Golden Gate Bridge

I wanted a moment of relaxation since I was visiting for a funeral. So with my rental car I drove over the bridge to Sausalito, CA. I had heard that you have to pay a fee and in a timely manner. I crossed at 5:20 pm I called the next morning at 8:00 am to pay the fee. I do not have a Fastrak account as I only planned to cross the one time. The customer service person took my credit card information and gave me a confirmation number. Then like a 1 to 2 weeks later I get a letter from the car rental company saying the bridge fee was not paid now I owe them $15 plus the bridge fee. I call the car rental billing department they tell me I have to call the Bay Bridge to discuss. I call the Bay Bridge company and they tell me as a one time courtesy they will reverse the charges if I send them a copy of the car rental agreement. I send them the car rental agreement and they write back that I have to pay the car rental company. What the heck! I call back the Bay Bridge Fastrak they tell me that I would have had to pay the bridge fee the same day for it to record ( why didn't their person that took the payment tell me that) and why did the other customer service person tell me they would reverse the charge. The customer service team needs some retraining. Very frustrating. I just want everyone who crosses the bridge to pay the fee online in the same day or call. Car rental companies do not inform you fully of this either.

Have always wanted to walk over the bridge and was thrilled when we found ourselves in San Francisco. We took a taxi to the bridge and got dropped off at a car park which had a small gift shop, toilets and a small upmarket cafe (takeaway style).

On the way we had driven past bicycle rentals and we naively thought there would be some near the bridge which wasn't the case. We had also expected there would be some coffee shops, restaurants etc right near the entrance which we could spend time in before/after setting off however thats also not the case. (Whilst I can't mark this down for those issues they did reduce the whole experience).

We walked around half way across, had great views of the bay behind us with the opportunity for lots of pictures. The center is quite cold so take a jacket due to the extra breeze. It's quite noisy too, so for those with children I would recommend ear plugs. There's also no bins, so bear this in mind before you head off.

Was a long wait for a taxi to arrive so if you have data, would recommend get an Uber or wait for someone being dropped off in one.

Great to see the whole bridge for once without any fog. It is truely spectacular and we rode across it in the Hop on Hop off bus and took in the spectacular views of the city from the other side, then returned. We also rode across it on push bikes which was even better. It has a dedicated land for bikes so no need to dodge pedestrians but some riders are very aggressive so care is still needed.

We rode the Big Bus Hop On Hop Off bus and the first journey was northbound from the Presidio to the North Vista Point. You get a different perspective of the bridge from the top of an open upper level of a bus. You see the massive Art Deco Towers, the suspension cables and the hangers that support the deck of the bridge. We got off at the North Vista Point in Marin County and enjoyed the view of the bridge and San Francisco in the distance. We then went into Sausalito for a few hours on the Big Bus again. On the way back we went southbound over the bridge and made a U-turn in the Presidio and stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Center on the south end of the bridge. From there you could walk back across the bridge and take the returning San Francisco Hop On Hop Off bus back. We were pressed for time and will walk the bridge on another occasion. The Sausalito Hop On Hop Off bus then went back north on the bridge back to North Vista Point where we boarded the SF Hop On Hop Off bus back to the City. On this leg, we crossed the bridge a fourth time enjoying the view again from the top of the bus. It was thrilling.

My 2nd wife and I currently live 210 miles apart with the Golden Gate Bridge about midway between us, so we both often drive across this bridge going to and from our two households. Inevitably, two thoughts come to mind as I cross.

1) My Dad was born in 1911 and lived through the tough times after the stock market crash in 1929. Work was difficult to find, so, like so many others who rode the rails as a hobo, he too did so, wanting to escape the terribly depressed area he lived in west of Chicago. He wound up in a 'hobo camp' underneath the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge and eventually ended up helping mix and pour concrete for the project. So, I virtually find it impossible, even as many times as I have crossed this marvelous bridge, to not think about my Dad while doing so, who helped construct it.

2) About five years ago, while on my way yet again to spend some time with my wife, I was nearing the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was windy, cold, and raining, at times heavily. I was listening to a local radio station which noted, even though it was rainy, windy, cold and in general nasty, many people were still walking the Golden Gate Bridge. So, the radio station decided to send a reporter to the bridge and ask them why they were walking the bridge in such nasty weather. There were a variety of reasons given, often because they were there and it was their only opportunity, but then there was this one woman, who was visiting from somewhere in Europe who said."I have been visiting in this wonderful country for almost two months and I am soon going to return to my home. With time, many of my memories will fade and some disappear, but I'll NEVER forget the Golden Gate Bridge1"

The Golden Gate Bridge never disappoints, beautiful always. Park your car, or get there by bus, taxi or Uber go to visitor center to stamp your Amazing Places/Parks Book, get a nice souvenir with the terracota color of the bridge and then walk all the way and come back. This walk can be busy, but you will have the opportunity to take amazing pictures of the bridge structure, of SanFran, or Alcatraz, the sunset, etc. Just enjoy it!!!

Bucket list item. Was staying in Cow Hollow and walked through Presidio to the bridge. The actual walk across the bridge was slightly over 2.5kms. Took a bus back which is not included in the standard travel card I bought and cost me $7 one way. The bridge crossing however is free and I would highly recommend to anybody visiting San Francisco. Usually pedestrians are on one side and bicycles on the other however due to maintenance work, pedestrians and cyclists had to share the same side. Keep a look out for the seals under the bridge which you tend to miss driving across. No regrets.

It is the ver symbol of San Francisco and the main touristic attraction.
It was an awesome experience..
There are many ways to get there and have views.
We just took a bus from downtown (not a city/local bus but an outbound bus) which cost us no extra fees, since we had bought a 7 days pass at the SF Tourist Office on 4th street, near Moscone Center.
We walked across the bridge. It was an amazing walk.
It was a clear, windy day, the view of San Francisco from the bridge was breathtaking.
We LOVED the bridge: this 1.7 mile-long suspension bridge is a marvel of engineering and has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
We loved the wind!
Unforgettable experience.

Anytime, day or night, this bridge evokes San Francisco. The light, fog, time of day, and position make it singular and unforgettable. A feat of engineering, and exquisitely beautiful.
Enjoy!

I chose to bike across. Stopped at both view points.
Bring a jacket- gets windy.
Don't bother going into the bridges information building- just a tourist trap with overpriced souvenirs that you can get in Chinatown for half the price.