Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By Taxi
Hailing a cab on most city str eets is a hit-
or-miss pr oposition, but spotting a taxi
downtown is easier , especially in fr ont of
hotels. When mo ving ar ound with kids,
it's probably best to phone (or hav e your
hotel phone) a cab company because that's
the only way to guarantee that y ou'll be
retrieved. The major cab companies ar e
Desoto C ab
(
&
415/970-1300),
Luxor
Cabs
(
&
415/282-4141),
Metro
Cab
(
&
415/920-0715),
Veteran's Cab
(
&
415/
552-1300), and
Yellow Cab
(
&
415/626-
2345).
Rates star t at $3.10 when y ou enter a
cab. After the first one-fifth of a mile, rates
are 45¢ for each additional fifth of a mile
as w ell as for each minute of waiting or
traffic delay. I f y ou take a cab fr om the
airport to do wntown, a $2 S an Francisco
Airport exit fee is added to the far e. The
approximate far e fr om the airpor t is $30
to $45, depending on wher e y ou're stay-
ing. According to one of the companies I
contacted, taxis ar e not r equired to pr o-
vide infant or child car seats. I f you hire a
town car (for example, to bring y ou and
your kids from the airport), they should be
able to pr ovide one, but be sur
33
on the street for any length of time. Legal
street parking spaces do exist; they are next
to unpainted curbs and usually are accom-
panied b y meters. Yellow, white, gr een,
and red curbs are all off limits; the ex cep-
tions ar e commer cial z ones (the y ellow
curbs), which are open to cars after deliv-
ery hours. Pay attention to the signs liber-
ally posted on the streets. Be very aware of
tow-away zones. You cannot park on most
streets do wntown betw een 4 and 6pm
without r unning the risk of having y our
vehicle towed. And never park in front of
a driv eway. O therwise, A utoReturn, an
independent contractor for the City's tow-
ing ser vices, may take y our v ehicle to its
storage lot at 450 7th S t., between Harri-
son & Folsom streets. If you return to your
parking space but y our car isn 't ther e,
check with A utoReturn online at www .
autoreturn.com or call
&
415/553-1239
to see if it 's been to wed or mer ely stolen.
It's likely been towed, and that means you
get to visit City Tow to pay the fine and
the storage charges. S uch a misadv enture
will r un y ou a minimum of $244 (most
forms of payment accepted).
2
e to ask
when you make your reservation.
5
MONEY
LOWERING THE COST
OF FAMILY TRAVEL
Traveling with kids can r eally add to the
cost of a trip . Below are some ways to cut
expenses.
•
Reserve a hotel r oom with a kitchen-
ette.
There aren't a lot in San Francisco,
but they do exist, and if y ou use them
to pr epare br eakfast or ev en a bag
lunch, y ou will sav e quite a bit. A t a
minimum, r equest a small fridge and
coffeemaker, if y
Like any big city , S an F rancisco doesn 't
come cheap. Hotels, food, and admission
fees at attractions add up. Fortunately, as I
list in chapter 6, y ou can find plenty of
great food at reasonable prices if you know
where to look, which is usually not in the
most touristy neighborhoods. Like wise,
with careful planning, you may be able to
score a good deal on a hotel r oom. Lastly,
San Francisco is such a beautiful city that
you can do a fair amount of satisfying
sightseeing without spending much money
at all.
our r oom doesn 't
already have one.
