I chose the California Street Cable Car, which runs through the hills of the Financial District (you’ll find luxury hotels and nightclubs). But I’ve recently discovered the Powell-Hyde line, which is more exciting to take (you’ll have views of Coit Tower, Alcatraz, and San Francisco Bay).
Oh this looks really cool! How long is the ride? This is a good way to get a tour around the city, right? 7$ seems a bit expensive though just for one way? Did you enjoy the ride?
@DanniS riding a Cable Car was a whole lot of fun, but it was a limited experience. I think that the best way to discover the facets of San Francisco is through your boots. Biking on the streets was also a wonderful adventure. But if you want to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s a bit challenging.
The ride time is less than 30 minutes. The cable cars stop frequently along their routes. As I said, the Powell-Hyde line is much more interesting.
@ErmesT it’s true. San Francisco is super expensive!
@Asma-Tn Thanks a lot for your info! It’s definitely useful. I’d love to visit San Francisco and hopefully catch a ride. Thanks again for sharing your post and advice!
Like @Asma-Tn@ErmesT has stated everything is expensive in San Francisco @DanniS , but riding a San Francisco cable car is a magical “only in San Francisco” experience.
I can also say you are riding a registered historical landmark. The car is run by cables and you can really feel this friction when you are either going up or down one of the many steep San Francisco hills.
For me, I don’t normally ride a SF cable car in my daily life (I used to when I was a child going to elementary school) anymore. But when I do with tourists (and Local Guides Friends), it still brings back a huge smile .
I agree the Powell Hyde line is the best ride out of the three lines @user_not_found because you get to see a little bit of everything (going through the different SF neighborhoods, going up and down the very steep SF hills, going across the city to Fisherman’s Wharf or back to Union Square). So, if you are limited with your time in SF, riding this cable car line ticks off many of “sightseeing SF sights).
Is a pretty fun experience @Asma-Tn I did the Powell Hyde route last year in my visit to SF and I really enjoyed it! Look what amazing job the staff do every day.
100% agree @Asma-Tn the cable cars are a grand experience. I always ride on the outside of the car at the centre of the track so you can high five people coming the other way (don’t let the Muni people catch you do it though).
@Asma-Tn we also have historic Street Cars that start at the Castro on Market Street up to Fisherman’s Warf and back. My favorite one has a wood interior and the seats are in a circular layout. Though some buses do run the line because they’re having a difficult time finding transit operators who know how to drive them.
Here’s a couple of pictures from the Google Explorer Days when they hosted a private party
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