Photo Credit: Michael Cavén
San Francisco isn’t an expensive city if you’re visiting from London and New York – but if you don’t live in an über expensive city already, there can be some wide eyed gasping at the prices. Good thing No Onions Extra Pickles is here to help!
While I’ll leave it to you to figure out the cheap flights and hotels for your trip to San Francisco, here are three tips on keeping your wallet happy while you’re exploring San Francisco.
Photo Credit: Franco Folini
Walk.
San Francisco is hilly but it is also very pedestrian friendly. The city is only 7 miles by 7 miles – making it easy peasy to walk wherever you need to be. Plus walking is absolutely the best way to understand and experience a city!
Also consider one of the many free walking tours in San Francisco. One, it’s free (nothing is worse than being disappointed in a tour that you paid good money for) and two, it’s a great opportunity to get to know and feel comfortable in a new part of the city.
Photo Credit: 3dpete
Street food isn’t always the cheapest option.
Sure, food trucks are all the rage (and there are some fantastic ones in San Francisco) but they’re not always a thrifty option. There’s been a number of times I’ve walked away from one wondering how I just spent $15-20 on lunch…?
There a many restaurants in San Francisco where you can get a delightfully delicious meal easily for less than $10 per person. Cheap Indian and Mexican food are my personal favorites – there was a point in time when the guys working at Na’an and Curry saw me at least once a week.
And I have to mention my favorite Vietnamese sandwich shop – Saigon Sandwich. Dirt cheap prices for the most delicious banh mi. It’s a must if you’re visiting sites around the Civic Center.
Photo Credit: Sean Davis
Become BFF’s with museum free days.
Yeah, I know every guide out there says to pay attention to free days at museums…but it’s because it is great advice. So do it! Most of the free days at San Francisco museums happen at the beginning of the month – the first Tuesday is a popular one – though there are also plenty of museums that are free all the time. Consider checking out the San Francisco Cable Car Museum or the Museo ItaloAmericano.
Since I want to make your visit to San Francisco as easy as possible, I’ve already compiled a list of free days at museum in San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area for you to check out…top of the page…you can’t miss it.
Do you have any other tips for doing San Francisco on the cheap?
Disclaimer: This is a recommended post BUT all the thoughts are my own!
7 comments
2 pings
Waegook Tom says:
July 13, 2012 at 6:59 am (UTC -7)
Great, now I’m sat here at 11pm craving Indian food! Thanks, Ashley! Seriously though, great tips here – and a couple of places to check out when I make it to SF (my belly has the final say on my travel plans a lot of the time).
Waegook Tom recently posted..Jeju Black Pork
Ashley Gardini says:
July 13, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC -7)
Ugh, you’ve caught on to my super slick plan to convince your belly to come out here on your US trip
(P.S….is it working…?)
Jeremy Branham says:
July 18, 2012 at 4:27 pm (UTC -7)
I was in San Francisco all week last week. Drove in Sunday night, didn’t see my car again until I left Thursday night. I walked from Geary and Taylor to Fisherman’s Wharf and back. Walked all the way to 4th and Brannan every day. San Francisco is a great walking city.
However, good tip if you’re visiting – always bring warm clothes
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Expedia Find Yours travel purpose photos of the week
Ashley Gardini says:
July 18, 2012 at 4:37 pm (UTC -7)
Didn’t know you where in town! Warm clothes are definitely a must – always chuckle/feel a little bad when I see tourists in shorts and the SF sweatshirt that they obviously just bought.
We enjoy summer here with a hefty dose of fog
Leslie (Downtown Traveler) says:
July 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC -7)
Great tips! San Francisco is a fun city and it’s good to know you can find some sweet deals. I agree with you about the food trucks– in NYC some of their prices rival good restaurants.
Leslie (Downtown Traveler) recently posted..A quest for the best lobster roll in Coastal Maine (photos)
Ashley Gardini says:
July 27, 2012 at 10:06 am (UTC -7)
Thanks Leslie! Yeah, there are many times when I question how much I just at a food truck, haha. The food is amazing, but it definitely isn’t a cheap meal.
Simon says:
August 20, 2012 at 7:05 pm (UTC -7)
Hire or borrow a bike, head to the top of 17th Avenue, wait for the green light then bike your heart out all the way to Golden gate bridge (the lights are all synchronized and hill steep enough for you to free wheel to catch them all). fun!
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