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Cable Car Secrets

The secret to riding the cable cars is that you don’t have to board them at the beginning of the line. There are intermediate stops in the downtown area near the hotel are on almost every single block. They are marked with brown and white signs. Doing this will save you from having to wait in a long line.

The other tip is to ride at off hours. It’s like commuting. Visitors commute the same way locals do, but in order to play rather than work. So before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. is a great time to ride. You will have a much greater chance at those times of getting on when it isn’t crowded.

If you just want to take a quick cable car ride for the experience, the California Cable Car line is less crowded. It isn’t quite as interesting because it doesn’t turn any curves, but it goes up a fairly good series of hills and you get great views back through the financial district and the bay bridge.