Best Budget Places To Stay In San Francisco

Where To Stay Near Haight

• Best Vacation Rental in Haight-Ashbury: This brand new studio is great location right in the heart of the historic Haight-Ashbury district. Close to Golden Gate Park. Close to restaurants and shops.

• Best Luxury Hotel at Haight & Ashbury The Metro Hotel is charming hotel with a convenient location for public transit, a 14-min walk to Haight-Ashbury, its family-run but has no elevator.
• Check out Availability and Prices: Tripadvisor or Booking.com

• Best Mid-Range Hotel in Haight & Ashbury Stanyan Park Hotel offers free breakfast, Victorian-style rooms, kitchen facilities, wine & cheese hour & tea service, near Golden Gate Park.
• Check Availability and Pricing: Tripadvisor or Booking.com

• Best Haight & Ashbury Budget Hotel The Red Victorian Historic, themed rooms, with antique electric fireplaces, and only two blocks from Golden Gate Park.
• Check out Availability & Prices: Tripadvisor

Getting There Take the Muni bus 6, 7, 37, 43 or 33 . For more information check out the San Francisco Muni website for updated costs and schedule. The San Francisco City Pass gives you unlimited travel on Muni buses, trolleys, and cable cars for three days.

Where To Stay In South Of Market Or Soma

• Best Vacation Rental in SoMa Explore the heart of San Francisco from this duplex. At 1100 square feet it sleeps up to six guests making it perfect for couples sharing a vacation rental.

• Best Luxury SoMa Hotel The St. Regis Elegant luxury with a great view of the city, 24h indoor pool, soaking tub in the bathroom, full-service spa.
• Check out Availability and Prices: Tripadvisor or Booking.com

• Best Mid-Range Hotel in SoMo San Francisco Marriott Located in the heart of SoMa, this hotel has great rooms and dont miss the view from the 39th floor!
• Check Availability and Pricing: Tripadvisor or Booking.com

• Best Budget Hotel in South of Market The Carriage Inn Conveniently located just a five-minute walk from the Civic Center and BART rail station. Clean rooms that come with a continental breakfast included.
• Check out Availability & Prices: Tripadvisor or Booking.com

A Rustic Tent Cabin In Big Basin Redwoods Park California

Situated among the towering old growth redwoods in Big Basin Redwoods Park are the quaint Tent Cabins: not quite camping, but also not quite glamping, either.

The rustic tent cabins are like going camping without needing a tent: youll have beds and a roof over your head and even a wood burning stove in the corner, so cozy but thats about it . Cook your food around a roaring campfire, gaze up at the majestic redwoods around you, make a few smores, and enjoy the tranquility. You can almost smell the pine-scented air just by flipping through .

One small warning: the raccoons at Big Basin are crafty little sneaks, and you may find 2 adorable critters running distraction while a third makes a lunge for the bag of marshmallows. Like, what does a raccoon need with marshmallows, anyway?! Theyre not even real food. Anyway, Im speaking from personal experience here: I had my bachelorette party at the Big Basin Tent Cabins! And yes, 3 raccoons made off with our smores supplies, while we were still using them. So sneaky!

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An Isolated Lookout In Plumas National Forest California

Looking to get away from the rat race? Want to feel like youre above it all? Look no further than Black Mountain Lookout.

The tiny one-room ranger station is the only accommodation youll find in Plumas National Forest. It literally towers over the park and you can see nothing but nature and stars for miles and miles around you.

Youll feel blissful serenity and isolation . The lookout cabin is a step up from camping: theres electricity, a fridge, a stove, and actual bathrooms.

But, there isnt any water so bring some. Its just you and the bald eagles, buddy.

• What to do in Plumas National Forest: Um, hike. Look at stars. Birdwatch. Read a book. Contemplate existence. Look, this isnt Reno, theres no nightlife. Dont go to an isolated ranger station expecting to be entertained.
• Cost: $60 per night Verdict: If total aloneness isnt your thing, bring a low-stress companion who is down to just exist and chill and gaze at stars and think about like, life.
• Distance from the Bay Area: 4 hours| Website: Black Mountain Lookout

Fishermans Wharf & North Beach Where To Stay With Family

Fishermans Wharf is one of the most iconic spots in San Francisco and its my top recommendation for people traveling with their family to the city! Ah, its also a great choice if you only have one day in the city!

For my second area recommendation I have decided to combine Fishermans Wharf with North Beach, as the two areas are not that big, theyre pretty similar and theyre right close to each other. From here youll have the best views on the beautiful San Francisco Bay!

One of the best things about these two areas is that theyre very close to the activities and attractions in the city center and they encompass some pretty exciting things to do themselves.

Fishermans Wharf used to be the #1 tourist attraction in San Francisco, but it was since dethroned by the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island.

While youre there, you can take a walk near the water, admire the sea lions at the Sea Lion Center or you can take a ferry and visit the former Alcatraz island prison! Some other cool spots in the city include the Aquarium of the Bay, Musée Mécanique, Pier 39 and the .

