Travel Tips

With so many different accommodation options for travelers these days, it might be hard to decide which one to stay in. You've got hotels, hostels, AirBnbs, Couchsurfing, VRBO...it can get overwhelming! However, if you are traveling on a budget, want to make new friends, and want to feel at home in a new city, hostels are the best way to go. Okay, we admit it: we might be a little biased. But we have some good reasons. Hear us out.

Here's why we think hostels are better than hotels, Couchsurfing, or AirBnb:

We know from experience that budget backpackers are always on the lookout for an inexpensive outfit or cheap read.

Luckily, San Francisco is a true hotspot for thrift stores and second-hand shops with great discounted clothes and books on almost every corner.

After many years of sifting through clothes racks — and the odd fashion faux pas on the way — we’ve settled on a few favorite stores.

To help you find the purchase of your dreams (and save a few bucks while you’re at it) here is a compilation of the best value-for-money stores in San Francisco.

Getting around San Francisco might seem daunting when you first arrive.

You will want to see as many of the great sights as you can but without spending most of your budget.

You could drive, but that comes with many issues (more on that headache later).

Realistically — as a thrifty hosteler — you are going to want to use a mixture of buses, trains, cabs and ride-sharing apps to travel around the city.

Thankfully, San Francisco is connected by an effective and efficient public transport network.

If you’re a backpacker in San Francisco, then you’ll be on a constant lookout for cheap places to go and budget things to do.

But with so many amazing things to see, you’ll be traveling around the city a lot…and the transportation costs start to add up.

However, there is a cheaper way to travel in San Francisco. The Clipper card is a contactless smart card used by locals for discount travel around the city.

But Google “Clipper card San Francisco” and you’ll see a wealth of information…way too much!

If you’re wondering what to wear in San Francisco, you might not want to listen to The Beach Boys.

If you do, you might get the impression the sun is constantly shining on the state of California. That’s pretty true for the most part but, unfortunately, it’s not always so in San Francisco.

Here you can expect pretty cool temperatures all-year-round, which means you can leave those Havaianas in the hostel in favor of something a bit more practical.

Parking in San Francisco is a headache for everyone.

Traffic stats estimate there are 750,000 vehicles registered in our wonderful city, but only 550,000 legal parking spaces — the numbers just don’t fit.

Then there are all those rules and regulations to follow... and what's up with street cleaning times?

It can be confusing but getting your head around it is essential. If you park in the wrong spot you could end up getting towed or paying a hefty fine.

There’s so much to see in San Francisco it’d be a shame to not use every minute of your visit to explore! Many travelers depart the city late in the day, leaving them to wonder what to do with their luggage at checkout. No one wants to traipse our crazy hills dragging a suitcase or wearing a big backpack!

Your Real First Visit to San Francisco

Presented by Dylan Gallagher of Orange Sky Adventures (https://orangeskyco.com/)