Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26th. This means we’re just a few weeks from the start of the annual holiday travel season.
For those who call San Francisco home, Thanksgiving presents many pleasantries and potential pitfalls. But don’t worry, we’re here with five tips to help ensure this Thanksgiving in SF is a success:
1. Book Your Parking Ahead of Time
The city is going to be flooded with cars, and your neighborhood’s streets may not be able to handle it. If you’re hosting, and you have a spot, consider moving your car to a weekend lot to make way for your guests. If you’re the incoming guest, do your host a favor and don’t even discuss your parking needs. Instead, reserve a spot nearby. It’ll ease the burden on your host, and it’s a hassle-free ending to the long road trip for you–a win-win!
Here are some great Thanksgiving weekend parking rates from SpotHero. If you choose to use this tip, remember to read the redemption details in your parking pass (not all have in-and-out privileges for example). Also, if you don’t see the spot listed below, it’s sold out.
- 520 Mason $25 24hr
- 155 Stevenson $35 24hr with in/out
- 500 Beach $24 24hr
- 1101 California $30 24hr
- 195 98th at OAK airport, $10 covered and $8 uncovered
2. Know The Street Parking Rules
If you’d prefer to go for street parking, make sure you know the rules. Check out this handy article from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency on how to park legally. For example, unless otherwise posted, you can only park on the street for a 72-hour period before you’re risking a ticket and tow – even if you have a neighborhood permit.
3. Choose Your Travel Day Wisely
Last year Google found that in San Francisco, the busiest travel day is Saturday. It can be up to 40% better if you elect to leave earlier on Friday or later on Sunday.
4. Plan Things to Do Ahead of Time
Consider mixing your activities up this year. Instead of huddling in an overcrowded living room, maybe be the voice of change for action and adventure. Find something new to do and start a new tradition. Here’s a great list of things to do in San Francisco over the Thanksgiving weekend. Just make sure you check with the host before you start your groundswell for change.
5. Pick up Your Waze Game
Waze, the ultimate navigation app, is essential for traveling by road during peak travel times. If there ever was a time to use Waze, it’s before Thanksgiving weekend. As recently pointed out by Lifehacker, Waze’s recent update presents some new and simple ways to really outsmart traffic. Features like sending your ETA or switching to “shortest route” over “fastest route” (this setting avoids the complicated routes just to save a few seconds) will make sure you arrive in time for turkey.