Visit San Francisco On The Cheap

Also known as Fog City, San Francisco is a west coast jewel. Gorgeous scenery, charming tourist attractions and mild weather all contribute to this popular destination. Cheap, on the other hand, is not usually a word visitors or residents use to describe the city. Follow our tips below to get around SF On The Cheap.

~Cheap Lodging

As usual, hostels are our choice for cheap lodging and the same advice applies to San Francisco. A couple of our favorites include:

*USA Hostels San Francisco* Just 3 blocks from Union Square and includes an all-you-can-make pancake breakfast. Single and mixed gender dorms (3-4 beds) start at $28 or opt for a private double room for just over $70. Another bonus: Some of the dorm rooms have an ensuite bathroom. Free linen and lockers are also included and staff are happy to help arrange activities or transportation. This relatively new chain of hostels also has locations in Hollywood, Las Vegas and San Diego.

*Green Tortoise Backpackers Hostel* Located near Chinatown, this very popular hostel has some great amenities. In addition to free breakfast (and dinner 3 nights per week!), there is also free internet, free lockers and tons of activities planned. There is also a spinoff company that organizes travel to nearby destinations such as Yosemite. We also love that the dorms have small numbers of beds in them (2-5!) and are available in female-only or mixed genders. Rates start at $25 pp for 5-bed dorms and 33.50 pp for 2 bed or double bed rooms.

Not up for hosteling? There are also some budget hotels left in San Francisco. We particularly like the Park Hotel or the SW Hotel. Both are centrally located and include some nice extras.

~Free San Francisco

Check out the Palace of Fine Arts. This structure was built as part of an Expo after the 1906 quake, and has withstood many a quake after that. The Palace of Fine Arts is a place of indescribable beauty, with a huge dome with thick pillars, creating a classical Roman sort of effect.

Also notable are Fisherman?s Wharf/Ghirardelli Square/World Famous Sea Lions. Fisherman?s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square are two big shopping centers located near the water. As one of San Francisco?s finest attractions, you simply can?t say you?ve been to San Francisco unless you?ve been there. These two centers are located only within a few blocks of each other, at the end of one of SF?s Cable Car routes. While you?re there, be certain to check out the World Famous Sea Lions. For some odd reason, sea lions tend to lounge around and basically hang out there. According to an SF guide, they are the most popular attraction in CA, save for Disneyworld and Disneyland.

~Cheap Eats

If you walk along San Francisco downtown, you will be bombarded by some of the best scents the world has to offer. Try these restaurants of various international cuisines that are easy on the wallet.

*Cordon Bleu Vietnamese Restaurant: The French-sounding name of this place is kind of misleading, but this restaurant serves wonderful Vietnamese food at a low price. For fewer than 8 dollars, you can enjoy a good combo meal that includes 5-spice chicken, grilled barbeque pork, an imperial roll, rice with sauce, and a country salad.

*The Pork Store Caf?: As the name implies, this place is dedicated to all things pork, and you can definitely pork out with the Pork Store Special. For $6.95, you can get two pork chops, two eggs, two biscuits, and lots of hash browns.

*Chow: What the name says, that is what it gives. The food choice is incredibly diverse. The highlights include Goat Cheese and Mushrooms on Toast ($6), Sonoma chicken ($9), lemon and butter mussels ($6.50), and a salmon sandwich ($8).

Don't miss San Francisco just because you hear how expensive it is. For more tips on how to visit SF On The Cheap, please visit our website at www.onthecheaptravel.com.

Happy Travels!

Kadie Kozee is the founder and editor of www.OnTheCheapTravel.com. She takes great delight in visiting the world's most fascinating places on a minimal budget.