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Plenty of websites, representing the principal tourist agencies, tell you how to tackle the practical aspects of organizing a visit to San Francisco. Or they will send you materials by standard mail.

The city’s daily and weekly newspapers – the weekly ones are free and super-abundant – are loaded with information about all the things going on in town. Perusing their websites will give you a head start on planning your trip.

Any search for places, people, or events to do with San Francisco will turn up a plethora of finds, but two sites give a good overview and guidance. These are: www.bayarea.cityssearch.com and www.sanfrancisco.rezrez.com

San Francisco is very easy to find your way around, but study the general layout in advance. Free maps are available from tourist offices.

Canadian citizens need only proof of citizenship. Most European citizens, as well as Japanese and a few others, need only a valid passport and a non-refundable return ticket originating outside the US to qualify for a 90-day visa. Other nationalities must secure a visa, before traveling, from a US consulate or embassy.

Buy a good travel insurance policy to cover lost baggage, canceled flights, and minor medical bills. And, since the US generally does not have public healthcare, international health coverage is the wisest way to go. Save all receipts for any medical attention you receive.

US diplomatic missions are found in virtually every country’s capital. They will be able to provide you with information about San Francisco, as well as answer any questions about visa requirements.

The nicest months are September and October. The summer is best to avoid, as coastal areas and the city tend to be blanketed in fog and points inland are blazing hot and dusty.

Generally, San Franciscans dress casually. The best rule of thumb is to travel with as little as possible – if you’re missing something, you can buy it.

Fifteen miles (24 km) south of the city and linked by two freeways and a host of inexpensive public transport options and private shuttles, as well as taxis and limos, SFO is very conveniently located and efficiently run. The airport has three terminals, and the largest international terminal in the US. Information booths are located downstairs and are open from 8am to 1:30am.

The East Bay’s major airport is only a bit farther away from the city, so it can be a handy alternative. One advantage is fewer crowds. Again, there is a choice of transport to get you back and forth.

If your destination is more Silicon Valley than San Francisco, you’ve come to the right airport. It’s 50 miles (80 km) south of the city but only 20 miles (32 km) south of Palo Alto.

You’re allowed to bring in 1 liter of liquor and 200 cigarettes duty-free, and $100 worth of gifts. If you’re carrying more than $10,000 in anything negotiable, you must declare the excess.

SF International has lockers in all boarding areas that you can secure for up to 24 hours. For anything bigger or that you want to store for a longer time, go to the Luggage Storage in the upper-level passageway between the South and International Terminals.

Each airport has a Lost Property service. If you leave something on public transport, there are numbers for each system, and taxi companies will also try to locate your possessions.

There are 12 buses every 24 hours from Los Angeles to San Francisco and vice versa. It takes 8–12 hours but is the cheapest option. Greyhounds also go all over the US, but, although low in dollars, you pay in time, and discomfort.

The main Bay Area terminal for the US national railway system is in Oakland, offering a free shuttle bus to the city, stopping at the CalTrain station in the South of Market district and at the Ferry Building. The Coast Starlight route runs from Seattle down to Los Angeles daily, and vice versa.

One of the best ways to get from and to the airport is to use the shuttle services, some of which are door-to-door. You can pick them up on the upper level at SFO. When making the return trip, however, you’ll need to book the door-to-door type. Others leave regularly from major hotels and pick-up spots.

Pure tourism, of course, but also one of the most enjoyable ways of getting around Downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf. Pricey at $2 per ride, it becomes a bargain if you buy the CityPass ($34.75), which also gets you into many sights and is good for unlimited travel on the Muni transport system for a week from the time of first use. The Muni Passport can be used on the entire Muni system including cable cars.

The Muni Metro trams mostly run under Market Street and then make their way into the western neighborhoods. One line, the F, consists of vintage streetcars from around the world that decoratively traverse the Market Street circuit above ground.

