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I have a trip coming up next week, and we're currently booked CHI-SAC. Considering changing it to Emeryville, and visiting Alcatraz, just because I've never been there before. Looks like there is a Hilton Garden Inn within walking distance. Is it a safe place to walk? I'm not concerned myself, I t ravel all over the US and international all the time, but will have my wife, young cousin, and mother with us, and mom especially assumes everyone outside of her home town is out to kill, rape, and maim her.....

Lets say we do that, get off in Emeryville, walk to the Hilton Garden Inn on the water. To get to Pier 33, to catch the Alcatraz ferry, I assume we'd have to Uber to Pier 33? Doesn't seem like BART goes to Amtrak, and I don't see a ferry across either.....(We do not want to stay in San Francisco, I'm using hotel points, and Hilton doesn't have anything near Pier 33 other than in the financial district. The Emeryville Hilton Garden Inn, looks ok though. Thoughts?
 
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn last year. No problems except no food (Covid). We were using Hilton to earn some HH points.
We were making a Coast Starlight #14 to California Zephyr #6 connection.
We have also stayed at the Hyatt House which is literally across the tracks from the station. It was nice also and we had a view of the station.
 
It would help us if we knew your further plans. For example are you continuing on Amtrak? You can catch Bart at the station prior to Emeryville. I am sure someone can give details. There is also an Amtrak bus from Emeryville to San Francisco. There used to be a Fisherman's Wharf stop which is close to the Alcatraz boat pier. Where would you originally go after Sacramento?
 
So, our plans are all over the place.....We're flying from BHM to MDW on the 4th, catching the train to CA on the 5th arriving on the 7th. We're heading out to see our son, stationed at Beale AFB. He is boarding the train in Colfax, to ride in with us. We had planned on getting off in Sacramento, spending a day there, then heading to Reno/Tahoe area.

Now we're thinking of going into Emeryville, doing Alcatraz, and whatever else there is on the 8th, then taking the train to Sacramento on the 9th for a few days, then renting a car and driving to Tahoe. Flying home from SAC on the 13th.
 
As long as you are taking the train both ways from Emeryville can can add the Amtrak bus to San Francisco. You must add it to your train ticket since it is only available to train passengers.

"When the station opened in 1994, it was the first new intercity passenger rail facility built in northern California in more than half a century. Emeryville is the closest Amtrak Train Station to San Francisco. Connecting Thruway bus service is available to various travel hot spots and transfer hubs in downtown San Francisco:"

  • San Francisco Shopping Center Bus Stop (SFS)
  • San Francisco Financial District Bus Stop (SFF)
  • San Francisco Ferry Building Bus Station (SFC)
  • San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 Bus Stop (SFW)
 
denmarks said:
As long as you are taking the train both ways from Emeryville can can add the Amtrak bus to San Francisco. You must add it to your train ticket since it is only available to train passengers.

"When the station opened in 1994, it was the first new intercity passenger rail facility built in northern California in more than half a century. Emeryville is the closest Amtrak Train Station to San Francisco. Connecting Thruway bus service is available to various travel hot spots and transfer hubs in downtown San Francisco:"

  • San Francisco Shopping Center Bus Stop (SFS)
  • San Francisco Financial District Bus Stop (SFF)
  • San Francisco Ferry Building Bus Station (SFC)
  • San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 Bus Stop (SFW)
Click to expand...
And none of those stops exist today. There’s only one bus stop today. SFC moved to Chase on Mission St
 
Regarding Alcatraz, if you haven't already booked your tickets, do it ASAP. In my experience, they sell out quickly. Every time I've gone, there's a packed "wait list" area, similar to a standby list at the airport.

I highly recommend the night tour over the day tour. The ferry goes all the way around the island, and the docent speaks about the history of all the buildings. You also have access to additional areas of the prison, like the hospital (my favorite). Plus, the island and prison look really mysterious and spooky at night, especially when the fog rolls in. Hearing the foghorn and seeing the lighthouse beams were a special bonus.

If you're already booked for the day tour, it's also well worth it, and you have more flexibility with the amount of time you spend on the island. You can return on any ferry, so you can stay for two hours or six hours, whatever you're comfortable with. I do like not being pressured to catch the last boat off, like with the night tour. There are picnic tables near the ferry dock if you need a place to sit and have a snack.

Alcatraz is one of my favorite places. I hope you're able to get tickets and that you have a good time. :)
 
SFC is the only one that comes up when you try to book to San Francisco. Send them a “Contact us” and let them know the where on the website it hasn’t been updated.
 
I can speak to the lodging options in Emeryville as I've spent a lot of time over the years visiting and working in the area.

I've stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn before after a party in Emeryville. I remember it from my childhood when it was a Holiday Inn. The one thing I'd advise about it would be that the sound insulation (at least about decade ago) was poor and the side next to I-80 was loud all night. I'm not sure how much quieter the side next to the Bay is, but I'd recommend reserving that side if you can. Other than that, it's quite nice although the exterior is ugly early 70s architecture. There are some options that are nearby, including Chevy's, which is a Tex-Mex style restaurant. It's not that close to the station though. It would require quite a bit of walking, although it shouldn't be too bad. I wouldn't worry about safety as it's a really heavy traffic area where there will always be people around. Along the way there's a Denny's that's been there since I was a kid.

I know you mentioned using Hilton points, but I'll just mention the other options. The other options are the Four Points, Hyatt House (closest to the station - used to be Woodfin Suites), Hyatt Place (that's the newest hotel in E'Ville), and Sonesta ES (was a Courtyard by Marriott). I've actually visited the latter when friends were visiting. I was worried that they would be on the side next to the freeway, but the sound insulation was enough that I didn't hear any freeway noise. You might also have some options with room shares since there are condos near the station.

The Hilton San Francisco Financial District is not really in the Financial District. Let's just say it was previously known as the Holiday Inn Chinatown. The rooftop pool is featured in the opening scene of Dirty Harry.



The closest Hilton to Pier 33 was the Hilton Fishermans Wharf, that turned into an independent boutique hotel before turning into some sort of timeshare/vacation club.
 

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