It appears the weekly Muni pass does cover BART trips within San Francisco city limits, and I have included which bus lines that stop within one block of Moscone Center.
Getting around in San Francisco is a breeze if you know how to work it. Depending on where you are staying in or outside of San Francisco, public transportation, specifically the SF Muni system is your key to low-to-no stress travel. If you are prepared to get into the Macworld nightlife leaving directly from Moscone Center, well you will be in the hub of the best and cost-friendly options in the area. Let me say, driving? Don’t do it. Parking is minimal and very cost-prohibitive. At the 5th and Mission garage, you can expect to pay an average of $40 daily (40-ish. Trust me. It’s expensive.). You’re better off parking at a CalTrain station for free and then commuting in to the city. The cost of a CalTrain ticket depends on where you are traveling from and to. You can check out the ticket and fare options here.
Here are some key sites and resources I recommend. Check out these links and then bookmarking them in your favorite mobile browser or save them as contacts in your address book. They will prove more than handy. If you prefer another mapping option, like Google or Yahoo! Maps, the Moscone Center address is: 747 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. For walking directions from any location, I use Ask.com maps. Input a “Start Location” and hit “Go”. Once you input more than one location, you can see either driving or walking directions. Select the appropriate tab to see the directions for your mode of transportation.
SF Muni Is Your Best Friend
One Week Muni Pass
Buy a one week muni pass that is valid for unlimited use on all muni lines (does not include cable cars). The pass is valid Monday-Sunday, and is only $15. Taking one bus trip in San Francisco is $3. That ticket is valid for 3 hours unlimited travel. You can see why an unlimited pass would be very friendly to your wallet.
Visitor Passes
These passes include rides on cable cars and are good for 1, 3 or 7 consecutive days beginning on the first day of purchase.
1-day pass: $11
3-day pass: $18
7-day pass: $24
Here is a list of locations where you can purchase a muni pass. Be sure to check the list to know whether or not the location you will go to purchase your pass has the exact pass available. The Walgreen’s on 4th and Market in the 94103 area code is the closest purchase point to Moscone.
According to the SF Muni System Map, the following bus lines stop within one block of Moscone Center: 9X, 12, 30, 45, 76, and 81X.
Most hotels offer a city map. Take it and keep it with you. It may help you find your way in a town where some streets twist and turn in unexpected ways, and I’m not talking about Lombard Street. But, don’t let this discourage or scare you. Again, San Francisco is one of the easiest cities I have ever traversed. If you need a map, download several SF area maps in .pdf or .gif format from the SF Muni site. You also have an option to purchase a SF Muni map for $3 when you buy your pass if your purchase location has them.
Muni Schedule
To find out when the next muni is coming your way, check out NextBus. You might need the SF Muni System Map to help you know your route or line number. If you are taking a Muni train, you can call 511 from your phone to find out when the next train is coming. Note: Call 511 and ask for “Muni” as a shortcut at the Main Menu. From the Muni Menu, ask for “Departure Times.” Then follow the system prompts to provide the LINE with DIRECTION and then the STOP you’d like. 511 will respond with the departure times for up to three trains within 30 minutes. If there are no trains arriving within 30 minutes, 511 will not give a prediction. Note from 511.org: On the phone, the service is only available on the J, K ,L, M, N, and T lines, and on San Francisco’s historic F-line streetcars. Other trains and buses will be available in 2008. Remember to ask for “help” at any time if you need it.
Taxi’s
While taxi’s can be efficient, hailing one may take a bit of doing. There are many of them thoughout the city and seemingly always readily available to serve. However, during a large convention, it can sometimes be harrowing. If you are staying at a large hotel in the area, your best bet may be to stand in the hotel’s cab line and have the valet hail one for you. The cabs often line up outside of the hotels to service them as they know the lines will be long. As a courtesy, it is always nice to tip the valet, even one dollar, for the convenience.
If you want to call a taxi, you may have to wait or plan and call in advance to schedule a pickup. The local cab dispatch number is: (415)333-3333.
Happy transit!
This is a cross post from the same author also found at: GirlsGoneGeek.tv