To use Muni, you can either get the CityPass, or you can purchase Muni Passports for varying terms (1 day, 3 days, 7 days, or a full month). The bus system is simple to use and will get you around this compact metropolis in good time, though rarely on schedule. Many bus stops have local bus route maps, as well as maps of the system as a whole.

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) serves a large arc of San Francisco and connects it very efficiently with the East Bay. There are also plans to extend it to San Francisco International Airport. BART stations are underground and many are shared with Muni Metro stops.

Since Peninsula residents voted against extending BART down south, this commuter train provides the most efficient public service to places such as Palo Alto and Stanford University. It is comfortable, punctual, and cheap.

The ferries provide wonderful, inexpensive excursions to many picturesque points. The Blue & Gold Fleet serves Alcatraz, Angel Island, and Sausalito from Pier 41, the East Bay and Tiburon from the Ferry Building. Golden Gate Transit serves Sausalito and Larkspur from the Ferry Building.

Due to a very tight licensing system, San Francisco does not have enough taxis, despite the poor car-to-parking-spot ratio. You can usually snag one by lining up at a major hotel.

Rent a car only if you want to head outside the city. Driving here can be challenging to the uninitiated, and it isn’t necessary for getting around, given the decent public transportation.

Zipping up and down San Francisco’s hills on a motorcycle or scooter can be great fun. It’s also a fast, efficient way to get around town. The same driving and parking rules apply to motorbikes as to cars.

Either say it all – “San Francisco” – or call it simply “The City.” It’s the name of a saint, after all, of whom San Franciscans are every bit as proud as they are of their city.

When you parallel park pointing up the hill, turn your wheels toward the center of the street; when pointing downhill, turn your wheels toward the sidewalk. That’s the way to prevent runaway cars. If you are driving a manual shift rather than an automatic car, use your emergency brake when trying to start from a dead stop going up a steep hill – your mastery of the clutch under these extreme conditions may not be up to the job. The speed limit everywhere is 25mph (40kmph) or less, and all passengers must wear seat belts.

No matter how sunny it is when you go out in the morning, always take a jacket or a windbreaker. City weather is very variable and it will doubtless be cool, if not cold, damp or wet, by the time you return in the evening.

For all its true sexual liberation, unsafe sex is always a no-no in this city that has seen all too clearly what can happen. AIDS and other STDs have been epidemic here. Use a condom.

San Francisco is a city where diversity is embraced whole-heartedly, and supporting it is public policy. San Franciscans generally applaud differences of ethnicity, race, age, belief, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. Anyone who mocks or denigrates anyone else for any of these reasons has not understood what makes this city tick.

California law makes smoking in any enclosed public place illegal – and that includes bars. Smelling cigarette smoke or even seeing someone smoking here is so rare as to be almost non-existent. If you must light up, there are back patios at some clubs where smoking is allowed, and some hotels offer smoking rooms.

San Francisco does have more than its share of homeless people, and many of them do resort to begging. For the most part, they are merely annoying, not dangerous. However, pick-pocketing and purse- and camera-snatching do exist, and it’s also true that certain areas should be avoided after dark. However, normal attentiveness should be sufficient.

Even the seediest neighborhoods are pretty safe in broad daylight, but they, and parks, should be sidestepped at night, when muggings are most likely. That said, there are very few areas that are really perilous within the city, and virtually none in areas that a tourist is likely to frequent.

Restaurant waiting staff depend on their tips to make a living – the salary paid is barely a tenth of what is needed to make ends meet. The usual gratuity is 15 percent, though you can reduce it to 10 percent if the service was not to your liking. Taxi drivers should be tipped about 15 percent, and hotel staff should receive $1 whenever they provide any sort of service.

In these days of deregulation and airlines squeezing out travel agencies, finding bargain flights is anybody’s game. Most people find that the best bet is the Internet, but don’t fail to contact local and national discount shops, too.

