2 hotels in San Francisco Bay Area

Want to avoid the crowds but still get a blast of warm weather? Visit the south and east of the Bay Area from September to November for temperatures of around 70°F. Temperatures can be slightly cooler outside of the city as that sweet bay breeze rolls in. And don't forget Karl – yep, San Fran's famous fog has a name. Some coastal San Francisco Bay cities have up to 200 foggy days a year!

The San Francisco Bay opens to the Pacific Ocean about two-thirds up the California coast. This naturally beautiful slice of Northern California covers nine counties and includes the cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. The Bay Area also holds California's famous wine region, Napa Valley (do save us a glass), and the place where start-ups long to be, Silicon Valley.

Stay in the big city and stroll alongside San Francisco's Painted Ladies in Haight-Ashbury and prowl for fortune cookies in Chinatown. South of the bay in Silicon Valley, the Googleplex in MountainView is open to tech-curious travellers. If you like to be in the presence of gentle giants, hike to California Redwood Park, just a 20-min drive from Menlo Park. And if you're happier close to the water, the bay has several routes for kayaking and stand-up paddling; you can even learn to windsurf and kiteboard! Whatever you do, you'll enjoy ending your day with a delicious glass of Napa Valley wine.

Heading there from Union Square? SFO is a 13-mile metro, train or cab ride from our door – it's that easy. Or if you're traveling from citizenM Menlo Park hotel, SFO is 19 miles north. Hop on the Caltrain from Menlo Park Station – two blocks from downtown Menlo Park – and watch the scenery go by.

A great thing about staying in a small big city is that its main attractions aren't too far away! From San Francisco Union Square hotel, Fisherman's Wharf – the historic waterfront featuring seafood chowder nestled in a sourdough boule – is just 11 minutes away by bus, with Chinatown a 15-minute walk from our door. Two of the city's best and biggest parks – Golden Gate Park and the Presidio of San Francisco – are a 15-minute taxi ride away, tops.

Menlo Park is an hour max from San Francisco Station on the Caltrain, but there's plenty of things to see and do close by once you're there. Head to the Allied Arts Guild for gorgeous gardens, one-of-a-kind shops and artist studios. Or take a tour of Stanford University, just one town over, which tops global league tables time and time again. Wait – don't leave campus just yet. The Arizona Garden (a.k.a. the Cactus Garden) is the number one desert experience (that isn't an actual desert) with over 500 species of cacti and succulents. You'll be amazed by the weird and wonderful plants in this sunny spot.

Check the Giants' schedule on mlb.com and grab your tickets direct. Then head on down to Oracle Stadium in South Beach - King St & 2nd St light rail stop is right outside the stadium.

The Twin Peaks are easy to get to from your San Francisco citizenM hotel. Take a Metro from Powell Street Station and hop off at 24th St & Mission St. From there, get a bus to Clipper Street & Diamond Heights Blvd.

For the best seafood in San Francisco, you want Swan Oyster Depot – Nob Hill's favorite local crab bar. Choose the Sicilian sashimi for a real treat. Or if Thai food is on your mind, we like Nari. Led by an almost all-female staff, this sophisticated restaurant in Japantown uses locally sourced ingredients to recreate classic flavors. For elegant dining near citizenM Menlo Park, Camper serves top contemporary Californian cuisine with fresh ingredients and a fab wine menu. After all that organic food, go for caramelized milk jam pudding with candied pecans (let's call it a palate cleanser). Evvia, also highly regarded in Silicon Valley, is a modern Greek restaurant just 3 minutes' walk from Palo Alto Station. Huddle beneath the earthy olive trees with a lamb souvlaki – you'll have zero regrets.

You can indeed - in fact, it's one of the most popular things to do when you visit the city. Boats depart hourly from Pier 33 during the day and well into the night - reserve your spot online to avoid a long ticket line.

The steep, curvy San Francisco street with eight hairpin bends? It's Lombard Street in San Fran's Russian Hill neighbourhood. Lombard Street has been called "the crookedest street in the world." Pick up a skateboard and try it out for yourself.