For the month of July, fares from New York to San Francisco are running about $239 to $279 for round-trip tickets. Flights are non-stop and typically cover a 7-night stay. Check out Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines for more details.
Stay at the Ocean Park Motel, which has a current customer review rating of #20 out of #250 San Francisco Hotels. Rates currently start at $100 for one queen with kitchens rooms available for an extra $15 to $25. The mote is nestled in the southwest corner of San Francisco in a residential neighborhood and one block from the San Francisco Zoo and the dunes of Ocean Beach. Their website boasts, "Bicyclists, joggers, and rollerbladers enjoy the landscaped pathway along the ocean to Golden Gate Park and the Cliff House."
Once you're in San Francisco, look for free and frugal attractions to keep your costs low:
Walk the Golden Gate Bridge (free)
Have tea at the Japanese Gardens in the Golden Gate Park
Eat brunch at Squat and Gobble
Shop the vintage stores on Haight and Ashbury
Visit City Lights Books
Visit the Cable Car Museum (free)
See the Chinese Culture Center (free)
Stop by the San Francisco Fire Museum (free)
Enjoy concerts every Sunday from April through October at Golden Gate Park (free)
Visit the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival all summer (free)
Watch the sea lions lay around on Fisherman's Wharf (free)
Walk around Chinatown (free)
More on San Francisco:
Visit the San Francsico Travel Examiner for more travel ideas...