My planning

Yes, I went to San Francisco and I loved it ! But traveling to the U.S, especially in a big city, costs a lot of money. I made a table to give you an idea of my budget and my expenditures during my trip.

The transport between my residence in France and the airport was free (thanks mom !). The airline tickets are a bit expensive so the majority of the budget was spent on the flight. Once I arrived in SF, I immediately bought a transports card to move over the city : public transit is not only affordable; it's also a great way to get around the city.

I booked a room in an apartment in SF on the website www.airbnb.com . This website proposes rental accommodations (rooms, apartments and houses) all over the world and the prices are really attractive, I recommend this website ! The housing wasn't very expensive (see the next article) and the owner was really nice !

With regard to the meals, I tried as much as possible to eat at home but I couldn’t resist to try fast foods and pop restaurants. I mean, was in an other country with a different culture, why would I do that ? It would’ve been a shame !! Of course, I tried McDonald’s and their menus are insane ! Ours are ridiculous, and trust me when I say that ! Before I left to come America, people told me that the food there was not good at all, that I will have a hard time to eat in their restaurants blablabla, and today I’m happy to tell you that they were all wrong ! Americans know how to cook ! I ate in town especially for lunch and dinner, I took one breakfast at a café next to my house and it was pretty cosy.

I did a lot of activities as well. I went to the Golden Gate Park which is a urban park of 1,017 acres created in 1870. It is 20 percent larger than Central Park in New York (huge). A lot of buildings are located inside the park such as the De Young museum and the Beach Chalet. Nature is obviously present within the park. There are a few gardens like The Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and there are also a few lakes and even waterfalls (see the photos). The Golden Gate Park is a beautiful and peaceful place and I totally recommend it.

What is a trip to SF without a stopover to the Golden Gate Bridge ?! The GGB is a massive bridge built between 1933 and 1937 which allows the population to cross the Golden Gate Strait. It’s 2,737 meters long and is 230 meters high. I opted for a cruise in the San Francisco Bay area which brought me right under the GGB and it was awesome ! The cruise lasts for 1 hour and a half and it puts on quite a show !

The next day I went to the Alcatraz Island and I have to say that I was torn between excitement and fear. Let me explain why : the Alcatraz Island is, itself, a very beautiful island surrounded by the ocean, but the fact that people (including me) visit the prison where the most dangerous criminal have been trapped here for a century is kinda creepy and shady, don’t you think ?Anyway, it was interesting to visit such a site full of history, I recommend it as well !

I visited the San Francisco Cable Car Museum located in the Nob Hill neighborhood of SF. This museum opened in 1974 and it’s free ! The museum presents the huge engines and wheels that tow the cable car. The museum also presents old cable models : the first cable used and one from the 1870s. There you can also see old machines, historic photographs, different cables, etc. It’s very interesting ! There’s also a shop inside the museum where you can buy souvenirs such as books and cards. I opted for a tee-shirt and three postal cards :-).

Then I went to Union Square, a beautiful place where there are a lot of theaters, hotels and shops. As you'd expect, I went shopping :-). I mean I had to ! I was in San Francisco, it would've been a shame if I hadn't been ! I bought a lot of stuff : some souvenirs and especially clothes that you can't find in France. If you're looking for a place to shop you definitely have to go there.

The last day, as it was very sunny, I went to the beach. I had a full view on the Golden Gate Bridge (see the photos), it was great ! The same night I wanted to do something special for my last day in SF, so I went to the famous restaurant Park Tavern (full address : 652 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133-3316). I know, you’re probably thinking that it is too expensive for a student and everything, but as I saidI wanted to do something special that’s why I chose a ‘real’ restaurant and not a fast food. The food was amazing as well as the ambiance and the staff is very polite. Then went to a bar called Tradition (full address : 441 Jones St. San Francisco, CA 94102) which is just a 12 minutes walk from the restaurant. There I met French people ! What were the chances for me to meet French ?! We talked a lot, they were very friendly and we had a good time. The asked me to go to a nightclub with them, of course I couldn’t refuse ! So we went to the Ruby Skye nightclub (full address : 420 Mason St. San Francisco, CA 94102) and OMG what a club !! This one of the most famous club in SF, this is like the place to be ! The Dj was amazing, the ambiance too, I had a lot of fun ! We stayed and dances there for like, four or five hours, it was crazy !

There you have the whole resume of my trip to SF, it went too quickly ! If you’re looking for a city to go to during your trip to the U.S, you definitely have to go there. There’s plenty of things to do, wether you have a lot of money or not, there’s always something to do !

Sources :

http://www.sunsetbld.com/golden-gate-bridge.php

https://goldengatepark.com/

https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/index.aspx

http://www.cablecarmuseum.org/

http://www.justluxe.com/travel/64__san-francisco/116__nightlife.php

https://www.tripadvisor.fr/ShowUserReviews-g60713-d2365286-r275395993-Park_Tavern-San_Francisco_California.html