To help you be a smarter San Francisco tourist, enjoy your trip more and spend less of your hard-earned money doing it, here are 10 ways to be a smart San Francisco tourist:

1. Know the Weather. Many a San Francisco tourist doesn’t realize how cold it can get here in summer, and dozens of sweatshirt shops thrive on their ignorance. Our guide to weather and what to expect can help you bring the right stuff.

2. Stay in the Right Place. The most convenient areas in the city for a tourist are Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. Van Ness and Lombard Street, areas many people ask about, are inconvenient and noisy, and it’s more likely you’ll need a car to get around.

3. Get a Hotel Bargain. If you’re willing to invest some time, you can get excellent rates on some of San Francisco’s best hotels. Our tips will show you how.

4. Don’t Rent a Car. San Francisco is small, and all the tourist sights are close together. Some hotels charge more than the price of a nice lunch just for parking, and snagging a spot on the street is impossible.

Pick a hotel in a convenient area (Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf), use public transportation or taxis, and rent a car for just one day if you want to take a side trip.

5. Make Reservations for Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz tours fill up fast. Reserve ahead online, or go to the ticket office your first day to avoid disappointment.

6. Pick a Good Tour Guide. If you’re inclined to take guided tours, avoid the obvious choices. Their tours are canned, restrictive and sometimes their guides are just plain wrong.

Instead, take a free walking tour with City Guides or engage a small, local company to take you on a private tour. While the private tour costs more, when you take into account what you get for your money, it’s well worth it.

7. Life’s Too short to Eat Bad Food. You’re in a city that some think is the world’s best for food.

Don’t be a typical San Francisco tourist who settles for the tired, mediocre Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants or the even tireder garlic-laden dishes at Stinking Rose. Ask your hotel for suggestions, or stop a San Franciscan on the street and ask them where they eat.

8. Get on the Cable Car Faster. Don’t stand in the interminable line below Ghirardelli Square. Instead, head over to Mason and Bay Streets, where lines are much shorter. You’ll end up at Union Square on either line.

If you just want to ride for the fun of it, also avoid the lines at Powell and Market Streets and get on the California line where California Street intersects Market near the Ferry Building.

9. Get Behind the Facade. Don’t just stand there looking at the boats in Fisherman’s Wharf. Walk toward the water anywhere you can find an opening and see what the wharf is really like.

In Chinatown, resist the urge to shuffle down Grant Street and branch off onto the side streets and into the alleys. See if you can find the fortune cookie factory or the Tien Hou Temple.

10.Walk on the Golden Gate Bridge. Stopping at the parking lot overlook and not walking on the bridge is like looking at an ice cream sundae and not eating it. To get the true feel of this iconic landmark, stroll the sidewalk, even if you only go out a little way.