WHERE TO STAY IN SAN FRANCISCO: BEST AREAS, HOTELS AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO AVOID

Send

Do you travel to San Francisco and you are looking for information on what are the best areas to stay? We have two news: the good news is that a trip to San Francisco is a unique experience, and it is a city that falls in love ... The bad thing is that accommodation in San Francisco is tremendously expensive (in fact it is one of the most expensive cities in the world) . But all is not lost, and you will not have to sleep in the street (hopefully!). In this post we will tell you what are the best areas to stay in San Francisco, those to avoid and we are going to give you a few recommendations of good, beautiful and "cheap" accommodations.

But first, I'm sure you're wonderinghow much does a hotel in San Francisco cost? Is it as expensive as they say? We are sorry to say yes ... In San Francisco, you are paid authentic burros for fairly simple accommodations. Peeero, as always and with a little luck, you may find some bargains! Calculate pay some 100-150$ for a double room with private bathroom, in hotel normal and well located, or about 50-60$ for a bed in a shared dormitory in modernillo hostel.

Remember to take a look at our article with travel tips to San Francisco, with other recommendations to prepare your trip for free.

Downtown

It is possibly the most interesting area to stay in San Francisco, because you will be well located, in the most central part, and there is also a wide range of hotels and a huge number of restaurants and bars. Of course, we do not think the most beautiful and safe area of the city, there are streets where it is common to see homeless and the feeling is not the most pleasant, specifically we recommend avoid the Tenderloin neighborhood. But don't be alarmed, we stayed here a couple of times and never had a big problem. So if you find a chollazo (complicated thing in San Francisco) do not hesitate to book.

→ Recommended accommodation in Downtown:

HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel
Golden Gate Hotel

Fisherman's warf

It is a lovely area, near the docks and the sea, although for us logistically it is not the ideal solution. But it is not bad either because if you think about it you are between the central area (Downtown) and the Golden Gate.

→ Recommended accommodation in Fisherman's Warf:

HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel
Bayview Penthouse

Mission

You could say that it is the "Latin Quarter" of San Francisco, full of places and restaurants where you will hear speaking in Spanish at all hours. In the past it was a dangerous area, especially because of the "gangs" and drug trafficking, but today there are completely safe areas. Specifically the surrounding Dolores Park and that is close to "Castro”(The city's LGBT neighborhood) is a very good place to look for accommodation. Besides being pretty, it is well connected with other neighborhoods in the city.

→ Recommended accommodation in Mission:

Nineteen 06 Mission
Inn San Francisco

We definitely do NOT recommend staying at Oakland or Sausalito: not because they are insecure or have no charm, but to get to the city can be a real challenge, especially at rush hour.

You should also avoid the neighborhood of Tenderloin. In the past it was apparently a very dodgy place, and although it has improved a little, today it is still a somewhat conflictive area, especially for drug issues. Of course, if you find a super bargain, do not discard it either ... we have spent 1 night here at the end of our house exchange and it was not traumatic either (we must also say that we are not those who leave at night and after dinner we went to the hotel to sleep). Where exactly is Tenderloin? It is the area between Taylor Street, Geary Street, Market Street and Van Ness Street.

By last, Bayview and Hunters Point. They told us that it is the most dangerous neighborhood in San Francisco. Guess where we find our exchange house ... There next :-p in Cima de los Altos de Bernál ... yes, in our case we did not have a problem, moreover, this neighborhood seemed quiet and residential, although very far from the center to spend a few days here (we stayed 15 days). But a taxi driver made it clear to us: "don't go to the neighborhood next door" so let them know 😉

We hope you have a little clearer now where to stay in San Francisco and you can avoid its most problematic areas Do you know any interesting neighborhood to stay in San Francisco? Any hotel that was a discovery? Tell us!