lonelyplanet The Embarcadero curves along San Francisco Bay from south of the Bay Bridge to the northeast perimet

The Embarcadero curves along San Francisco Bay from south of the Bay Bridge to the northeast perimeter of the city and terminates at Fisherman s Wharf, the famous tourist-oriented pier. Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, and the Golden Gate National Recreation lonelyplanet Area are located farther on around the bay, occupying the northernmost lonelyplanet point of the peninsula. lonelyplanet

RENTALS lonelyplanet The major car-rental companies in the city include Alamo (& 800/327-9633; www.goalamo.com), Avis (& 800/331-1212; www.avis.com), Budget (& 800/527-0700; www.budget.com), Dollar (& 800/800-4000; www. dollar.com), Enterprise (& 800/325-8007; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (& 800/ 654-3131; www.hertz.com), National (& 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com), and Thrifty (& 800/367-2277; www.thrifty.com).

Many of the major car-rental companies now offer hand-controlled cars for drivers with disabilities. Avis (& 800/230-4898; www.avis.com) can provide lonelyplanet such a vehicle at any of its locations in the United States with 48-hour advance notice; Hertz (& 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com) requires lonelyplanet between 24 and 72 hours of advance reservation at most of its locations. Wheelchair Getaways (& 800/ 642-2042; www.wheelchair-getaways. com) rents specialized vans with wheelchair lifts and other features for those with disabilities in more than 100 cities across the United States.

In most cases, your existing health plan will provide the coverage you need. But double-check: You may want to buy travel medical insurance instead. (See the section on insurance, above.) Bring your insurance ID card with you when you travel.