hi quak
i just came back from my close to 4 weeks vacation in california (covering SFO, LAS, LAX) and boy, how we wish the trip can be longer! we had a ball of time there!
2-3 weeks in SF is a tad too long, in my opinion. perhaps you can consider going to LAS and LAX if you haven't been there before? we spent 2 weeks in SFO but that was because i had some work commitments there. i think you can cover most of the attractions in SF in 5-7 days depending the pace you prefer.
we rented a car throughout the trip but it is not really necessary to drive in SF. the public transportation is widely accessible and not very expensive. parking is insane expensive in SFO so its not worth it. we paid usd35 per day for overnight parking. duh! you can even walk to some places like the central shopping districts, chinatown, fisherman wharf, etc. my SO and i walked a lot and it was quite bearable and romantic sans the steep slopes and occassionally cold and gusty wind..
i'd recommend hotel fusion to you. its a relatively new hotel located in an oasis in the heart of SFO Union Square, within walking distance to shopping districts and some popular attractions. the beddings/bathroom are new and clean, service is impeccable! two thumbs up for sure!
we got our tickets (2 to go) from SQ. it is slightly pricer compared to other airlines but definitely no regrets with the inflight entertainment and numerous food/snacks served. we were so well fed!
you can read the previous posts from some helpful ladies here. i think irene had given a useful list of where to eat and what to do in her earlier post.
have fun and do heaps of shopping! i was lucky to be there in june and it concides with their semi annual sale! you can't imagine my haul
hope this helps.
