If you're driving, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the traffic reports . Rush hour is a serious event here. Then there's what to do with your car when you've arrived at your destination. If you manage to find a parking spot, read the parking signs carefully, or you could end up visiting the city tow. Be especially wary of neighborhood permit areas and bus zones.
Cars are extremely useful for trips outside the city, but can be a liability around town.
Use our handy guide to public transit and save yourself some grief. You can get tourism information from the San Francisco Visitor Information Center at Market and Powell streets, on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza, near the Powell Street BART station. The area code for San Francisco and Marin county is 415, Peninsula cities use 650, the East Bay is 510, eastern Contra Costa County is 925, and San Jose is 408. Local payphone calls are 35 cents. It's a big city, and it comes with the usual cautions.