San Francisco-Days Inn Lombard Street, San Francisco

Advantages: Location, value for money, free parking
Disadvantages: Noise

...Having a day to kill in San Francisco (lucky me!) before catching an early morning flight, I needed a hotel, and decided to stay in town rather than near the airport. I searched on Expedia and found the Francisco Bay Inn. One of the features I was looking for was free parking, and the Francisco Bay offers it. There were cheaper options, but not when you add $10-$20 to park your car. Expedia gave me a rate of £39, prepaid, and I took it. Another advantage of the Francisco Bay is its location. This is also a disadvantage. It is on Lombard Street, near the corner of Van Ness, within easy walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf and other attractions. However, Lombard is a major, six-lane thoroughfare, part of Highway 101 as it wends its way to the Golden Gate Bridge. This means constant traffic noise, right through the night. Earplugs... Read review

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Advantages: beautiful scenery, quaint city, heavily multi-cultural
Disadvantages: can get very busy, expensive

...and that the Bay Bridge has been fully restored! In 1846 Americans replaced the Mexicans, which led to the discovery of Gold in the Sierra foothills. This era is known as the "Gold Rush". Mexican, Central American and Asian immigrants have made San Francisco one of the most radically diverse cities in the US. We went on a trolley bus (tram) around the city - from the top of the crookedest street in the World (Lombard Street) is a fantastic view of the city and harbour. We also visited the quaint China Town and Fishermans Wharf (from where you can see the Prison called Alcatraz). Alcatraz was the first high security prison and was thought to be inescapable- maybe the 5 men who escaped and were never found are still out there?... Read review

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Advantages: Lombard Street is a Beautiful sight to behold
Disadvantages: You can only drive down it. Try walking UP!!!

...Lombard Street has got to be San Francisco's craziest Street. It is great to walk up, if you have the muscles to do it, but even funnier walking back down. This street is famous world wide being known for its twists and turns. Down either side are planted masses of beautiful flowers. Hydrangers mostly. Always kept neat and tidy, the street is not just for show, cars drive down it all the time. They do not permit drivers to drive up the hill though. Whoever invented Lombard Street, must have had a great imagination to devise a way of driving or walking up and down one of the steepest hills of all the seven, that SanFrancisco is built on. There are quite a few trees and one special one right at the bottom of the hill is sometimes used by street vendors to hang their produce up on. The days that I was their a young girl... Read review

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