at the Four-Points Sheraton in Pleasanton/Dublin and take BART into SFO. We like the access that area gives us to the San Jose area where we have family, SFO via BART is only an hour away and very easy to manuever and so much better than driving and parking in SFO proper, IMO. The BART train out of Pleasanton is direct and you don't need to switch trains which is another thing we like.

We have looked at staying in the Concord/Walnut Creek area but always end up going with the Sheraton since we really love the Hotel. It has a great pool for the kids and the weekend rates are super cheap for bay area anything.

 

[honeymom]

You might want to see if there is somewhere that you could stay in Marin with close proximity to the ferry. It is a really nice way to get around. Maybe there is something reasonable in the San Rafael area.

 

[sbouncer]

Thanks everyone for your replies....I know that my head is swimming trying to pull this event off for the family. We will have a car but I have heard that parking and getting around the city proper can be hard and quite expensive. I am still open for suggestions, but if anyone knows of anything we are really looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom suite where we can all park for the time we are there. Thanks again for the information.

 

[LindaM]

We stayed a week in Pacifica, which was only about 20 minutes to the Wharf by car. We stayed at the Best Western Lighthouse, which was on the beach, we had a suite which was huge, and parking was included. When searching we found quite a few hotels charging $30 a night to park your car.
There were quite a few quaint shops, they have a market 1 afternoon a week and you can watch the surfers from your hotel balcony, and some good restaurants close by. After a day of sightseeing it was really relaxing sitting on our balcony listening to ocean waves.

 

[spaceace510]

pacifica would be a pretty good location. but if you really want a bart city (which would have it bonuses for getting in and out of the SF, it would do nothing for getting to and from the north bay) here is the link for a bart map: http://www.bart.gov/stations/map/systemMap.asp
So if that helps any... Also I'm not 100% sure, but i think they have Napa wine tours or packeges you might look into for a day or something. With you get on a bus, they take you up, you do your thing and come back. And with others they include hotels and all that. I live in the East Bay so, if you need something looked up, i might be able to help you...please post back if none of that made sense

 

[grizbuzz]

If you have a car and don't need to take BART, I'd consider Emeryville. It's right across the Bay Bridge and easy access to I80 (the freeway) to get you to SF, Napa, Berkeley...wherever you want to go. The only thing is there isn't a BART stop there.

I see that there is a 2-bedroom at Woodfin suites in Emeryville
http://www.woodfinsuitehotels.com/emeryville/suites.cfm

Not sure on the prices, but I've stayed there before and it's a nice, clean hotel. We stayed there for a high school reunion and had a view room (of SF) and that was nice too.

 

[spaceace510]

also about Emeryville, it has a lot of shops and places to eat and tour on Bay Street. It has great views of the Bay, and is a pretty central location. Also Pixar Studios is located here...not that really matters...

 

[slruud]

I think you would be better off staying in the city. People have been winning the Hiltons...Financial District and USW...in the $70's. You could bid for two rooms, or check Hotwire for the number of people in your party. The only problem is parking, but some have figured out some strategies for that. Check http://betterbidding.com for more info. Hotwire has a 3* for sme dates I threw in in June in the Fisherman's Wharf area for $69/nite. You could get two rooms if you have to, and maybe be cheaper than the one at the Residence Inn...not sure of your dates, though. Depending on the size of your party, the amount you would spend on BART would help offset the parking fees. Good luck.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says......................................... What is a good rate? How big a family? Two bedroom suite or one bedroom with the living room like embassy Suites is ok? Need a kitchen?

$109 would be dang, take it! $139 would be be, let's weight our variables, and $179 when we look at the big picture we can probably do better.

 

[gatorfreud]

I would never stay as far out as Pleasant Hill if your aim is to see the city. That is a hike.

Emeryville would be a good choice, and Pacifica would be ok too. Or I would just try to figure what's the best to stay in the city and make it work. Being crowded is part of the SF lifestyle I think! And I hate crossing the Bay Bridge by car (to Emeryville), it can be such a nightmare.

Good luck!