San Francisco City Guide - Getting There By Road

The minimum driving age in California (as in the rest of the USA) is 16 years and cars drive on the right. All valid national licences are acceptable, however, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred. US insurance is mandatory. National Interstate Highways can only be entered or exited at specific interchanges and have even numbers from east to west (I-8 near the Mexican border) and odd numbers from north to south. Tolls on roads, bridges and tunnels are commonplace. Speed limits are typically 56kmh (35mph) in cities and 113kmh (70mph) on the Interstate, unless otherwise posted. Drivers on the West Coast, however, tend to go faster. All occupants of the car must wear Seatbelts and passengers under 12 must be seated in the back. Drivers may turn right at a red light, if the way is clear. A flashing red traffic light is the same as a stop sign, which means that it is necessary to come to a full stop and proceed when safe. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. California has strict drink-driving laws, and penalties may be given at 0.04%. The Zero Tolerance Law, stricter for drivers under 21 years of age, can revoke the licence of drivers with a blood-alcohol content of 0.01% for one year on the first offence. Driving on steep hills may require special care, and emergency care should be used when parking on hills. Manual transmission cars advancing from a stopped light on a steep hill may roll back. Visitors to the San Francisco area are advised to hire automatic cars.

The American Automobile Association – AAA (tel: 1 800 922 8228; website: www.aaa.com) provides information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown service:
AAA 1 800 AAA HELP or 222 4357.

Routes to the city: Major highways are Route 80, the transcontinental highway from the east via Salt Lake City, Interstate 5, stretching to Seattle in the north and San Diego in the south and Route 101, the north–south thoroughfare. The scenic and meandering coastal road, Highway 1 or PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), has incomparable ocean views, however, it also has many intersections and traffic lights, which make for a longer trip. Both Santa Cruz and Monterey are on Highway 1. From both cities, drivers can take this scenic route (Highway 1) or connect to Highway 17 for the Interstate 280 north, which cuts down driving time.

Approximate driving times to San Francisco: From Santa Cruz – 2 hours; Monterey – 2 hours 30 minutes; Lake Tahoe – 4 hours; Los Angeles – 8 hours; Seattle – 21 hours.

Coach services: Greyhound (tel: 1 800 229 9424; website: www.greyhound.com) provides the most extensive bus service throughout the USA. The station is the Transbay Terminal, 425 Mission Street, South of Market (tel: (415) 495 1569). Regular long-distance services include Los Angeles, Seattle and Lake Tahoe.