vacation rentals: We would like to look at vacation rentals on/near the beach somewhere south of San Francisco. We would like to be able to access the BART to visit S.F. from wherever we stay. I would very much appreciate some suggestions of nice areas to stay (I see Pescadero, San Gregorio, Half-Moon Bay, San Pedro and Pacifica on a map, but I know absolutely nothing about this area). Thanks in advance for your thoughtful input.|||None of the areas you listed have access to BART. Half moon bay is a cute little town, not much to do. I would suggest staying in Sausalito- You can take a ferry to sausalito from San Francisco. Everything south of San Francisco is very cold and foggy. If you don't mind an hour drive, Santa Cruz is a fun place. Also Monterey or Carmel. If you need to stay near BART, I would suggest you stay in San Francisco. Either near Pier 39 or Union Square area.|||I used to work for an airline and I have lived in the bay area all of my life, I hope my suggestions help.The answer to this depends on a number of factors. 1. Budget. If you have a small fortune to pay, then stay in the city (that's the local name for San Francisco). If you stay in the city, do NOT, stay in the youth hostel, it is in a bad neighborhood in the daytime which only gets worse at night. You can find decent hotels in the city, just be sure they have a website and show pictures of their rooms (I haven't ever needed to stay in a hotel in the city, so I can't recommend one personally). But generally, you won't go wrong if the hotel has a 3 or more star rating (those usually don't have a concierge, but have amenities such as a coffee maker, and a hairdryer, but lack the fancier amenities such as room service). 2. Distance. Half Moon Bay is about 30 miles (on a map) but it takes about an hour to get to, depending on traffic. And you can't get there on BART. BART is a very limited transit system. The problem is in connecting to transit systems in other cities, each city has it's own ground transit, and they often don't link up well with BART. You could probably stay in a nicer hotel in Daly City, Oakland or Berkeley, all of which are near BART (sometimes within walking distance). To branch out to the areas you are considering, you'd be better off renting a car, but that can be quite expensive, even for just a day. There is nothing (that I am aware of) to visit in Pacifica. You could spend a whole week in San Francisco alone and still not see everything you plan on seeing. I hope this helps, let me know if you need more specific information. Good luck.|||Great collection of vacation rentals direct by owners, http://www.alwaysonvacation.com/city/United-States_California_San-Francisco_22000.html|||If you want to stay in a nice little suburban town (while enjoying easy access to the city at the same time), I'd definitely go with Tiburon or Sausalito in Marin County. Both are beautiful, outdoorsy, and affluent. Both have regular, reliable ferry service to the Wharf and Financial District. http://www.sausalito.org/ http://www.ci.tiburon.ca.us/index.asp http://www.visitmarin.org/|||If have the budget for it - The ritz at half moon bay is fabulous - awesome views, luxurious rooms, golf, spa, great restaurant. Also, great restaurants in HMB town. Go to cetrella - it's awesome.|||I second EVERYTHING SFDude said. Marin County is gorgeous and very accesible to San Francisco via bus/ferry/car/bike. The places you mention are gorgeous but are foggy beyond belief.