Where and when to book hotel in SF?

[melk]

Beginning to look at a visit to the San Francisco area next August. We have family to visit near Moss Beach so thinking of a hotel somewhere between there and SF, or even in SF if the price is right.

Looking for a clean, not too expensive option. There are 5 of us so we may be looking at 2 rooms if we can't be accommodated in one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Also, how far in advance do you recommend booking? Do prices generally go higher or lower as time goes on?

Thank you!

 

[GrandBob]

Is the primary purpose of your trip to visit your friends, or to sightsee in SF? I ask because it would be a bit of a pain to stay at one place and spend much time commuting to the other. Moss Beach to the sightseeing spots of SF could easily be 45 minutes or more in traffic.

That said, the locations in between would include Pacifica and Daly City. Neither is known as a tourist destination, so I'd expect the choices to be limited. Also, be aware that that entire section of the coast, from Daly City through Pacifica, Montara, down to Half Moon Bay, gets extremely foggy in the summertime. In August, you will almost certainly be in fog for most of the time you spend there. OTOH, when the sun's out, that coastline is beautiful.

HTH,
Bob

 

[melk]

We would be there primarily to see San Francisco, with probably only 1 or 2 visits with them.

Didn't know there would be so much fog...does it generally burn off as the day goes on?

 

[GrandBob]

In other seasons of the year it will burn off. In July & August, it might burn off, but it's not uncommon to have it stick around all day and all night.

If you have control over your travel dates, Sept and October are much better months for a coastal visit. Once the Sacramento Valley stops overheating with its consequent rising air, the coastal winds switch from onshore to offshore, and the coast suddenly gets much warmer and clearer. It's like somebody turns on a switch.

Bob
P.S. My wife and I like to laugh about the local sport for July/August -- watching tourists in Bermuda shorts turning blue

 

[usnuzuloose]

In other seasons of the year it will burn off. In July & August, it might burn off, but it's not uncommon to have it stick around all day and all night.

If you have control over your travel dates, Sept and October are much better months for a coastal visit. Once the Sacramento Valley stops overheating with its consequent rising air, the coastal winds switch from onshore to offshore, and the coast suddenly gets much warmer and clearer. It's like somebody turns on a switch.

Bob
P.S. My wife and I like to laugh about the local sport for July/August -- watching tourists in Bermuda shorts turning blue

I am laughing, not at you though. We have a booth there and come up at least 2 times a month. We are in Sacramento. We come and find you are in the 70's and we are still feeling like we are at home with the heat. But we love it there. We would love to retire there.

 

[Pigletpal40]

My Aunt and Uncle went in August a few years back and froze. Never saw the sun. My wife and I went the same year the first week of October and had sunny weather all week in the low 80's.. We stayed in the Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf. Very nice and close to most things. Get a Bart pass and enjoy.

 

[melk]

In other seasons of the year it will burn off. In July & August, it might burn off, but it's not uncommon to have it stick around all day and all night.

With all the fog are there a lot of flight delays?

 

[GrandBob]

With all the fog are there a lot of flight delays?

There can be, but not usually. SFO is in a protected area on the bay, rather than on the coast like Pacifica or Half Moon Bay. That fog that's blanketing Pacifica gets trapped there by the coastal range that separates the Pacific coast from bay side. They're also quite good at handling the local conditions.

 

[DaretoDis]

The fog and flight delays is why we fly into OAK. OAK is four or five stops on BART to downtown San Francisco while SFO is like 12 or so.