San Francisco (September 5, 2019):
Baker
Los Angeles
Monterey
San Diego
San Francisco
Saint Joseph
Saint Louis the Bishop
Santa Barbara
Solvang
They're not from California, but I'm adding them because we also did them on this trip:
Grand Canyon (Arizona)
Las Vegas (Nevada)
Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico)
History of San Francisco in a few lines:
Origins:
The area where San Francisco is located today was originally inhabited by the Ohlone, a group of Indigenous peoples who lived in villages scattered around the bay. The first European presence arrived in 1769 with the Spanish expedition of Gaspar de Portolá, who identified the bay but did not establish an immediate settlement.
Middle Ages:
There is no equivalent Middle Ages in this territory; while Europe was developing medieval structures, the region remained inhabited by indigenous societies such as the Ohlone, with their own cultural and economic systems and without influence from European development.
19th Century:
The Spanish settlement was consolidated with the founding of the Presidio and Mission San Francisco in the 1770s. In 1848, the discovery of gold in California completely transformed the city: San Francisco went from a small town to a major metropolis in just a few years, fueled by the gold rush, immigration, and maritime trade. The devastating earthquake and fire of 1906 marked another turning point, although the city was quickly rebuilt.
Present:
Today, San Francisco is one of the world's most influential cities, known for its cultural diversity, iconic architecture like the Golden Gate Bridge, and its proximity to the tech hub of Silicon Valley. It is a global center for innovation, tourism, culture, and the economy, with a distinctly progressive and multicultural character.
We couldn't have loved it more! We'd been told a lot about how unsafe and dangerous it was, but we didn't feel that way at all. It was no different from any other big city. But from what we heard, it must have declined sharply after a short time due to the drug problem. It's true there were a lot of homeless people, but nothing that should scare us in this great city.
Unlike Los Angeles, which is the one you hear about everywhere and which disappointed us greatly, San Francisco was just the opposite, well, except for that toy bridge which is horrible and on top of that they charged us €9 to cross it, you've probably heard of it: Golden Gate hehe).
We stayed in a hostel (Green Tortoise), Highly recommended. It's very well located, reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is young, relaxed, and has a great vibe. It has everything you need and is cleaner than we expected. We were lucky enough to share a double bunk bed with a really nice Brazilian couple the first night. The rest of the time we had the room to ourselves.
We also went to Sausalito because it's so famous, but it didn't impress us at all. In Spain, we have millions of fishing villages with far more charm.
Since we had some extra time, we also went to see Oakland, but there's not much to see, except for the bridge that connects it, which is a thousand times better than the Golden Gate Bridge 😅 and is stunning at night. But it's best to visit this area only during the day, as it's not very safe at night.
San Francisco combines very well with Los Angeles if you are looking for a classic West Coast route linking two iconic cities with totally different styles, and with San Jose for being the natural gateway to Silicon Valley and a logical extension to the south of the Bay Area.
Direct flight Madrid-Los Angeles with return from San Francisco with a stopover in Lisbon: 1.040,42€ The two of them. Caught with eDreams.
Car: 272,51€, 11 days. Ford Focus 5-seater automatic with air conditioning. Picked up at Los Angeles airport and delivered to San Francisco airport. Booked with Booking.
Hotel: Green Tortoise Hostel San Francisco €308 for 2 or 3 days. Booked Airbnb. Breakfast included.
Alcatraz Prison: €79 for both.
Travel Insurance: 98€ The two of them. Caught with Iati.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: It must be electronic and have a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of entry into the U.S. and at least two blank pages. The passport must have been issued after 2006.
ESTA form: Spanish citizens must complete the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) form at least 72 hours before their flight. This allows stays of up to 90 days without a visa. 40,27$/Person. LINK.
Return ticket: You must present a return ticket dated within 90 days to prove that you will leave the country within that time.
Travel insurance: It is recommended to have adequate travel insurance due to the high cost of medical care in the USA. In our case, we always used Iati, but lately we've been using Globalfine, which is much cheaper.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
Special conditions: If you have traveled to certain countries, such as Cuba, Iran, or Syria, after specific dates, you may need a visa instead of an ESTA.
International driving permit: It is requested through the website of the DGT.
It costs €10.51. The good thing is you can order it online and pick it up without an appointment. It took a couple of days for ours, then you go to pick it up and it's a cardboard card like the ones they had 20 years ago.
Travel insurance: It is recommended to have road insuranceHeh. The best known and most complete ones are Iati y Heymondo, if we don't need insuranceWe'll grab him with... oh fat Globalfine which is much cheaper, in this case we use Iati.
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut definitely.
Roaming: NO There is, so if you have data enabled you can take a nice little gift back.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps for Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
Other destinations in California: 
