San Fran vs, LA

wonderfulrn

Hi 

We are a canadian couple getting married at the end of september. We are looking to go to California, either San Fran or LA. Which would be better? General vibe, things to do etc. We are planning just a short get away, 4 or 5 days only!

trishanickel

San Francisco would be a great place. I've lived here for about 5 years and love it! There is alot to do here- both outdoors and indoors; and the restaurants & lounges are awesome- ranging from fun to extremely romantic. If you choose SF, I will give you some recommendations!

Sue-n-Kevin

I guess it depends on what you both like. Do you like the aura of the "movie industry" and Disneyland, or what feels like a more laid back, international city like San Fran?

I have been to LA a few times, never San Fran. I love the "old Hollywood" stuff so that was the type of trip my ex & I took. We found this older hotel in Malibu, right on the beach, that had been a former "love nest" for old Hollywood stars. We went to Rodeo Drive and pretended we were wealthy, went into the stores and did a lot of window shopping. We went to Venice Beach, Santa Monica pier.

What I understand to be the main differences between the 2 cities is this: in LA you have to choose a few things important to see, because everything can be far apart........ you have to drive to get there. San Fran is a more compact "downtown". My recommendation would be to situate yourself in a hotel near the beach, then go where you want to go. You aren't talking "LA" then, you are talking Santa Monica or Malibu. I've copied a couple of articles I read recently below, plus you can go to www.californiavacation.com.

http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1844490,00.html

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/travel/story/EB0C5C3BAC079C2E862576D400708886?OpenDocument

Good luck.

alithebride

ive been to both many many times. i  MUCH prefer san fran-it's just a more fun city. to me LA doens't have nearly as much uniqueness as san fran. there's also SO much to do outside of SF-sausalito, muir woods, up to napa or sonoma for the day, down to monterey or carmel-all would require a car and driving but are wonderful.

LaFemmeRousse

They are very different cities.  Without knowing anything about you and your FI and your travel style, it's hard to make a recommendation.  Both have great food, nightlife, and lots to see.  Southern California has better weather for the vast majority of the year. 

As a personal preference, I like northern California better.  Ditto PP and recs for things outside SF- Big Sur is probably my favorite place in America.  It's a gorgeous drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.

Islamorada14

San Fran hands down.

Also rent a convertible and visit Monteray, Half Moon Bay, Carmel, Santa Cruz, and Los Gatos.  The area around San Francisco is just as great as the city.

jagore08

I would prefer to go to San Fran than LA (and I live in LA).  While LA does have better weather, SF has better scenery.  I feel like you can do everything you want to do in LA in 2-3 days but SF has so much to do you'll keep busy with all the sites.  If you do go to SF and you want to visit Alkatraz I recommend booking your tickets early.  Last time DH and I went they sold out three weeks before.

loraynuh

I've been to both LA and San Fran, and I really love San Fran the best. I think it's more beautiful and romantic. La is a great place too, but I would definitely choose San Fran over LA.

kttest

I've been to both LA and San Fran multiple times and definitely prefer San Fran.  LA is cool, but tons of traffic and it is harder to et around IMO.  San Fran is a cool city wth a laid back vibe with great good and culture, plus you are only about an hour away from wine country which is beautiful!