https://www.avforums.com/attachments/20161010_103549-jpg.860675/ https://www.avforums.com/attachments/20161008_143900-jpg.860683/
https://www.avforums.com/attachments/20161008_181006-jpg.860684/ We stayed at the Scarlet Huntingdon opposite the Grace Cathedral. Hotel was lovely, rooms large and plush.
Tram stop right outside and I preferred being away from Fishermans Wharf. Was a short walk to Union Sq (downhill).
Alcatraz tickets are available 3 months in advance so keep an eye on the main website so you don't get stung by "tour" operators with a large mark up on tickets. I really like Universal Studios Hollywood. Head straight to the tour and get that done, as it incorporates some fun experiences along the way, then you can enjoy the rest of the park.
If you've got time, I really enjoyed the Warner Bros Studio Tour when I went in 2014. They had a brilliant Batman exhibition at the time, one room of vehicles and one of all the cowls and costumes from all the films. We stayed at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in 2013. Great hotel in a nice location at the top of Nob Hill. Easy cable car access. Their club lounge was a very welcome site at the end of a long day! San Francisco is actually a big city, just that where a tourist would go is relatively speaking a smallish area seen zoomed out on the map in relation to the whole. You'll get the feeling that SF is a proper city of its own, with neighbourhoods and feels like a characterful place to love - and it is, greatly, rated by Americans as one of the very best loved places to be on holiday.
LA is very different in nature and which you will actually enjoy more comes down to what you want to do. LA is better described as many "cities" merged by growth and connected by freeways.
Public transport is extensive in both places, but in LA, given the sheer scale of things and the separated locations of the good stuff, public transportation is far less useful than it is to a tourist in SF. ( I speak generally )
In SF you need book just one hotel, even for a long stay. Use public transport, taxis and your own feet to get around. In LA, you need to look at it as a series of different places and stay accordingly in more than one place, even three, depending on why you are there.
SF will tend to be more expensive. There is more choice in LA to be able to save money by staying off hot spots, but doing this you're really best with a car ( I speak generally ). In SF a car is more of a hinderance.
For weather, February isn't ideal for either, but it should be warmer down south, but Feb is LA's rainiest month )
Climate San Francisco - California and Weather averages San Francisco
Climate Los Angeles - California and Weather averages Los Angeles
Actually, if you want a place in California that's nice and warm with low rain in February, think about San Diego. It has really nice beach areas, lots to do both in terms of fun and heritage. You can take a short and scenic train ride to get there from LA or Orange County.
From New York, you could as well fly there directly. Or fly to LA and do a bit of both LA and SD. Or fly to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, do Disney, which will be open in February and should be quiet mid week, then take the train to San Diego from Anaheim Amtrak station. United go direct, but you can do it for less than half if you involve 1 stop.
A wild card suggestion, is to make Las Vegas your western part of the trip. Should be warm and while Feb is also their rainiest month, its at a fraction of what you get in LA. Or another idea, fly to John Wayne , do Disney, then transfer on a special door to door coach transfer service for Las Vegas, I can link you if you're interested. No need to have a car at all for Disney and Las Vegas.
May I ask what sort of things would interest you to do in SF and LA ? sActually, reading more of the thread, I see you are particularly interested in Universal.
Great ! There are worthwhile differences between Universalhere compared with Florida, including a unique topographical aspect. You also have the rest of Hollywood nearby.
There is something to be said for staying onsite and perhaps taking some kind of ticket package with the hotel. It comes down to Hiton or Sheraton, so not cheap but then, maybe that's the level you'd be going for anyway, I don't know. You'd be right next to the off park attraction areas - Universal City Walk, etc.
Staying here, you'd have good proximity to other Hollywood things, like Warner Bros, Downtown Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park. Unlike downtown Hollywood, which is fun but grotty, here its is more of a safe, resort nature. Yet close to the film industry and stars related attractions by taxi, metro train or bus. Sightseeing bus tours, including "stars homes/Beverly Hills" type tours will certainly pick up from these hotels, to cover anything else that interests you, however I will say that if it is something distant like Disney, its a convoluted thing, a long day and it would be better in a way to go stay right next to it, depending on durations, level of interest etc.
I highly recommend the VIP tour of Warner. Its a different animal from the backlot tour at Universal. That's not to criticise Universal, just that one is an interesting and compehensive behind the scenes look, the other more an extended theme park ride - both great, just different !
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Speaking of Metro, the Red Line now extends up to Universal City, which gives you local train access to downtown Hollywood and ultimately to Union Station, for downtown LA i.e. the main high rise business district but also an historic old town centre. Usefully, if you don't mind taking your luggage on the Metro, Union Station is your departure point for Amtrak to San Diego, or to Anaheim for Disney by either Amtrak or the suburban Metrolink service.
If you are going to train it to San Diego, I'll give you a nicer way to do it. Take a taxi to the Amtrak station at Burbank Airport. You can pick up the same Pacific Surfliner service from there instead of Union Station ( but use Union Station for checked bag service - see website for carry on restrictions )
www.Amtrak.com
Usefully, if you are coming to stay on site at Universal as your LA stay, one airline flies from New York to Burbank airport, which is just up the road ( as opposed to flying to LAX ). JetBlue do it on certain days of the week and happen to be one of the nicest and best domestic carriers.
https://www.jetblue.com/#/
While in my earlier post I said that LA works best by staying in two or three different locations, that is relevant more to a comprehensive LA/so-Cal holiday. For a short visit and for what you have indicated is your interest, a single stay close to Universal and in particular on site at Universal City, is just fine as a single location. That, augmented perhaps by sightseeing tours and use of the Red Line Metro.
By the way, if you're also interested to finish your trip in Las Vegas for another high octane blast, then Southwest fly from Burbank, once again letting you fly more conveniently. @True Romance - we stayed here in LA a few years ago and it was relatively cheap, very comfortable and in a fantastic location. We bussed/walked it pretty much everywhere from there.
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