Although San Francisco's climate is generally mild, fog is common in the area. From November through February rain alternates with clear, sunny days. This period, with temperatures hovering in the 50's, is San Francisco's least foggy. The periods of March through June and September through October experience slightly warmer temperatures and more sunshine. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C). Winter weather may feel colder than the reported averages between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius due to sea breezes, but truly bitter cold is very rare.

British American Chamber of Commerce

Mexican Consulate

Business centers provide a range of services that include secretarial, translation/interpretation, and office services, including computer rentals, audio/visual equipment rentals, cellular phone rentals, copy and printing services, and temporary office space and staff.

Hq Global Work Places

Moscone Center

All upper-range and most medium-priced hotels are equipped with dataports that allow guests to use laptop computers. Many hotels offer business centers equipped with computers and Internet access. Outside hotels, cyber cafes are available including:

Passports valid for at least six months after arrival are required for all. In general, travelers visiting the U.S. are required visas. However, under the Visa Waiver Program, citizens of Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are allowed to stay for 90 days without a visa. Citizens of Canada and Mexico do not need a visa but must carry proof of citizenship and identity.

Beginning October 26, 2004, all travelers, including children of any age, who want to travel visa-free to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program must have a Machine-readable passport.

Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 2 kilograms of tobacco, 1 liter of alcohol, and gifts worth up to $100. Meat products, seeds, plants, fruits, and hazardous goods are prohibited.

The area code in San Francisco is 415.

Emergency police, fire, and ambulance

For local calls, dial the seven-digit telephone number. For long-distance calls within the U.S., dial 1, then the three-digit area code, then the seven-digit number. For long-distance calls outside the U.S., first dial 011 and the country code. Four special prefixes, "800," "888," "877," and "900," are not area codes but indicators of special services. "800," "888," and "877" are toll-free calls. The "900" numbers charge you for the call and are often expensive. For collect calls or operator-assisted calls, dial "0" instead of "1". For local directory assistance, dial 411. For long-distance information, dial 1, and then the appropriate area code followed by 555-1212.

The most common public phone is the coin-operated type. Telephone-card phones are becoming increasingly common.

There are several cellular service providers in the U.S., including: Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T Wireless, and Sprint PCS. Mobile phone numbers follow the regular telephone number convention, with the seven-digit telephone number followed by the area code.

If you choose to bring your cellular phone into the U.S., be sure to check with your home cellular service provider to establish compatibility of your phone with systems abroad. Rent a locally compatible cellular phone before you arrive to obtain reasonable rates and reliable service.

Foreign currency must be exchanged to U.S. dollars. Money can be exchanged at banks and various foreign-exchange services. Most restaurants, shops, and hotels will take travelers' checks and major credit cards. Travelers can also withdraw cash from ATMs.

The basic unit of U.S. currency is the dollar, which equals 100 cents. Coins are the copper penny (1 cent) and four silver coins: the nickel (5 cents), the dime (10 cents), the quarter (25 cents), and the half-dollar (50 cents). Silver $1 coins and "golden" dollar coins also exist. Paper bills come in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.

San Francisco lies in the Pacific Time Zone (Greenwich Mean Time minus eight hours). During the spring and summer months, San Francisco, like all of California, observes Daylight Savings Time.

The sales tax in San Francisco is 8.5%. The tax on hotel rooms is 14%.

110V AC, 60Hz. Plugs are of the flat, two-pin type.

If you only plan to stay in San Francisco, you can easily get by with walking, using public transportation, and taking taxis. If you are staying at a major hotel have them hail a cab for you. If it is late at night on a weekend you can call for a cab but always ask how long the wait will be, it could easily be 45 minutes before it finally arrives. The best places to hail cabs are near hotels downtown or along Market Street. An average cab fare will run you about US$10, depending on your destination.

The AC Transit bus system runs between the East Bay and San Francisco's Transbay Terminal at First and Mission streets. Several routes, the F/Berkeley and T/Oakland, run until 2am, two hours after BART's last train. The N/Oakland runs 24 hours a day. Golden Gate Transit offers daily bus service to and from Marin and Sonoma counties and San Francisco. Muni, San Francisco's main public transportation system, operates buses, trolleys, and an underground system. All Muni fares are one dollar for a one-way ticket.

No specific immunizations are needed to enter the United States. For more information, contact the Center for Disease Control at 1-800-311-3435.

Lulu is renowned for its menu inspired by Southern French cuisine and its carefully selected wines. Chez Spencer is an elegant French restaurant with a flowered garden and a heated and fully covered patio. A celebrity-studded clientele frequents Black Cat for its inventive Continental-style cooking and decadent desserts. For an amazing view of The Golden Gate Bridge and imaginative vegetarian cuisine, try Greens and its Mediterranean, Asian, Mexican and American Southwest inspired cuisine. A 1930s interior sets the tone at Bix, considered by many to be one of San Francisco's best restaurants; the menu features refined American cuisine. Award-winning chef Michael Mina serves wonderful seafood in his eponymous restaurant Michael Mina in the Westin St. Francis Hotel, while Ponzu attracts a dining crowd looking for Thai, Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese food.

San Francisco's extensive Chinatown is a good place to find unusual, exotic gifts. Imported jewelry can often be found at a significantly discounted price. The Flea Market on Treasure Island, operational on Sundays, hosts many vendors selling antique objects and collectible items. For brand name fashion, visit the department stores and designer boutiques in the Union Square area. Internationally renowned Ghirardelli Square chocolate is also a good gift, as is Californian wine. For authentic tasting tours, take an excursion to Napa and Sonoma.

For a spectacular view of the bay, visit Coit Tower. A cable car ride is a quintessential San Francisco experience. Taking it in the early morning to Fisherman's Wharf is a worthwhile excursion. A visit to Chinatown takes you through a sensory labyrinth that includes food stalls with tasty treats. The Museum of Modern Art has a fine collection.

If there is no fog, a spectacular view of the Marin headlands can be had from the coastal trail that extends from Cliff House to the Golden Gate Bridge. For awe-inspiring views of the city, climb to the top of the Marin headlands, which also serves as an outdoor recreation site. The beautiful Golden Gate Park is the site of the Asian Art Museum, Japanese Tea Garden and Conservatory of Flowers. California's giant redwoods can be appreciated by driving through the Muir Woods.