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How to get to Napa Valley? What Airport to Fly into?
San Francisco, Sacramento or Oakland
airport? |
What airport
indeed! You can't begin to make your plans until your flight is booked,
right? Here are some considerations, benefits and drawbacks for air travel
to Napa Valley via one of the three major airports within comfortable driving distance.
The most comfortable of course would be the
Napa County Airport - private jet
anyone?
Click here to see the proximity of
Bay Area airports servicing Napa Valley of the big three
airports within about an hour's driving distance from Downtown Napa.
Please allocate at least 3 hours prior to your return flight home for
drive time, traffic, rental car return and check-in at any one of the
Bay Area Airports.
San Francisco International (SFO)
SFO is the biggest and has the most flight
options from anywhere. However it can be the most difficult to navigate to Napa. You can take your time and
drive through the city using HWY
101 and cross the Golden Gate Bridge and drive through wine country to get
to Napa Valley. You could also do the easier of the two and go through
the Oakland/Berkeley area via the Bay Bridge and then a 2nd Bridge, the Carquinez with a $4 toll entering. The tolls are $5 for GG returning
and $4 for BB returning.
In our experience, it takes at least an hour from arrival to checking out
your rental car; it will take about 30-60 minutes driving through the city
to go via Golden Gate Bridge or 30 minutes or less going via Bay Bridge;
then from Golden Gate Bridge about 45 minutes without traffic and 90 with;
or from Bay Bridge about 45 minutes without traffic and 2 hours with.
Please note that on Friday afternoons on 101 or 80 traffic can get pretty
awful and then again at American Canyon Hwy 29. When traveling on
Friday afternoons (12 Noon - 7:00 PM) between April and November by car to
Napa Valley please allocate at least 2 hours from SFO Airport to Downtown
Napa.
Oakland International
Airport (OAK)
Oakland International Airport to Napa Valley is the shortest in distance but
tends to be the longest as far as traffic goes on a Friday afternoon.
There is a pretty complex interchange within 10 minutes of exiting the
Airport heading north on Interstate 80 - be prepared. There are more
flights coming into Oakland from most places than to Sacramento but less
than San Francisco. Take HWY 80 North through Vallejo; Take HWY 37 West;
take HWY 29 North to Napa
Please note that on Friday afternoons Interstate 80, traffic can get pretty
awful and then again at American Canyon Hwy 29. When traveling on
Friday afternoons (12 Noon - 7:00 PM) between April and November by car to
Napa Valley please allocate at least 2 hours from Oakland (OAK) Airport to Downtown
Napa.
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
Sacramento is the easiest, straightest shot to Napa Valley however it is
longer in miles, but is much less frustrating with traffic, interchanges and
difficulty. Also the other drawback is less flight options to SMF.
It is not as "romantic" as driving through San Francisco but save the
romance for Napa Valley and get here with less hassle and stress as you can
- you're on vacation! Allocate about 45 minutes to get off the plane
and rent your car and another 60 minutes drive time to Downtown Napa.
Take 80 South to San Francisco, take HWY 12 West to Napa, Take HWY 29 North
to Napa
Click here
to start researching and planning your trip to Napa Valley.«
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