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Note that because the Bay Area is so spread out, just getting around within it can cost significant cash (exacerbated by the distance-based fares charged by the BART and Caltrain rail systems, and the fragmentation of the bus system between different agencies in different parts of the area). Getting from one end of the area to the other can cost $12 to $15. But at least within SF itself it's not so bad, walking between most points in the city is pretty feasible and the $2 Muni bus fare covers unlimited rides for 2-3 hours.
For events in the region see [[:nomad:Bay Area|Nomadwiki]].
HIGHWAY 1 CLOSED BETWEEN RAGGED POINT and GORDA : ''BE CAREFUL DUE TO MUD and ROCK SLIDES the Highway 1 is closed between RAGGED POINT and GORDA since May 2017 and should apparently REOPEN at the END of JULY 2018.'' you can still take the 101 from Santa Cruz till San Luis Obispo instead.
[[User:Zenit|Zenit]] followed this advice in November 2017 and found it extremely hard to get out of Pleasanton. He spent the whole day hitching at various on-ramps in the area, and all he got for his pains was a short ride to Livermore, and more of the same there. He would certainly try option number two next time. Do ''not'' take a ride to Tracy or with people going to Modesto, stick it out in Livermore until somebody going south stops for you.
There are a few dumpster-diveable supermarkets around, e.g. the Safeway and the Sprout's in Dublin (just west of I-680) and a Rancher's Market just west of the Santa Rita on-ramp.
A note regarding Caltrain: tickets often aren't checked, but fare inspectors do come through sometimes (if you ride end-to-end you have maybe a 1/3 chance of seeing one) and if caught without a ticket the fine is nearly $300, so think twice before risking it. (What happens if you're a foreigner and you don't pay your fine?) If you're considering taking a bus: booking months in advance you can sometimes find Megabus tickets from San Francisco to Los Angeles for as little as $1.50, though it's usually at least $10. With less advance purchase, Megabus and Greyhound are typically in the $20-$40 range. == Nomadwiki & Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==
[[trash:San Francisco]] [[nomad:San Francisco]]{{nomadwiki}}
→Going South (Highway 1, towards Santa Cruz and scenic route towards Los Angeles)
The '''Bay Area''' is an area in [[California]], containing '''San Francisco''', '''Oakland''', '''San Jose''' and other urban centres. It's fairly extended, with millions of inhabitants. There's a plethora of highways, and it's probably better to see the Area as one huge city, with "The City" (San Francisco) as its cultural centre.
== Hitchhiking out ==
=== Going South (Highway 1, towards [[Santa Cruz]] and scenic route towards [[Los Angeles]]) ===
In San Francisco, go to 19th Avenue, which is also Highway 1. Find a good traffic light while walking South. You can even start in the Golden Gate Park. Along Great Highway (e.g. at the end of the L metro line) also works extremely well and may have less local traffic. These are both very good options if you don't want to pay for a bus/BART.
Take the I-5 if you want to get there fast. You might want to take the BART train to '''Dublin/Pleasanton''' (about $6). The BART station is located next to a freeway entrance which has a lot of traffic and a fairly decent spot to stop (after the 'freeway entrance' sign). You might have better luck if you walk further east to the following entrance which has less traffic, but a big bus stop to pull into a couple hundred meters before the entrance itself. You're actually hitching onto I-580 here but it merges into I-5 further out; avoid getting a ride to Tracy or Stockton if you want to go south, it won't do you much good.
'''Option 2'''<br>
This route worked really well for an anonymous user in 2009: Take Caltrain south to San Jose (about $9 from downtown SF, $7 from the BART transfer at Millbrae). Take VTA bus 68 to Gilroy from there, 1.5 hours, $2. Hitchhike east along the Pacheco Pass highway (152 east), which leads towards I-5; many cars here will be continuing south to Los Angeles on I-5. If heading towards Las Vegas, get off I-5 at exit 257, to get onto highway 58. Take that East, avoid getting stuck in Bakersfield. 58 goes all the way through, past Mojave and Barstow, towards Vegas.
[[Category:California]]
{{IsIn|California}}
