10 Things to Know if You’re Visiting the San Francisco Bay Area for Super Bowl LX This Weekend

Sunday’s Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is projected to bring almost one million visitors to the Bay Area.

And if you’re one of those people visiting our region to watch the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England, we’ve gathered a few tips for making the most of your trip — drawn from our recent coverage here at KQED, the Bay Area’s public media station.

Keep reading for what to know about visiting for the Big Game this weekend, from how to navigate the Bay Area like a local to things to do in San Francisco and beyond.

You can tap on and off Bay Area public transit with a credit card

As of late last year, all Bay Area transit systems — from BART and SFMUNI to Caltrain and the various ferry companies — now accept chip-enabled credit or debit cards as a form of payment.

This means that just as in other major cities like New York and London, you don’t need to buy a ticket or load a Clipper card to make your journey: you can just tap your card to the turnstile and your fare will be automatically calculated.

A heads-up that you’ll have to tap on and off BART, but you only tap on to SFMUNI buses and trains. If you’re uncertain, ask the driver or a member of transit staff at the station.

Read more about using public transit in the Bay Area.

Renting a car for your visit? Be prepared for road closures …

The Super Bowl will mean not just heavier traffic on our roads overall, but a score of street closures and detours in Santa Clara that have already begun ahead of Super Bowl LX.

And if you’re assuming the worst travel impacts will be restricted to the South Bay, you should know: there are several official Super Bowl events taking place in San Francisco and San José in the days approaching the Big Game that will mean street closures and traffic detours in those cities, too.

Read more about the various closures, diversions and anticipated traffic impacts around the Super Bowl.

… and don’t leave a thing in your rental car

While car break-ins have gone down in San Francisco in the last few years, auto burglaries are still an issue throughout the region. So to avoid experiencing this first-hand, you should leave absolutely nothing in your rental car when you’re not in it.

Be especially vigilant for break-ins around airports, when thieves know your rental car will be full of all your luggage. If you’re catching a flight, just be careful stopping off and leaving your car at coffee shops or fast food restaurants closest to the airport.

Keep your head on a swivel around tourist areas and local beauty spots like the Palace of Fine Arts and the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square, too. Unfortunately, many a tourist has fallen victim to car break-ins while they’ve briefly stopped off for one last photo opportunity at a scenic location.

Read more about how to avoid having your car broken into, and what to do if you are the victim of a break-in.

Be sure to see the sights while you’re here (and we have recommendations)

Alcatraz Island, the view from Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Park, Mount Tamalpais: the Bay Area is famed for its sights, and there’s nothing wrong with hitting the classic spots during your visit.

But if you’re looking for slightly more under-the-radar locations and trails that locals also love, we’ve got recommendations for those, too: from Angel Island, the Filbert Steps and Tennessee Valley to Lake Merritt, Indian Rock and Purisima Creek Redwoods.

Read our roundup of Bay Area sights and trails that visitors love.

Don’t forget to explore by ferry

The Bay Area is blessed with several ferry routes, offering a scenic way of traveling around the region to locations including Sausalito, Richmond and Oakland’s Jack London Square — with truly unparalleled views of the waters along the way.

Remember: Local ferries also allow bikes on board and have food and alcoholic beverages.

Read more about day trips around the Bay Area to take on the ferry.

We have lots of free things to do in the Bay Area

If your wallet is feeling the strain from Super Bowl celebrations and travel arrangements, there are many fun things to do in the Bay Area that are completely free.

From free galleries, museums and art walks to historic places and tours, we’ve got a list of activities and sights in the Bay that won’t cost you a dime — and many of them are kid-friendly, too.

We’ve got many options for alcohol-free nightlife here

While the Bay Area bar scene offers much to enjoy, if you don’t drink for whatever reason, rest assured, there are also many coffeehouses, dessert cafes, karaoke spaces and other nighttime venues where drinking isn’t a prerequisite.

Read our roundup of all the places to go at night in the Bay Area that don’t necessarily involve alcohol.

Tahoe is drivable from the Bay Area

The Lake Tahoe region is one of the most beautiful places on earth, especially in winter — and depending on where you’re staying, it’s a 3- to 4-hour drive from the Bay Area. And even if you don’t ski or snowboard, there’s still much to do up there.

Just be sure to keep an eye on the weather, and make sure your rental car either has AWD/4WD with mud and snow tires or that the rental company will allow you to fit snow chains in the event of chain control (many companies don’t). Read more about driving safely to Tahoe in the winter.

Make the most of a flight in or out of SFO …

If your Super Bowl travel is taking you through San Francisco International Airport, there’s a surprising wealth of places to eat in the terminals — which you can walk between after security — including famous local restaurants with airport outposts.

… but remember the new $45 TSA fee for people without REAL ID

As of Feb. 1, if you don’t have a REAL ID driver’s license — or another federally approved document like a passport — you’ll now need to pay a $45 fee at the airport to receive extra security screening and be able to get on your flight.

In addition to the cost, not bringing the right documents to the airport could cause delays and raise the risks of you missing your flight here — or home.

Read more about how the Transportation Security Administration’s new fee works and how to pay it.

Finally: Don’t forget to tip well

As our recent story found, 20% has become more or less the standard tip for drinks at a bar — dive bars mostly excepted — here in the Bay Area.