Again, trawl the Internet and sound out your local agencies to see what sort of promotions might be out there. Many hotels offer some fantastic bargains at certain times of the year.

This sort of offer is somewhat superfluous if your main purpose is to get to know the city and little else outside it. However, if you want to dive into the fruit of the vine in the Wine Country or into the waves of the blue Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel (see Day Trips from the City), a car is a necessity. You may be able to negotiate a lower rate if you rent the car for only part of your stay.

The best discount coupon of them all is the CityPass (see Getting Around San Francisco), which saves you a bundle, especially on public transportation, if your stay is for about a week. It currently incorporates nine additional attractions, including admission to the Exploratorium (see Palace of Fine Arts and the Exploratorium), SFMOMA (see San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), the California Academy of Sciences, and more, and the number of sponsoring attractions is increasing.

Hostels, regardless of your age, are an excellent alternative in San Francisco. There are two locations run by Hosteling International, one in Downtown and the other between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina (see Budget Hotels and Hostels).

San Francisco has an amazing number of low-priced joints that often serve wonderful food. At some of the Mexican places in the Mission, for example, you can still fill up on delicious burritos , tacos , and the like, for under $5.00. Chinese restaurants are also usually good value.

With so many clean, beautiful parks, having a picnic lunch is always a delightful option. There are plenty of deli-supermarkets, such as the Real Food Company and the California Harvest Ranch Market, which carry a fantastic selection of gourmet delectables.

Muni offers 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, and 1-month passes, all at great savings compared to paying $1 per ride on the buses and streetcars and $2 per ride on the Cable Cars.

Many services provide toll-free numbers when calling within the US from any phone – most of them begin with 800, 877, or 888. Buying phone cards to use for making toll calls can mean great savings. Internet access is free at the New Main Library and at CompUSA.

Nowhere provides more advanced facilities for the disabled than San Francisco. There are specially marked reserved spots for disabled parking, usually with a blue-and-white wheelchair sign and a blue curb. Often there’s a blue-and-white wheelchair stenciled on the pavement, too. There’s no charge for parking, either in these spaces or any other, as long as you display a disabled placard.

In addition to free parking for the disabled, all Bay Area transit companies offer discounted fares for disabled passengers, including BART, Muni, AC Transit, and Golden Gate Transit. National parks issue special passes for the disabled that entitle them and passengers in the same vehicle to enter free. In addition, many attractions offer reduced entrance fees to the disabled.

The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (see Planning Your Trip) publishes a free guide that indicates which hotels comply with the American Disabilities Act. However, if you want to know the specifics, you should call in advance and ask a few pointed questions. In general, the newer the hotel, the more it is geared up to meet special needs.

Only some of the Muni city buses have this feature, whereby the bus can be hydraulically lowered, allowing wheelchair-bound people to board, and then be secured in a special part of the bus. The “Muni Access Guide” will give you pointers on how to make the most of the system, and it is free from Muni Accessible Services.

Wherever you go, all over town you will find that all the sidewalks have been provided with ramped access, at least at intersections, if not for every driveway as well. Ramped access is also standard for every major public building, including museums, concert halls, big hotels, government buildings, even ferries.

Disabled-accessible toilets are provided in many places, including large hotels and restaurants, attractions, and municipal areas. Some are inside the buildings, but there are also a number on the street – the green kiosks that you can find at Pier 39, at Castro and Market Streets, and at the Civic Center, for example.

This organization can provide every sort of information you might need about services for travelers with mobility problems, as well as for those with developmental disabilities.

This volunteer organization can provide you with information about accommodations, museums, and other attractions that offer Braille placards and postings.

A 24-hour hotline for persons who have disabilities or their helpers. It provides on-the-spot advice on any subject that might come up during a visit to the city.

Exchange offices are found at San Francisco International Airport, in some Downtown banks, and at American Express and Thomas Cook agencies. However, fees and bad rates of exchange are the norm. It’s better to avoid the problem altogether by using ATM machines.

