ARRIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO
You
can fly into either San Francisco (SFO)
or Oakland (OAK)
airport. Getting to the hotel is more convenient from SFO, but you
may find flights cheaper into OAK, on low-fare carriers such as Southwest
and JetBlue. [San Jose (SJC)
airport is a considerable 45 miles South of San Francisco.]
Ground Transportation
Our regional transit system, BART, now has service to SFO. For about $5, you can take a train from SFO right into the City. The hotel is about 1 mile from the closest BART station (Civic Center). There is also door-to-door van service (e.g. SuperShuttle) which costs about $12-15 per person. A taxi might run you about $40.
From OAK, you can take a shuttle bus to BART. Depending on the hour, you may need to transfer in downtown Oakland for a train to San Francisco. Van service to San Francisco from OAK is limited. Taxis from OAK are more expensive than from SFO (about $60).
There is train service from SJC on weekdays on CalTrain, a 90-minute trip which brings you close to downtown San Francisco, about 2 miles from the hotel. There is shuttle service from SJC airport to the train station.
From SFO:
1. You can take a door-to-door van (e.g. Supershuttle) to the hotel for about $15/person. Pick up the van from the traffic island on the upper level (baggage claim is on the lower level).
2. A cheaper (but less convenient) option is to take BART for $5 to the Civic Center station in San Francisco, and then a $5 taxi ride (about 1 mile) to the hotel. The BART station is located in the International Terminal (a lengthy walk, or take the free Air Train).
3. A third option is to take a taxi for about $40.
From OAK:
1. Door-to-door van service is much more limited, and many companies (e.g. Supershuttle) require advance reservations. Van service runs about $25 - $35 for one person and about $10 for additional persons.
2. You can take BART to the Civic Center station ($3), and then a $5 taxi ride (about 1 mile) to the hotel. (You must first take a shuttle bus to the nearest BART station: go to the second curb outside your terminal, look for the AirBART stop, and buy your $2 bus ticket before boarding.)
3. Finally, a taxi from OAK runs about $50.
GETTING AROUND IN SAN FRANCISCO
Public Transportation
San Francisco has an extensive public transit system, called MUNI,
which includes busses, a limited subway (MUNI Metro), trolleys, and cable
cars. For $1.50, you can get just about anywhere conveniently
and quickly, and 3- and 7-day visitor passes are also available. The host
hotel is centrally located on Van Ness Avenue at California, and from
there it is very easy to get to many destinations in San Francisco, including
the Castro, Chiinatown, Downtown, Union Square and the Fisherman’s Wharf
area. The end of the California Street Cable Car line is right next to
the hotel. MUNI operates within San Francisco, while BART is a regional
transit railway system that takes you to destinations outside of San Francisco.
Driving/Parking
Driving in San Francisco can be difficult, and parking is always a challenge. Parking at the hotel will run you an extra $15 a day, and parking is limited everywhere in San Francisco. If you don’t absolutely need a car, consider using public transit, or you can always climb into a taxi. San Francisco is a very compact city, and a taxi to most destinations will only run you $5 - $15.
More information:
San
Francisco Bay Area Transit Information
San Francisco Department of
Parking and Traffic
ACCOMMODATIONS
Our
new host hotel, the Golden Gateway
Holiday Inn is nicely situated in a central location in San Francisco.
It is the site of many Stompede activities, including the Friday night
Welcome Dance, and most of the dance workshops and social events. It's
only two blocks from the Regency Center, the new site of the Saturday
night Hoedown. And we'll be providing transportation right from the hotel
to Sundance Saloon on Sunday nights.
You're going to like the more upscale environment from our former host hotel and comfortable rooms with outstanding views, from the Golden Gate to downtown and beyond. There's a casual restaurant and bar on the premises, and many restaurants nearby. The cable car stops right next to the hotel. And the public areas of the hotel are comfortable as well. (The spacious rooms for the dance workshops and conferences are even free of obstructing pillars!)
SIGHTS
San
Francisco is a bustling, kooky, warm, friendly, vibrant, outrageous, and
sometimes abrasive but always charming city. It’s a city of genuine
tolerance, where being gay is just a part of the fabric of life. There
is plenty to do and see in San Francisco, from the standard tourist attractions
like Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz,
to wonderful neighborhoods to explore, including the Castro, the gay heart
of the City. Especially if you’ve never been here before, plan on
spending some extra days to take in the sights, dine in our fabulous restaurants,
and soak in the progressive laissez-faire atmosphere of the city.
More information:
San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau
City
Search – San Francisco
SF
Gate Visitor Guide
WEATHER
San
Francisco has a year-round temperate climate … usually cool but never
cold, sometimes warm but rarely hot. Even in July it rarely gets
much above 70° F and in January it doesn’t get much below 50° F. In
late October you can expect daytime highs to reach about 65° F, with nighttime
lows around 55° F. The days are likely to be sunny, but you never
know when the fog might roll in. There is virtually no rain in San
Francisco from May through October, but there is the occasional surprise
early winter storm in late October. There is also the occasional heat
wave in October, which is one of our warmer months.
More information:
The Weather Channel
FogWatch