omaha to Emeryville, what next???

[iowa train fan]

First time taking the CZ all the way to Emeryville (April 1-4 2011) and I need all the help I can get. How would we get from the train station to SF. We would like to stay in San Francisco or would it be wiser to stay in Emeryville and commute everyday? What hotels could you recomend? Thinking we would like to be near the Moscone Center if we stay in SF. What will the weather be like? Would like to see Golden Gate Bridge, Disney Family Museum and Alcatraz. Asfor the train ride I assume there will still be plenty of snow to see during the ride? As you can see, I do not no anything, please help me!!!!! Thanks Don

 

[zephyr17]

First time taking the CZ all the way to Emeryville (April 1-4 2011) and I need all the help I can get. How would we get from the train station to SF. We would like to stay in San Francisco or would it be wiser to stay in Emeryville and commute everyday? What hotels could you recomend? Thinking we would like to be near the Moscone Center if we stay in SF. What will the weather be like? Would like to see Golden Gate Bridge, Disney Family Museum and Alcatraz. Asfor the train ride I assume there will still be plenty of snow to see during the ride? As you can see, I do not no anything, please help me!!!!! Thanks Don

Buy you ticket all the way through to San Francisco. You go from Emeryville to San Francisco on a connecting Amtrak Thruway bus. There are a number of bus stops in San Francisco so pick the one closest to where you are staying. However, if you have checked baggage, only the station near the Ferry Building (SFC) is manned and has baggage service. Be sure and buy the ticket through to San Francisco, the buses are for train passengers only, and separate tickets can't be purchased.

San Francisco has great public transit, the Muni, so you should not need a car. In fact, having a car is a pain there.

 

[the_traveler]

All the other stops in SF are (literally) just bus stops! If the Thruway bus driver does not see anybody waiting, they may not stop!

As said, only the SFC stop handles checked baggage. And don't worry about missing the Thruway bus in EMY if the CZ is late. The Thruway bus is dedicated to the CZ. Meaning if the CZ arrives at EMY 5 hours late, the Thruway bus departs 5 hours late!

 

[gregoryla]

San Francisco in early April is usually cool (50's), breezy and some chance of rain. You will almost definitely see snow in both the Rockies and the Sierras.

One of the Amtrak Thruway bus stops in SF is at the Convention Center, also known as the Moscone Center.

 

[iadis58]

All the other stops in SF are (literally) just bus stops! If the Thruway bus driver does not see anybody waiting, they may not stop!

As said, only the SFC stop handles checked baggage. And don't worry about missing the Thruway bus in EMY if the CZ is late. The Thruway bus is dedicated to the CZ. Meaning if the CZ arrives at EMY 5 hours late, the Thruway bus departs 5 hours late!

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know the physical address of the bus station with the checked baggage option, I would like to find a hotel near there. Thanks

 

[George Harris]

By all means, take the connecting bus across the Bay to San Francisco. Some of the bus stops are at major hotels. Where you stay will depend upon your budget. SF ain't cheap. I see nothing to be gained by staying on the Emeryville side. Once in SF public transportation can get you anywhere. There are cheaper places to stay down the Penninsula that you can reach by public transport, either Caltrain, BART, or Samtrans. You have to balance cost, convenience, and ambience to do what best suits you.

Do not rent a car for sightseeing in San Francisco. It will be far more trouble than it is worth. There are a large number of public transportation options available. In fact, you can get to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge by Muni bus. There are Golden Gate Transit buses that go across the bridge to quite a few destinations on the north side of the bridge. You can take Muni to the south end of the bridge, wander around there, there are things to see there, then take a GGT bus across to places where you can take a ferry back to the city.

Get online and search out Muni, BART, etc, various motel/hotel names, the locations of the various sites you wish to see, and work out a plan. Come on back here with questions as you need to.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

The manned stationn is just south of the Ferry Building and within easy walking distance to the Hyatt Embarcaderro. It's a little pricy, but sometimes you can get good deals through AAA. The California Street line of the cable car is right in front of the hotel and goes past China Town up to Nob Hill. We've ridden the cable car to the top and stayed at the Mark Hopkins a couple of times at a remarkable rate of $117. per night. (Join the Priority Club for better rates).