For virtually all travel purposes, this is by far the best way to get cash, either through your home checking account or by securing a PIN number to use with your credit card. The rate of exchange is generally the best for that day, and the small fees charged by the banks are less than those charged by exchange offices. Best of all, you don’t have to wait in long lines or carry ID.

Paying with plastic is a way of life in the US. Use cash for small items, but pay for everything else with a credit card, if possible. Most hotels require a credit card number to book a room, and an imprint of one upon checking in. And you will not be able to rent a car without one. If your card is lost or stolen, call the toll-free number of your company and you will not be responsible for any further charges made.

Nowadays these are more of a nuisance than a convenience. Cashing them in banks and exchange offices can be a time-consuming hassle. However, if you buy them in dollars, they’re the same as cash and can be used for goods and services of any sort – but you may need photo ID.

US banknotes can be confusing because they’re all the same size and color. They come in denominations of $1, $5, $20, $50, and $100, each with a different Founding Father or US president pictured. The coins are easier, being different from each other. The 1-cent coin (or penny) is copper-colored; the 5-cent coin (nickel) is nickel-colored; the 10-cent coin (dime) and the larger 25-cent coin (quarter) are silver-colored.

Most US post offices are open from 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. Stamps can be purchased here, from some hotels, and from vending machines. If you need to mail something other than postcards and letters, wait in line at the nearest post office. Otherwise, drop your stamped mail off at the hotel desk or in any street mailbox.

San Francisco’s area code is 415, but neighboring localities have other codes. If you are calling from within the same area, you do not dial the area code; conversely, if you are calling from outside the area, you must dial the area code and precede it with a “1.” From pay phones, calls cost 35 cents and up. Toll-free numbers start with 800, 877, 888, or several new similar prefixes. For directory information, dial 411. International calls should be preceded by 011.

The use of this service has reached epidemic proportions in the US, and you may find that you rarely, or never, rouse an actual person on the other end of many calls. Leave a message, with a call-back number, then hope for the best.

There are many cafés that offer internet services around town, usually for about $10 per hour.

Should an earthquake strike, stay calm. If you are indoors, a good spot to stand is under a doorframe. If driving, stay in your car and park in an open place, not under a bridge or viaduct. If outside, try to get to an open area. Major quakes are rare, but minor ones happen all the time and are mostly harmless.

Most major countries have consulates in the city. If anything untoward occurs, contact your national representative.

This sort of thing does exist, so it’s best to avert the danger before it arrives by being aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk into less than salubrious areas, especially after dark, unless you’re sure of where you’re going or you’re in a group.

Dial this number whenever an emergency of any sort comes up. It’s a free call from any phone. Be sure to have all the information ready – where you are and what has happened – so they know which service to send out to you.

This virus is still very much a public health problem. Throughout the Bay Area there are ample free public health responses with a range of services, including free check-ups. Your part is not to take risks – use a condom.

A number of helplines exist to provide support and information for almost any problem.

If you are the victim of a crime of any sort, you should report it at your nearest police department. This is especially true if it involves the loss of money or any valuables, including credit cards, as you will need a copy of the police report in order to make a claim against your insurance.

Walk-in emergency clinics can be found all around town.

San Francisco has several major hospitals, located in various districts.

The big guns are all well represented in this city that loves looking good. Most of them are clustered around Union Square. The more upscale the department store, the more it feels like the exclusive parlor of some deluxe hotel, where you are the pampered guest. A very comfortable way to shop (see Stores and Shopping Centers, Top 10 Shopping Areas).

The smaller shops generally feature more interesting and quirky merchandise – not counting all the international boutiques that also circle Union Square. Some of the more offbeat neighborhoods, such as Hayes Valley, offer some really original designs, often by local or regional talents.

