Renting a car in San Francisco will allow you to get to know the steep roads, the neighborhoods located on the hills, the colorful houses and of course the famous "Golden Gate Bridge".
If you want to leave the city with your car, you can discover a different California: where the landscape, animals and history dominate, and not just the urban beauty.
 

Exclusive for rentals with Alamo
 

◾ The freedom to choose

At the main airports in the USA, including the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports in California, the exclusive program called – Choice, is activated and offers the car renter a selection of models to choose from in each group.
For the list of stations where Choice option is available, click here.
 

◾ Save time

you can also speed up standing in line with the Save Time service that allows you to check in online in advance for the car rental and also at central stations you can get the rental voucher from a kiosk instead of standing in line! To check in online, click here.

◾ Toll roads

In the USA there are many toll roads. In order to save unnecessary dealing with small change during your trip, the car rental stations offer renting a Tollpass device (similar to the Route 6 device) with which you can pass on these roads and receive the charge in a centralized manner from the rental company and pay via CC.

Please note that some toll roads are exempt by the TollPass device, for example in Montreal, Kansas and South Carolina. It is your responsibility to verify this before traveling on toll roads. Driving on a toll road without payment is subject to fines.

For more information about the included and excluded roads, visit the following website: https://www.tollpassgo.com/
 

◾ Special lanes

On highways there is sometimes a sign with the inscription "HOV" (High Occupancy Vehicle lanes) - this is a lane for multi-passenger vehicles that at certain times of the day a vehicle is not allowed to pass through these lanes unless it carries the number of passengers indicated on the sign.
 

◾ Carpool routes

In the USA, there are lanes that are designated for vehicles that carry a number of passengers according to the number indicated on the signage. Violation of the rules may result in a significant fine of tens or even hundreds of dollars.
 

◾ Turns on US roads

In some US states, different rules are applied than in Israel regarding right and left turns at traffic lights.
Turning right: In some areas turning right is allowed even when the traffic light is red, when of course there is still an obligation to give the right of way to pedestrians and crossing vehicles. If you are not sure what the rule is in the country you are traveling to, you can wait for a green light.
Turning left: In addition, there are countries where even when the traffic light is fully green, turning left does not always give you the right of way, but the right of way is first of all to the traffic coming in front of you.
 
The exception to this case is when your traffic light also shows a green arrow - then the right of way is yours.
 

◾ Credit cards in the USA

Please note - the rental companies in the USA do not allow Diners or Debit credit cards to be presented as a deposit credit card. An international credit card in the name of the driver of other credit companies must be presented.

For more tips on renting a car in the USA click here.

Renting a car in San Francisco with Ofran will allow you to explore its sites and attractions, in the pace that's comfortable to you and experience San Francisco in comfort and ease. We will be happy to stand by your side and accompany your trip in San Francisco, while making sure to rent a car of the highest standards.

Ofran wishes you a safe and pleasant trip with your rental car in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco is currently the home of many hi-tech and technology companies, including Twitter and Instagram. About 60 km south of the city is the well-known Silicon Valley, home to many of the world's largest and most well-known hi-tech companies.
 

Central neighborhoods in the city

San Francisco has very characteristic neighborhoods, perhaps more than any city in the world. Therefore, during your visit to the city, you will want to get to know at least some of the most prominent and special neighborhoods:

San Francisco's Chinatown district - Chinatown neighborhoods can be found in almost every major city in North America. These are neighborhoods where large populations of immigrants from the Far East have concentrated and over the years have become centers that visiting them feels like a jump to the Far East.
San Francisco has the largest Chinatown neighborhood outside of the Far East and the oldest in North America.

Haight-Ashbury - served as the center of the Flower Children movement in the late sixties and today is a fashionable and trendy neighborhood with plenty of trendy restaurants and bars.

Mission - perhaps the trendiest and updated neighborhood of the city. With changing graffiti, restaurants, cafes and bars that dictate the pace, lots of art, young people, special characters and boutique shopping.

Castro - San Francisco is in many ways a global pioneer of LGBT culture, and the Castro neighborhood is its main stronghold. There you can find the LGBT museum, walk through crosswalks painted with pride flags, or simply sit in old cafes that have been home to the community since the 1970s.
San Francisco is also famous for its steep streets, including Lombard Street - which has starred in many movies due to its unique appearance that is considered the most crooked street in the world.
 

Fisherman's Wharf

It is highly recommended not to miss a visit to the tourist fishing pier, a lively entertainment area with plenty of restaurants, museums, shops and street artists, and especially in the part of Pier 39 where you can see a multitude of sea lions basking in the sun. During a visit to the Fisherman's Wharf you can make a trip to visit the famous Alcatraz Prison which has become a well-known tourist site.
 

Driving outside of San Francisco

The route south on the rugged beaches of California passes near well-known and popular national parks such as Yosemite Park, and famous attractions such as the impressive fish aquarium in the beautiful town of Monterey, as well as many nature reserves and points of interest such as Los Lavos, Hearst Castle and the towns with European architecture Solvang and Santa Barbara.

If your time is limited and it is important for you to be goal-oriented, here are some tips that will help you use your time in San Francisco in the best way and according to your goals.

San Francisco with children

The colorful and vibrant city doesn't skimp on fascinating experiences with children either, so what are the main attractions you'll want to visit on your family trip to San Francisco?
 

The Aquarium of the Bay - underwater observation

Next to Fisherman's wharf, there is a huge aquarium with over 20,000 marine life forms that grow naturally in the San Francisco Bay. Tunnels hundreds of meters long for observation of the marine creatures under the sea surface, and above the sea surface observation of other animals, among them friendly and welcoming otters.
 

The cable cars of San Francisco

Despite the convenience of moving around the city using a rental car, don't miss the opportunity to ride the cable car, it's an experience for children and adults alike. Combined with the steep hills, and the ringing of the bell, the experiential ride becomes as exciting as a ride on a roller coaster. These are open carriages powered by an electric connection, and are a distinct urban symbol, so no visit to San Francisco is complete without at least one such ride.

Shopping in San Francisco

Union Square

In the heart of the city is Union Square, which is one of the most important shopping destinations in the city and in fact in the entire country.
A combination of luxury stores, local boutique stores and huge department stores. Whether you're looking for great deals on popular brands, or rather splurging on some expensive items, you can find it all in one visit to this shopping street.
 

Hayes Valley

If you would also like to experience local shopping at the trendiest stores, as befits a city that is a stronghold of uncompromising cool, one of the trendy neighborhoods to stroll through and come home with a host of tangible souvenirs is Hayes Valley. This is an area that until recently was considered a less developed area of ​​the city and today is changing thanks to the entry of a more affluent population and the construction of real estate there. Even with the development of the place, it is still possible to feel a sense of community and warmth when visiting, which is reflected in the antique, vintage, and special bookstores.