Oakland Travel Tips - Search for Cheap Airfare to Oakland

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Oakland is an underrated city.  Finding sites of interest in the city's many diverse neighborhoods can be quite a challenge.  Despite improvements in security, Oakland still has one of the highest crime rates in the US.  However, much of the crime is concentrated in certain areas of the city.  A visit to Oakland, or a foray into Oakland as part of a Bay Area vacation, can be quite rewarding if properly planned.

Here are some tips to perfect your Oakland itinerary

1. If you plan to explore outside of the downtown area, it is advisable to travel by car.  That said, the AC bus system and Bay Area Rapid Transit are good options when it comes to getting to and from major tourist sites.  Public transit runs regularly and fares are reasonably priced.  If you are traveling from San Francisco to Oakland, the BART is the best option.

2. East and West Oakland have troubled neighborhoods that are major contributors to the city's high crime rate.  If you are staying near the major tourist attractions or in neighborhoods nearer to the city center, you will not experience any extreme danger.

3. Oakland enjoys temperate weather year round.  According to some, it is even more comfortable in Oakland than in San Francisco.  Visitors will never need more than a sweatshirt and will never be exposed to extreme heat.  Rand McNally recently rated Oakland's climate the best in the lower 48 states.

4. Despite not having the storied Chinatown of San Francisco, Oakland is much more ethnically diverse than anywhere else in the Bay Area.  It was once pointed out that 150 languages are spoken within Oakland's city limits.  Many of these ethnicities are represented in the city's well defined (sometimes called "village-like," a la New York) neighborhoods. 

5. San Francisco, Berkley and San Jose are Oakland's more well-known neighbors.  However, the adjacent city of San Leandro is a quieter - but not boring - alternative.  This city is filled with shopping, parks and museums.  Formerly a cherry orchard center, there is a lot of history here; much of it serves as a reminder that this part of California was built around agriculture. 

6. One of the advantages of traveling to the Bay Area is that there is more than one option when it comes to air travel.  If flights between your city and Oakland International Airport are expensive, exploring other options (SFO, San Jose, even Sacramento) is quite practical.  This is the case even if Oakland is your main or only destination.  SFO is connected with Oakland via the BART and San Jose via Caltrain.