There are no real American-style malls in San Francisco. The ones that come closest are the San Francisco Shopping Center and the Crocker Galleria. Other centers are in historic structures such as Ghirardelli and The Cannery (see Fisherman’s Wharf), or have architectural originality, such as the Embarcadero Center and the Japantown. You will find unusual shops in most of them.

This sort of shopping can net you some real treasures and keep your bank account intact, too. One of the most central flea markets is in Bernal Heights. Thrift shops are all over town – two of the best are located in the Mission, the Goodwill Store and the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Both offer everything from vintage clothing to miscellaneous junk.

A thoroughly enjoyable custom that can unearth some surprising plunder in a city with so much style. To find a good garage sale, keep an eye out for announcements tacked to telephone poles, or take a weekend stroll in one of the likelier neighborhoods – such as the Haight, the Castro, and the Mission.

In established outlets bargaining is out of the question. However, in flea markets, garage sales, and some of the funkier ethnic stores, it is is acceptable. Make a counter offer and haggle it down to a mutually satisfactory sum.

In the US sales tax is added to your total bill, rather than included in the listed price, apart from groceries. In San Francisco, the sales tax is currently 8.5 percent, and hotel tax is 14 percent. However, tax varies from state to state.

Every two blocks or so all around the city, except in the most exclusive neighborhoods, there are corner stores that sell a little bit of everything – some fresh produce, maybe some deli items, a few pharmaceuticals, toiletry necessities, and general groceries. Just be aware that you pay as much as 50 percent more for everything you buy here.

If you have second thoughts about something you bought, you have a right to return it for a refund. If it is defective, you are entitled to a replacement or a refund.

With over 5,000 places to dine and/or drink in the city, you know that food is important to San Franciscans. It’s a moot point whether so-called “fusion” cuisine got its start in the city some decades ago but it has certainly reached its apotheosis here – with all the international influences, it was inevitable that chefs would begin borrowing and melding ingredients, flavors, and methods from a broad mélange of international styles. The result is California Cuisine.

It would be difficult to think of an authentic national cuisine that is not represented by at least one restaurant in the city. That includes Tibetan, Eritrean, Afghan, Kurdish, and Bolivian, as well as the more standard Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, and most European countries.

If you’re hankering after a fancy meal in one of the more famous restaurants, you’d do best to call in advance, sometimes up to two months ahead in the case of one or two of the top Bay Area draws. For the middling places, making a reservation a day or two before should suffice, unless you choose a weekend night.

Good restaurants have sommeliers , so you can usually depend on their wine choices to go with what you have ordered. If you choose your own wine, remember that California wines are identified by grape rather than by region. If beer is more your thing, there are excellent local brews that compete very well with the best European products. And don’t forget to try the local mineral waters.

Sales tax applies to restaurants, so 8.5 percent will be added to your total check. You should leave at least a 15 percent tip (see Forgetting to Tip). You may add the tip to your credit card slip, or leave it in cash on the table.

Do you want to be right in the heart of the action? Do you want a view of the Bay? Do you want to experience one of the unique neighborhoods? Once you’ve decided, you can zero in on the right price-range (see Hilltop Hotels, Traditional Hotels, Boutique Hotels, B&Bs and Guesthouses, Neighborhood Hotels, Gay and Lesbian Hotels, Budget Hotels and Hostels, Apartments and Private Homes).

Accommodations of every sort are to be found in the city and its environs. There is a star-based grading system, which pertains to certain amenities, such as telephone, TV, frigobar, etc.

San Francisco generally fills up quickly in almost every price category, so don’t waste a moment securing a reservation. Telephone bookings are accepted with a valid credit card, although some may require a fax before confirming.

Parking at Downtown hotels is almost always extra, paid on a per night basis, and a flat fee of up to $1 is charged for each phone call made from the room, even if it is a toll-free number. Anything you consume from a frigobar will be surcharged. You will receive an itemized bill when you check out. Tipping is important for any service provided (see Forgetting to Tip).