For anyone on a tight budget but still wanting to enjoy the attractions of San Francisco and the Bay Area, the Go San Francisco Card is a steal! You can purchase a Go Card for one, two, three, five or seven days. Keep your eyes pealed for special discounts as sometimes they offer up to 15% off the regular price.
The Go Card allows you free admission to numerous attractions, tours and museums in the Bay Area. You can visit any number of attractions per day for the length your card is activated. The card also gives you great deals on tours and shopping discounts. It's definitely worth the money and, according to the website, can save you up to 35%.
I picked up the Go Card at the San Francisco Visitor Center near the Powell Street BART station. For a three-day pass it was $89.99 (10% discount off the regular price of $99.99 when ordered online for a limited time). If you plan ahead, you can have the card and a guidebook mailed to your home for about $5.00. We just picked everything up in San Francisco.
There are tons of things to do using the card, and it's so convenient to only pay once for admission to dozens of activities. There are attractions that are inside and out of the city, so you'll score even bigger if you're renting a car. However, even if you're limited to public transportation (like we were), you'll be able to do more than half of the activities. You'll find even that too much to pack into your days and will, unfortunately, have to cut some activities.
As for public transportation, definitely invest in a Muni Passport. You can pick one up at a kiosk right near the Powell Street cable car turnaround for $11 to $24 depending on the length of activity. They are sold in one, three or seven day increments and are good for any public transporation within San Francisco, excluding BART. This means you'll be able to ride all the cable cars you want to for one price instead of $5.00 a pop. You'll also be able to ride all buses, underground rails and the historic street cars. It's such a great deal!
Using the Muni is quite an easy way to see the city. Not only do you avoid dealing with traffic, rental car fees and high hotel garage charges, you get to experience the city like locals. Many locals use the Muni to get around the city, and while you obviously cannot blend into the scene as a local, you'll at least be able to interact with them. I've found most people in San Francisco, tourists and locals, to be quite friendly and chatty. Beware though - some buses can be more crowded than others (especially those going into Chinatown), but it usually clears out after a couple of stops.
On the Muni, I've found that most people are pretty respectful of your personal space. I've also noticed that most people don't care that you're standing just inches away from them. It's just all part of the experience. At first I was a little concerned about pickpockets, especially in such tight quarters. I'd pull my bag in front of me so I could see all the zippers. However, I noticed that no one else did that at all. Even locals didn't bother with trying to shield their personal belongings. I also didn't witness any purse snatching or anyone lifting wallets. Every once in a while, you'll notice someone on the bus who seems a bit mentally unstable. However, even they don't tend to bother anyone. Overall it seemed pretty safe to me.
One tip for using the Muni is to board at the front of the bus. From what I gather, you're able to board through any door. I've seen people squeeze in from the back door all the time. I'm not sure how the driver is supposed to know whether or not the passengers have passes or not. I only witnessed one instance where the bus drivers shouted for everyone to enter from the front. However, I'm not sure what the official ruling is on this though. It's probably just safer to use the front door. At least this way you'll be able to ask the driver for directions if you're unsure whether or not you've boarded the correct bus.
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