What do to with a layover in San Francisco
I read this in the NYTIMES:
My boyfriend and I are flying to Los Angeles via San Francisco, and we have a four-hour layover.
The writer goes on to recommend taking BART and going to the Fisherman’s Wharf. GAFFAWWWWWWW.
Ok, so here is the real deal on a four hour layover in San Francisco. DO NOT take BART, that will eat up an hour. If there are two of you, you can get to the Ferry Building for $30 bucks, and you’ll be there much faster. Sorry, not the PC thing to say, but clearly you are on a schedule.
The author then says to go straight to Fisherman’s Wharf. Ahhhhhhh! No. Stop! Just go to the Ferry Building. Nosh on some delicious food. Have lunch. Fsherman’s Wharf is one of the places with Crazy T-Shirt shops and wax museums. BARF!
The author then says to take the cable car ride from over by Buena Vista Cafe. Again, WTF? Has this writer seen the lines there? It is a 40 minute wait just to get your Irish Coffee. Skip that, on my plan you are still at the Ferry Building, where you walk across to where the California St. trolley starts and there are never any lines. You take that to the end, wait and then come back and get off at the Chinatown gates. Doing this, you see Grace Cathedral, fabulous views of the city, and you might even get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge, I am not sure about that.
Walk through Chinatown and maybe go to House of Nanking for lunch, if there is no line. Walk down Columbus and go to Cafe Greco for a cappuccino. Hail a cab and you’re on your way back to the airport.
That’s a more realistic 4 hour layover. Remember you are going to be going through security again.
- 20 minute cab ride
- 40 minutes at Ferry Building
- 40 minutes for Trolley
- 20 minutes to walk through Chinatown and get to Cafe Greco
- 1 hour lunch anyplace in the mix
- 25 minute cab ride
- 30 minutes left for security and to get to your gate
- Total: 3 hours 55 minutes
Also with this plan, you can jump in a cab at any point and get back to the airport. In the NY Times plan, you are in a line frustrated that you spent an hour on BART and you know you need an hour to get back so you can’t possible wait in that line anymore so you give up, go back to the airport hungry and angry.
Skip the sea lions and save seeing the GG bridge until you can ride across it on a bike.