Ah, needless to say, if you love fresh fish and seafood , this is THE place to be if you want to indulge! If you have your heart set on these two beautiful areas, below you can find my recommended San Francisco hotels around:

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Nob Hill & Union Square Where To Stay For First

Downtown San Francisco is one of the best and most popular neighborhood choices for people traveling to the city for the first time!

Downtown San Francisco is defined as the area around Union Square and Nob Hill is extremely close to it. I decided to combine the two into one recommendation, as theyre both considered to be the most popular tourist spots in the entire city.

If you choose to stay here youll be surrounded by tons of amazing shops, restaurants and cafes as well which you can check out. So you can rest assured that youll never get bored in Downtown San Francisco!

Some of the highlights of this neighborhood include Lombard Street, the Ferry Building, the Dewey Monument and, of course, Union Square Park. Ah, and dont forget to take a ride in the historical cable car! Plus, one of the best advantages of staying here is that youll be very well connected to the rest of San Francisco via public transportation .

If you feel like this is the place for you, check out my hand-picked SF hotels in the Downtown area below:

Where To Stay In North Beach And The Hills

Inland North Beach was named when the area sat along San Franciscos original northern waterfront. It is best known as the home of the citys Italian community. In recent years its original blue-collar character has been largely eroded by gentrification. Nevertheless, it retains an easy, worn-in feeling, and its sloping residential streets and vibrant main drags are ideal for aimless wandering.

Primarily residential Telegraph Hill and Russian Hill, meanwhile, boast beautiful old homes. Hidden gardens can be found tucked away down pathways off steep hillside streets. To the south of Russian Hill lies pristine, yet historically snooty Nob Hill.

For a B& B style hotel: Washington Square Inn

Overlooking Washington Square, this hotel has large and airy rooms with a European flavour. Some boast bay windows.

For big budgets: The Fairmont

The most famous of Nob Hills landmark hotels, this showy palace offers fantastic views despite being relatively low-rise for the neighbourhood.

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What Should I Avoid In San Francisco

San Francisco has a substantial homelessness problem there are currently about 8,000 unhoused people living in the small geographic area. Some of the associated issues drug addiction, and yes excrement on the streets are well known to locals, but may surprise visitors to a city with so much wealth.

Traffic is also a major problem throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and locals take pains to avoid rush-hour traffic patterns and event traffic such as related to ballgames and parades.

Where To Stay In San Francisco On A Budget

San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States when it comes to hotels. For a budget tourist, very often it can be challenging to find affordable accommodation in the city. What would you say about a $200/night price tag for a one-star hotel? Wed say no thanks! Therefore, in this article we have decided to share our best tips when it comes to booking a hotel in San Francisco including a list of the best budget hotels in the city.

Lets start with a must-know life hack!

Did you know that if you are staying in San Francisco over the weekend, you may stay in business districts and save a reasonable amount of money? Due to that business travel occurs between Monday and Thursday, hotels located in business districts are rather empty during the weekends. This is the case for all big cities and San Francisco is not an exception. Normally, during the week a room in this type of hotels would cost around $400/night, but at the weekends it goes down to as low as $150/night. So, business district is definitely worth checking out. Below we included some of the best rated hotels located in San Franciscos business districts.

We know this life hack we shared above got you excited. Nonetheless, let us go ahead and mention some of the best budget hotels in the city.

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Insanely Cheap Places To Live In The Bay Area In 2022

Looking for the cheapest place to live in the Bay Area? The Bay Area is an incredible and gorgeous destination to reside and start a family. With endless things to do in the Bay area, from strolling through beautiful streets, and communicating with strangers to exploring adorable towns, and coastal hikes in Bay Area, it is indeed the best place to reside. The Bay Area offers a vast cultural diversity, good standard of living, beautiful scenic parks, numerous job opportunities, and most importantly a happy place.

The Bay Area has booming textile industries, shipbuilding, electronic industries, and aerospace providing ample job opportunities to its residents. The median sale price is around $1.2 million but affordable living in the Bay Area is only possible if you choose the North Bay. So, here are the 9 cheapest places in the Bay Area to live for young professionals and retired people too.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, you wont pay any extra penny, but Ill get a small commission that encourages me to deliver more helpful content for you.

How much money do you need to live comfortably in the Bay Area?

I am living in this area for a few years, from my point of view I am going to offer the best places to live in the Bay Area for cheap. With reasonable expenses and an affordable budget, you can live a good lifestyle in the towns of the Bay Area.

9 Most Affordable Places to Live in The Bay Area

A Sunlit Shanti Cabin In Mendocino California

This adorable little cabin on an adorable little farm serves up quintessential northern California vibes. Its so chill, yall.

Theres an outdoor shower so you can embrace your eco-goddess, a delicious and beautiful organic garden right outside your tiny little cabin door, and you can co-create food with the friendly host!

