Saving money for a trip across the United States is not an impossible task, but in San Francisco, it is a bit more difficult. What makes it expensive to travel to San Francisco is the price of hotels, because, in the city, the prices hardly ever drop below $120-143 per night. That’s why those on a tight budget find it difficult to find satisfactory accommodations at an affordable price (there are also those who give up and reluctantly leave out San Francisco from their travel itinerary).
In our guide on where to stay in San Francisco, we recommended neighborhoods where hotels are a bit cheaper and mentioned some hostels in the city, but I realize that those of you who think of themselves as expert bargain hunters will want to explore all over the city and often you may resolve to find a hotel outside of San Francisco.
I’m not referring to the popular districts outside the center or the distinct residential neighborhoods but to the small cities around San Francisco, such as Oakland, Berkeley, San Bruno, Daly City, Colma, and Sausalito. Of course, hotel prices may be lower (not always!), but is it really worth moving away from the city if you intend to visit it as thoroughly as possible? In general, the answer is no.
You don’t want to travel 10 to 20 miles from downtown San Francisco to save that $20 to $30 that you’ll have to spend on travel one way or another. Also, with the exception of Oakland, Sausalito and Berkeley, the cities and towns around San Francisco are not particularly interesting for tourists.
However, if you take into consideration all of the factors (schedules, prices, transfers, proximity to BART, and parking), it is possible to organize a satisfactory stay, visit San Francisco with profit and maybe save something on accommodations.
Below, I will give some tips on finding hotels in the most strategic towns, but first I would like to point out once again our article on where to stay in San Francisco, because I still believe that the neighborhoods mentioned in that article remain the best solution, even though you may spend a little more. Click on the link below to find the specific section of the paragraph in which I indicated the cheapest neighborhoods in San Francisco.
Neighborhoods in San Francisco with the most affordable accommodations
Contents
Best Places to Stay Outside of San Francisco
Oakland and Berkeley are located northeast of San Francisco, across the Bay Bridge, while Daly City, Colma, San Bruno, and South San Francisco are located south of San Francisco. Sausalito lies north of San Francisco.
Where to stay in Oakland when visiting San Francisco
Under certain conditions, in terms of travel time, Oakland could be considered an even better solution than the neighborhoods on the outskirts of San Francisco. Also, as you can read in our article about the attractions in Oakland, there are some interesting attractions in the city. The yellow BART line has three stops in Oakland:
- 12th St (the closest to downtown Oakland)
- 19th St
- MacArthur
The blue and green BART lines both pass through Lake Merritt, a fairly central stop in the Merritt district of Oakland. You could also consider Fruitvale, but the journey is almost half an hour and it’s not worth it.
From these 4 main stops, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to get to Powell Station on Market St, the nearest BART station to Union Square (5-minute walk). In this case, the best plan is to look for accommodations near these stops, particularly the 12th St stop, which is located in the area of Oakland that is most interesting for tourists (see cover photo of the article).
Accommodations near 12th St BART station in Oakland
[mks_toggle title=”Attention” state=”open”] It is true that you can find rates that are somewhat lower than those in downtown San Francisco. However, you must consider these two factors:
- 1) Parking: If you have a car, you have to look for parking. Just like in San Francisco, it’s rare to find free parking. There are some motels with parking included, but they are kind of out the way.
- 2) The cost of BART: The cost to ride to and from Oakland is about $8. If you will be visiting San Francisco for a few days, the amount spent on the BART becomes considerable. You might as well spend that money to stay in downtown San Francisco and get around on foot or by bus, which are a bit cheaper and allow you to reach different parts of the city more easily. [/mks_toggle]
Berkeley: Is it convenient to stay there overnight?
Berkeley is located north of San Francisco and Oakland and is famous throughout the United States for the prestigious University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 1873, it is the first university in California. No one in the area would recommend going all the way to Berkeley to find a hotel if you are visiting San Francisco. Since you can travel to and from the university town on the orange line of BART, I have included it for the sake of completeness.
The two stations are Downtown Berkeley and North Berkeley, which are approximately 30 minutes from Powell Station, and the fare is just under $10 one way. The last trains to Berkeley leave from Powell Station at 12:22 am.
Just like in Oakland, hotel prices in the central area of Berkeley are just below the average in San Francisco, but on University Avenue – halfway between the two stations – there are some motels that have rates around $120 that include parking.
Accommodations on University Avenue in Berkeley
Daly City and Colma: Low-cost solutions
To the south of San Francisco, past the suburbs’ unfavorable neighborhoods, in the direction of the airport, there are some places connected to downtown San Francisco by the yellow and red lines of the BART. One of these is Daly City. Located on the slopes of the San Bruno mountains, Dale City welcomes many golf enthusiasts to play at golf courses. There are no major tourist attractions in Dale City, except for the colorful residential neighborhoods of Westlake.
There are two stations south of San Francisco. The closest to San Francisco is Daly City, and further south is Colma Station. From the two stations, it takes about 20 minutes on the BART to get to Powell Station. What advantage do these two stations offer? There are motels not far from the two metro stations and rates are less than $120 per night and parking is free (on the street or in the motel parking lot). To travel to and from Powell Station, it costs just under $8 from Daly City and $8.40 from Colma.
Where to stay near San Francisco Airport: South San Francisco and San Bruno
Even further south of Daly City, there is South San Francisco, an industrial city mainly known for its proximity to the international airport. For this reason, if your plane lands at this airport, you’ll discover that there are two other BART stations on your route that can be useful if you want to stay overnight outside of San Francisco. The two stops are South San Francisco and San Bruno, located in the town of the same name.
On the BART lines, it takes 20 to 25 minutes to get to Powell Station, and the tickets for a round trip costs between $9 and $10, as you can read in our article on how to get from San Francisco Airport to downtown San Francisco.
[mks_toggle title=”Tip” state=”open”] Both in the case of South San Francisco and Daly City, choose a hotel that is as close to the stations as possible in order not to take up too much time traveling. You should also bear in mind that the last ride from Powell Station leaves shortly after 1:00 am.[/mks_toggle]
As you get closer to the airport, the availability and prices of motels and hotels both increase. If you want to pay less than $120 per night (with parking), you have to make do with low-quality hotels. On the other hand, there are also very decent chain motels and accommodations for $120 per night.
Accommodations near the South San Francisco Station
Accommodations near the San Bruno Station
Sausalito: Pros and cons
The last available option certainly has a more charming landscape, but it is less practical since the BART does not travel there. I’m talking about Sausalito, a pleasant coastal city beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco. Read our article about Sausalito to get an idea of how to get to San Francisco (bus, bike, or ferry) and where to stay in this coastal city.
Keep in mind, however, that travel time is inevitably longer and prices are higher. If, on the other hand, you are particularly sporty and would like to take a scenic bike ride, this is the right choice for you.
