San Francisco’s street layout is a mostly grid-like pattern so that driving can be fairly intuitive. When driving in San Francisco, using any of the excellent travel and map apps now available is the only way to go. An app will also tell you how to get to out-of-the-way places that you might not find on a map. Smartphone apps solve that problem nicely, as a little voice can tell you exactly where to turn. Maps and tour books are great when you’re walking around the city, but they’re useless when you’re racing the hills on Franklin Street in Russian Hill, frantically searching for your turnoff street. That is why it’s also essential to have a Plan B that’s heavy on multiple alternative routes that you can resort to if other roads are congested. Whether you use maps or apps, plot out a route to your destination(s) before leaving your hotel room.ĭepending on what time of day you are entering the city or the area of the city you’re departing from, taking a direct route may not be the best strategy. Map Out A Route Firstīefore hitting the streets in a car, be sure to draw up a game plan first. Read on to unlock the secrets of driving in San Francisco. To those people, we offer insider advice to help you not only get through the experience but to kind of, sort of, enjoy it. They could be here on business, traveling the country in an RV, or living close enough to San Francisco that driving is a cheaper alternative to flying. It’s good for visitors to learn these qualities, as there will always be those who need to drive around the city. Ironically, these are the same traits you need to live here successfully. It is also paramount to be aware of those sharing the road with you.

All it takes is a strategy, knowing what areas to avoid, patience, street smarts, and large amounts of intestinal fortitude. With its dizzying hills, puzzling one-way streets, astonishing lack of parking, and pedestrians and cyclists who think red is the new green, driving in San Francisco is not for the faint of heart.ĭriving in San Francisco is definitely hard, but mastering the art of driving here is not impossible. Driving in any metropolitan area can be challenging, but San Francisco has its own set of unique difficulties that put driving skills (and driver patience) to the test.

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