We stayed in the rustic Shanti cabin in 2015 and fell in love with Mendocino! Weve since returned multiple times and created a whole guide to things to do in Mendocino.

• What to do in Mendocino: Eat an amazing breakfast and watch wild quails and bunnies at Circa 62, take a guided sea cave tour and view wildlife from atop a kayak, catch the sunset at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, go hiking at Van Damme State Park, explore the tidepools at MacKerricher State Park, go wine tasting in Mendocinos famous vineyards! Read our complete guide to Mendocino.
• Cost: $72 per night. Verdict: Bring an adventurous romantic partner to cozy up with on your quirky weekend getaway. But maybe first check and see how they feel about outdoor showers.
• Distance from the Bay Area: 3 hours | Book on AirBnB:Sunlit Shanti

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Best Areas To Stay In San Francisco

Located at the end of a peninsula, this city offers a great view of the water at 270 degrees, from the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay.

The best neighborhoods to stay in San Francisco are mostly central to the city and between the two bridges

There are of course many more great parts of San Francisco to see and visit, however they are more residential and they offer a limited supply of accommodations.

Following is a map where I highlighted the best areas to stay in San Francisco. I suggest using it as a reference through the post

Top Hotels Starting At $100 Or Less A Night*

All of the cheap hotels in San Francisco on this list have at least some rooms starting at or under $100 a night.

1. The Metro Hotel

319 Divisadero Street

I think this is one of the best cheap hotels in San Francisco. It’s highly rated, in the cute Alamo Square neighborhood, and close to several transit options.

While it is light on amenities, it’s a great place to stay if you want to see how the locals live.

This hotel was rated as a “Best Value” hotel by CitySearch and was featured in the National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

Why is it so cheap?Very few amenities. This is a small, locally owned hotel, so there are not a lot of frills. The front rooms face a semi-busy street and can be a bit noisy. It’s also not in the heart of the tourist areas, but there are several public transportation options.

Perfect for: Anyone who wants a real San Francisco experience the minute they step outside their door. Anyone who doesn’t mind taking public transit to get around the city. Those who don’t need a lot of fancy, modern amenities.

Find a room: The Metro Hotel

2. Hotel Icon

325 Sutter Street

You’ll find the 325 Sutter Hotel in the city center just a few blocks from Union Square and Chinatown. This 2.5-star hotel offers free high-speed internet access and TVs.

Why is it so cheap?. This hotel offers both shared and private bathrooms, but the best deal is for rooms with a shared bathroom.

Find a room: Hotel Icon

3. Ocean Park Motel

2690 46th Avenue

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Where To Stay In Haight

The districts between Civic Center and Golden Gate Park are perhaps the citys most racially and economically diverse. Once grubby and crime-ridden, they now make up an eclectic patchwork.

Haight-Ashbury, once the centre of the hippie movement, has adopted its peace-and-love past as a de facto marketing campaign but is still worth visiting. If youre really looking to connect with modern-day counterculture, however, youre better off in the Lower Haight, immediately to the east.

Elsewhere, the affluent nook of sleepy Cole Valley is a pleasant diversion. Alamo Square is worth a stop, too, where six restored Victorian houses and the Downtown skyline provide one of San Franciscos most popular photo opportunities.

North and west of Alamo Square is the Fillmore, once home to some of the citys most notorious housing projects and still economically deprived. Grafted onto its eastern edge is Japantown, an awkwardly artificial development but the heart of the citys Japanese community.

Best for a taste of Japan: Hotel Kabuki

The Kabuki strikes a sophisticated, streamlined look in architecturally drab Japantown. Tea service rituals and workshops on Japanese traditions complete the picture.

Best for park views: Stanyan Park Hotel

Overlooking Golden Gate Park, this small hotel has 35 sumptuous rooms that are incongruous in its countercultural neighbourhood. Each is busily decorated in country florals with heavy drapes and junior four-poster beds.

Is It Safe To Stay In A Hotel

The CDC’s current guidance advises that fully vaccinated people can safely travel domestically. Hotels by their very nature provide opportunities for face-to-face encounters with staff and other guests in common spaces like check-in desks, lobbies, and dining venues. Still, experts say guests who exercise proper precautions can stay safely in hotels. Of course, no travel is completely without risk and we recommend following CDC guidelines as well as all applicable local protocols.

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Getting Around San Francisco

San Francisco is a walking city. Even the locals skip their vehicles to walk, jog, and ride their bike. For you, that means plentiful public transportation throughout the bay and inland. Attractions are strategically placed together, so do not waste your money or time with a cab. Instead, take a double-decker bus sightseeing tour. The city bus system, Muni Transit, takes you to Golden Gate Park, all the beaches, and Golden Gate Bridge for $2.50 USD as an adult and $1.00 USD for seniors and youth. Lastly, the Market Street Railway runs from Market Street to Fishermans Wharf and into The Embarcadero. These are historic trolley cars restored from around the world and a classic way to explore the city.