 |
TAP - Air Portugal Flights from London, Great Britain (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on TAP - Air Portugal, which operates a daily non-stop flight from London, Great Britain (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO) regularly scheduled to depart at 1:20pm and arrive at 4:31pm. Usually a Boeing 777 is flown for this route. The average travel time from London, Great Britain to San Francisco, CA is 11 hours and 11 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with international service on this airline.
During your San Francisco vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Cable Car Museum
If you've ever wondered how cable cars work, this nifty museum explains (and demonstrates) it all. Yes, this is a museum, but the Cable Car Museum is no stuffed shirt. It's the living powerhouse, repair shop, and storage place of the cable car system and is in full operation. Built for the Ferries and Cliff House Railway in 1887, the building underwent an $18-million reconstruction to restore its original gaslight-era look, install an amazing spectators' gallery, and add a museum of San Francisco transit history.The exposed machinery, which pulls the cables under San Francisco's streets, looks like a Rube Goldberg invention. Stand in the mezzanine gallery and become mesmerized by the massive groaning and vibrating winches as they thread the cable that hauls the cars through a huge figure-eight and back into the system using slack-absorbing tension wheels. For a better view, move to the lower-level viewing room, where you can see the massive pulleys and gears operating underground.Also on display here is one of the first grip cars developed by Andrew S. Hallidie, operated for the first time on Clay Street on August 2, 1873. Other displays include an antique grip car and trailer that operated on Pacific Avenue until 1929, and dozens of exact-scale models of cars used on the various city lines. There's also a shop where you can buy a variety of cable car gifts. You can see the whole museum in about 45 minutes.
Octagon House
This unusual, eight-sided, cupola-topped house of interest to architecture buffs dates from 1861 and is maintained by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. The architectural features are extraordinary, and from the second floor it is possible to look up into the cupola, which is illuminated at night. In the small museum, you'll find Early American furniture, portraits, silver, pewter, looking glasses, and English and Chinese ceramics. There are also some historic documents, including signatures of 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Even if you're not able to visit the inside, this strange structure is worth a look.
Grace Cathedral
Although this Nob Hill cathedral, designed by architect Lewis P. Hobart, appears to be made of stone, it is in fact constructed of reinforced concrete, beaten to achieve a stonelike effect. Construction began on the site of the Crocker mansion in 1928 but was not completed until 1964. Among the more interesting features of the building are its stained-glass windows, particularly those by the French Loire studios and Charles Counick, depicting such modern figures as Thurgood Marshall, Robert Frost, and Albert Einstein; the replicas of Ghiberti's bronze Doors of Paradise at the east end; the series of religious murals completed in the 1940s by Polish artist John de Rosen; and the 44-bell carillon. Along with its magical ambience, Grace lifts spirits with services, musical performances, and its weekly Forum (Sun 9:30-10:30am except summer and major holidays), where guests lead discussions about spirituality in modern times.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
San Francisco area, including:
Hotel Diva
The Diva is the prima donna of San Francisco's affordable modern hotels. A showbiz darling when it opened in 1985, the sleek, ultramodern Diva won "Best Hotel Design" from Interiors magazine. A profusion of curvaceous glass, marble, and steel marks the Euro-tech lobby; the minimalist rooms, spotless and neat, are softened with utterly fashionable "Italian modern" furnishings of monochromatic colors, silver, and wood. Enormous headboards are made of polished stainless steel meant to evoke the bow of a ship. Personally, I find the hotel a little on the cold side (figuratively speaking). But toys and services abound, and fitness and business centers complete the package. Insider tip: Reserve one of the rooms ending in 09 because they have extralarge bathrooms with vanity mirrors and makeup tables. The downside is that these rooms have views that make you want to keep the chic curtains closed.
The Fairmont Hotel & Tower
The granddaddy of Nob Hill's elite cadre of ritzy hotels, the Fairmont wins high honors for an incredibly jaw-dropping lobby. Even if you're not a guest, it's worth a side trip to gape at its massive marble Corinthian columns, vaulted ceilings, velvet chairs, gilded mirrors, and spectacular wraparound staircase. In previous years, we've warned that the rooms fell short, but thanks to an $85-million renovation completed in 2001, the glamour carries to guest rooms where everything is new and in good taste. In addition to the expected luxuries, guests will appreciate such details as goose-down pillows, electric shoe buffers, bathroom scales, and large walk-in closets. Spectacular views from the top floors remain the showstoppers, but nuances such as a 24-hour on-call dentist and doctor, high-speed Internet access, a notary public, a travel agency, and in-room PlayStations and dual phone lines enhance every guest's stay. Whatever you do, make a point of getting to the Tonga Room, a fantastically kitsch Disneyland-like tropical bar and restaurant where happy hour hops and "rain" falls every 20 minutes.
The White Swan Inn
From the moment you're buzzed into this well-secured great-value inn, you'll know you're not in a generic bed-and-breakfast. If the nearly 50 teddy bears gracing the lobby don't cure homesickness, then the homemade cookies, tea, and coffee will. The romantically homey rooms are warm and cozy -- the perfect place to snuggle up with a good book. They're also quite big, with hardwood entryways, rich dark-wood furniture, working fireplaces, and an assortment of books tucked in nooks. The decor is English elegance at its best, if not to excess, with floral prints almost everywhere. The luxury king suites are not much better than regular rooms, just a little bigger, and feature perks like chocolates, champagne, and a VCR. Each morning, a generous breakfast is served in a common room just off a tiny garden. Afternoon tea, consisting of hors d'oeuvres, sherry, wine, and home-baked pastries, can be enjoyed in front of the fireplace while you browse through the books in the library.The inn's location -- 2 1/2 blocks from Union Square -- makes this nonsmoking 1900s building a charming and serene choice, with service and style that will please even the most discriminating traveler.
|
|
|
