Which side of cable car is best?

If you continue on with the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, you'll go down a nice steep hill where you get a great view of Alcatraz. Where to sit: for the best views, sit on the right side on the way to Fisherman's Wharf, and on the left side heading back to Union Square. Takes about 20 minutes.



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Most San Franciscans will tell you that the Powell-Hyde line is the most exciting trip to take and we wholeheartedly agree. The Powell-Hyde Street line starts at the cable car turnaround at Powell Street and Market Street (map).

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California Line (Red) It's the least busy of the three. It's also full of thrills as it climbs the steep hill from California and Market to the top of Nob Hill, then runs back downhill to Van Ness.

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The cable car routes are the Powell-Hyde line, the Powell-Mason line and the California line. Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines stop at the museum.

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... the Ba Na Hills Cable Car, Sunworld , Golden Hands Bridge and all the other attractions at the top of the mountain.

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Choose from three cable car lines - two start at Powell and Market and continue to the Fisherman's Wharf area; one starts at California and Market and continues to Van Ness Avenue. Board at the cable car turntables (the beginning or end of each route) or look for the brown-and-white cable car sign post.

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Powell Hyde starts at the Powell and Market cable car turnaround near Union Square and ends at Fisherman's Wharf. The route is 2.1 miles long and takes about 20 minutes.

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Cable cars are often misidentified as 'trolleys', but that term refers specifically to the trolley pole used by streetcars to get power from an overhead wire (hence streetcars are often called trolleys, correctly). Cable cars use no overhead wire, and have no trolley poles.

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Powell-Hyde: Leaves from Market and Powell, passes Union Square, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, and Lombard Street, ending at Ghirardelli Square.

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Powell/Hyde Line: Union Square, Lombard Street to Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell/Hyde line is one of two cable cars in San Francisco that run from Union Square to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.

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You may have heard that you can hop off and on cable cars as many times as you like once you purchase a ticket. This isn't exactly true, though there is a way to use cable cars as a hop-on/hop-off tour experience. So, how much does it cost to take a cable car ride in San Francisco?

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