 

[gregoryla]

All the other stops in SF are (literally) just bus stops! If the Thruway bus driver does not see anybody waiting, they may not stop!

As said, only the SFC stop handles checked baggage. And don't worry about missing the Thruway bus in EMY if the CZ is late. The Thruway bus is dedicated to the CZ. Meaning if the CZ arrives at EMY 5 hours late, the Thruway bus departs 5 hours late!

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know the physical address of the bus station with the checked baggage option, I would like to find a hotel near there. Thanks

The Amtrak website has all the station addresses. Just click on the Station Tab, then California. The San Francisco stations (I think there are 4) are all listed -- just click on each one for its street address.

 

[Dan O]

First time taking the CZ all the way to Emeryville (April 1-4 2011) and I need all the help I can get. What will the weather be like?

Not sure but I'd plan on cool and damp. We were there 4 days in July and it never got about 57 degrees. My sister lives near the beach so it is cooler and windier there than downtown so maybe it was low 60s downtown. There's a reason for the saying "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." The place is cool and windy much of the time. Lovely place to visit when it's 100 where I live.

Dan

 

[zephyr17]

All the other stops in SF are (literally) just bus stops! If the Thruway bus driver does not see anybody waiting, they may not stop!

As said, only the SFC stop handles checked baggage. And don't worry about missing the Thruway bus in EMY if the CZ is late. The Thruway bus is dedicated to the CZ. Meaning if the CZ arrives at EMY 5 hours late, the Thruway bus departs 5 hours late!

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know the physical address of the bus station with the checked baggage option, I would like to find a hotel near there. Thanks

Or just use the Ferry Building as a landmark for Google, since the station is just south of it. Or Embarcadero & Market.

 

[iowa train fan]

All the other stops in SF are (literally) just bus stops! If the Thruway bus driver does not see anybody waiting, they may not stop!

As said, only the SFC stop handles checked baggage. And don't worry about missing the Thruway bus in EMY if the CZ is late. The Thruway bus is dedicated to the CZ. Meaning if the CZ arrives at EMY 5 hours late, the Thruway bus departs 5 hours late!

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know the physical address of the bus station with the checked baggage option, I would like to find a hotel near there. Thanks

Or just use the Ferry Building as a landmark for Google, since the station is just south of it. Or Embarcadero & Market.

Thanks,couple more questions please. I have tentative reservations at Parc 55 hotel, any idea if that is an OK choice? I got a descent fully refundable rate so I can change if I need to. What do you recommend and how to get everything done. We arrive April 1 and who knows if we will be on time or not. We only have two full days and would like to do Disney Family museum, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz ans Lombard street. Any idea how to accomplish that in two days? Is it possible? Anything else we should not miss? Thanks again for all the advice

 

[the_traveler]

We arrive April 1 and who knows if we will be on time or not.

Nobody can even be sure if today's train will be on time!

 

[DirkVanElsingen]

Thanks,couple more questions please. I have tentative reservations at Parc 55 hotel, any idea if that is an OK choice? I got a descent fully refundable rate so I can change if I need to. What do you recommend and how to get everything done. We arrive April 1 and who knows if we will be on time or not. We only have two full days and would like to do Disney Family museum, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz ans Lombard street. Any idea how to accomplish that in two days? Is it possible? Anything else we should not miss? Thanks again for all the advice

I´ll be in the city a few weeks later.

Perhaps you can use some following information:

So far I found out,that the (Cable Car) California line will be closed at my stay for building operations!

SFGate.com

There´ll also be restrictions at the Golden Gate Bridge,

goldengate.org

the Presidio Parkway,

presidioparkway.org

and the San Francisco-Oakland-Bay-Bridge

baybridgeinfo.org

Seems like a large construction site to expect........

So I´ll be planning more destinations outside of The City!(Only for the worst case of too many construction areas)

BTW. I´ve booked a room in the Traveloge at the Presidio........

 

[Long Train Runnin']

The Address of the ferry building is

101 The Embarcadero

at Mission St. and The Embarcadero

San Francisco, CA 94105

Its Amtrak station code is SFC.