Transportation and General Information

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located about 13 miles from downtown and serviced by all major airlines.  Cab fare is approximately $40 one-way.    Attendees can also explore flights into Oakland International Airport (OAK), located about 20 miles from the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel.  Estimated travel time is 20 minutes one-way (about an hour with traffic), one-way cab fare is about $50.  Both airports are serviced by taxi, shared van and shuttle services, and public transit.  Visit www.flysfo.com or http://www.flyoakland.com/ for detailed information.

Important note: In order to accommodate an increase in the number of accepted submissions, an additional session slot has been added on Saturday, May 5, 2:30 – 4:30 pm. Please make your travel plans accordingly.

San Francisco is a great walking city and you can also get around on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).  The BART Powell Street station is located 0.2 miles from the Hilton, about a three minute walk.  Visit http://www.bart.gov/index.aspx for information about the transit system.   The city is built on 43 hills and surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Population is about 846,000, making it the second most densely population American city after New York.  The metropolitan area is the nation’s fifth largest with 7.4 million residents and 16.4 million annual visitors.

Visit “Welcome to SF“  for information on things to do, places to eat and shop.  You can make dinner reservations through Open Table and check out special American Express card member discounts and coupon offers.

WEATHER/WHAT TO WEAR

Temperatures seldom rise above 70° F (21° C) or fall below 40° F (5° C).  Average maximum temperature in May is high of 62° F; low of 50° F.  Be sure to bring a light jacket or coat for the cool evenings.  Lightweight summer clothes are usually not practical in San Franciso.

TAXES

Sales tax is 9.5%.