Where should we stay in San Francisco?

We will be traveling to San Francisco the first week of August and are looking to do "touristy" things--Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, trip to Napa Valley, etc.



Where should we stay that would be convenient and CHEAP? We don't really care about the hotel since we'll only be there to sleep pretty much but we do want a safe neighborhood that's convenient. We're willing to do like Super 8 or the like, but don't know where to look!



(Also, is a rental car needed or could we rely on public transportation?)Where should we stay in San Francisco?
If you are looking for inexpensive and central location I would suggest South of Market, several inexpensive chain hotels there along with a few more boutique style hotels like these:

http://www.somahotels.com



The most central location is Union Square but it will be slightly more expensive. The plus being that there are many more options for dining and entertainment.



Forgo the rental car, the city can be confusing to drive in and parking is a major pain in the a$$ most hotels charge upwards of $30 to park. You can rent a car for the day when you go to Napa and Muir woods.



SF has good public transportation so purchase a multi day or weekly pass good on cable cars, trollies, buses and light rail within The City.Where should we stay in San Francisco?
With regard to the car rental; the internet is a good place to check and compare rates from different car rental companies. When searching for internet car rental specials, you can also try to check car rental rates using a discount code. There are hundreds of membership programs and professional associations that offer car rental discount codes to their members. You can find a list of car rental discount codes for 8 major car rental companies, at http://www.best-car-rental-tips.com/disc鈥?/a>Where should we stay in San Francisco?
Since it looks as if you're going to be focusing on places at the north end of the city, you might look into the motels along Lombard. They are cheap(er), and have parking.



This is a lovely little place where I always put my friends. It's not on the busy street, and is one of the few places with a swimming pool; although in August you may not want one:



http://www.jdvhotels.com/del_sol/?cid=gl鈥?/a>



If you're going to Muir Woods, Napa, etc. you're going to need a car.