San Francisco is one of my all time favorite cities to visit.  I love taking my family to the City by the Bay; cool weather, an almost year-round crisp chill in the air, and the big city landscape beckon my name.  The last time we visited San Francisco, we decided to take on our tourism the easy way, through use of the San Francisco CityPASS.  

 

The San Francisco CityPASS is a flat rate ticket price that gets you into some of the city's best attractions, for a budget saving 44% off, and the added perk of free transportation!

 

If you've never visited San Francisco, I wouldn't recommend trying to drive it by car.  Maybe it is just me, but I find the streets very difficult to drive on (the near constant up and down is a killer on the clutch!), and parking brings a completely different set of challenges.  Parking lots are available for reasonable rates at numerous big attractions, but as you visit from activity to activity, you might need a separate travel budget just for parking.

 

Instead of the hassle of taking your car, your CityPASS includes a 7-day passport to the San Francisco MUNI transportation, which includes all city busses, light rails, and even the famous cable cars!  The public transportation system in San Francisco is extremely efficient and comprehensive.  With very little exceptions, at any given point in the city of San Francisco, you are only one block away from a public bus stop!

 

In addition to using the CityPASS for your transportation to and around the city, it also gets you into the best attractions including the California Academy of Sciences, the Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, the Aquarium of the Bay (or the Monterey Bay Aquarium should you want to take the drive south), as well as the Exploratorium or De Young Museum.  You can also swap your bay cruise for a trip to Alcatraz. 

 

Prices for the CityPASS start at $84 for adults and $59 for kids 5-11.  Kids under five are typically free at all attractions and on MUNI transportation. So if you’re able to score cheap tickets to San Francisco – why not save even more with the CityPASS?

 

And if you San Francisco-natives have any money-saving tips to share, hit us up on our Facebook page!

 

Photo Credit: jeffgunn