Eager to get to Napa Valley to start your vacation? We don’t blame you! Luckily, Napa Valley is close to several major airports that offer convenient transportation to your destination via shuttle, train, rental car, or ferry service.
We’ve compiled the best and most convenient ways to get to Napa Valley as quickly and efficiently as possible, ensuring you can start enjoying those vacation vibes in no time.
Three different airline carriers offer daily non-stop service to Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS), making it easy to reach Wine Country in just a few short hours. Daily nonstop flights include: Alaska Airlines to/from Los Angeles, Burbank, Orange County, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle; American Airlines to/from Phoenix Sky Harbor and Dallas; and Avelo Airlines to/from Bend, Boise, Burbank, Kalispell, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Pasco, and Salem. What’s also great is that if you’d like to take some wine home with you, Alaska Airlines offers their Wine Flies Free program, which, as the name suggests, allows passengers to check a case of wine for free. Just recently, Avelo started offering a similar program, so you’ve got wine options!
One of the best choices for transport from Sonoma to Napa Valley is Beau Wine Tours who will meet you at the terminal and then whisk you off to your destination in comfort.
Insider Tip: Beau Wine Tours also offers fantastic wine tours in both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. We recommend the VIP dinner service where you are treated to a sunset ride with champagne from your hotel to your restaurant of choice anywhere in the valley.
San Francisco International Airport, located roughly 60 miles from Napa, is the largest airport in the Bay Area and represents a major hub for travel in and out of the city. While virtually every form of transportation service is available from SFO, for ease, convenience, and a more budget conscious option, we recommend taking Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from the airport to the San Francisco Ferry Building, where passengers can board the Vallejo Ferry for a relaxing and scenic trip across the Bay. From Vallejo, travelers can pick up the Napa Vine Route 11 shuttle to downtown Napa. Uber is also quite ubiquitous in these parts, and can get you to your hotel from the Ferry for around $40.
Insider Tip: Grab a handmade empanada from El Porteño at the Ferry Building before you leave, and wash it down with a pint of Villager IPA from Fort Point Beer Company. There are also several food and brewery options at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal, not to mention a bar on the ferry.
Photos courtesy of California Wine Tours
Budget-conscious travelers looking at alternate airports for deals and international visitors interested in bypassing the San Francisco bustle will have the option to land across the bay in Oakland. The airport itself is a bit smaller, but hosts millions of travelers per year nonetheless. OAK offers all of the usual transportation options; however, the best choice for ease and value will be California Wine Tours airport transportation service. California Wine Tours is a great way to get to Napa from OAK, and they also offer private and group tours of their partnered wineries in Napa Valley and Sonoma.
Flying into Sacramento International Airport affords the traveler with a much more intimate airport experience than SFO and Oakland, yet still offers plenty of great dining and shopping on the premises. Getting out of the airport is easier, too. Napa Shuttle & Limousine is the go-to concierge and transport from California’s capital city airport. In addition to providing a luxury ride to Napa Valley from the airport, they also accommodate complete wine tours for those inclined to explore wineries and restaurants in Napa Valley.
Insider Tip: Wine enthusiasts eager to begin their tasting experience will want to pop into Vino Volo at the Sacramento Airport’s Terminal A to sample wines from Napa, Sonoma, and beyond.
Wine Country explorers heading to Napa Valley via the San Jose International Airport will be greeted with a blend of art and technology indicative of Silicon Valley’s contribution to innovation. Browse futuristic sculptures in the lobby, or unwind from your flight over a drink at Island Brews before heading to baggage claim. For a relaxing ride to Napa, we recommend Pure Luxury Tours to take care of your transportation needs. In addition to boasting one of the largest chauffeured fleets in the region, as a Certified Green ground transportation company, Pure Luxury’s commitment to lessening the carbon impact on the environment makes them the natural choice.
Insider Tip: If you decide to rent a car and drive yourself to Napa, take I-680N. Try to plan ahead and avoid morning (7am-9am) and evening (3pm-7pm) commute times, and be sure to have $7 cash on hand for the Benicia Bridge toll.
From the less-trafficked OAK to Sonoma’s very own runway, these airports and driving routes are the best ways to get to Napa Valley in a flash. Use the time you saved on travel for exciting activities like floating in a hot air balloon over the vineyards or biking from winery to winery. We can’t wait to see you soon, and you can bet, the wine will be waiting!
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