I think either one works. In either case, leave for Napa before rush hour on Friday.

I would use San Jose airport as much as possible- much smaller and easier than SFO. I recently returned a car to SFO - I thought it was rather stressful compared to San Jose.
but then, I would not go to Napa either- much prefer Sonoma .

When is rush hour on Friday? Thanks!

I'd want to be leaving San Francisco by 3 p.m. at the latest.

As for the airport, I use both regularly, and I don't think it's a big deal which one you choose, other than choosing the one closer to where you're headed (i.e. San Jose if you're headed to Carmel, SFO if you're headed to San Francisco).

Thank you for the feedback, @sf7307.

@sunbum1944: We have wedding festivities in Napa so that's what we're limited to this trip. I hope to return to Sonoma sometime soon!

Anyone else have any thoughts? If you needed to catch a 1:35pm domestic flight on a weekday in San Jose, and you were coming from Carmel, what time would you leave Carmel?

thanks!

It took me less then 1:20 mins to get to San Jose International from Carmel this past Saturday. So depending on what time you like to get to a small airport before a flight, leaving Carmel around 10:30 a.m. should be sufficient.

I would choose option 1--Leaving San Jose for Carmel around 6pm will stick you in traffic and Carmel to Napa on a Friday will put you in traffic both in the San Jose area and the Bay Area; thereby reducing the time you have to spend in Carmel because you won't get there until 8 pm if you are lucky and you will have to leave early on Friday to avoid traffic.

BTW take 101N to 85W to 87N to get to SJ airport; yes, the airport website gives directions from 101 but there is practically no signage on 101 for the airport.

Sometimes it takes my daughter 2 hours to drive from Campbell to Monterey if traffic is bad- you just never know.

Last time I did that trip, I stayed close to the airport the night prior to departure

IME,On a Friday I would be out of SF by 1:00 PM-that's my
rule. 2 PM M-Thurs. Are you taking 80 or 101/37 to Napa ?

There are a few scenic routes through the southern end of
Sonoma County. You could take 101 to 37
hang a left on 121 at Sears Point. Follow it to the intersection
where 121 meets 12 and head over to Napa.

If you have a little time, you could have lunch on the square in the town of Sonoma before proceeding on over to Napa.

R5

1 would be even safer than 3

Re Option 1:
- If you arrive on the earlier flight, take a cab to SF from the airport; you'll save 30 minutes. BART is sloooow. If you arrive on the later one, BART will still be slow, but a taxi won't be terribly fast either.
- Make sure you clear out of SF by 2pm on Friday.
- Napa to Carmel on Sunday should be OK, about 3 hour drive. I'd take 680 down to San Jose and then 101.
- Carmel to SJC should be 1:30 or so, but you could get stuck in traffic on 156 or 101. Probably not for a 1:35pm flight, but I'd probably leave myself two hours just in case.

Re Option 2:
- You are arriving at the heart of rush hour. Perhaps by the time you get your bags and car it will have abated somewhat. If not, grab dinner in San Jose, and then drive down to Carmel. You can play this by ear and check traffic when you get there.
- Friday, you'll probably drive up 101 to San Jose, and then take 680 over the Sunol Grade up to Benicia, and then go over to Napa. Avoid 880 and 101 through SF at all costs. You want to be through San Jose and Dublin (680/580 intersection) by about 4, so you'll probably have to leave by 2:15 at the latest.
- Napa to SF on Sunday will involve traffic, unless you leave early afternoon.

I'd probably go with option 1. As long as you leave SF before everyone else on Friday, you should be OK.

BTW, Carmel is the other end of the Bay Area from Napa. If it were me, I'd probably do Sonoma, Healdsburg, Bodega Bay, Pt Reyes, and/or Marin instead.

I think we've decided on Option 1. I hear many of you suggesting Sonoma, and I'd love that, but we're going to wedding festivities in Napa.

I just found out there's a NASCAR race in Sonoma that weekend. How does that change things for Option 1??

Thanks for ALL of your feedback!!

Option 1 will probably work better if there is a race at Sears Point, since you will be heading away from it to get to Carmel.

Have you checked on flights to Sacramento (SMF) and renting the car there? It beats trying to drive over the Oakland Bay Bridge either way. Oakland also has an airport.

The race is probably going to affect Saturday and Sunday traffic mostly. I don't think you'll be affected too much, since you'll probably leave early enough on Friday from SF, and most race traffic out of SF will be on Saturday morning. On Sunday, you'll be heading from Napa Valley to Carmel, and you be heading away from the race. On Sunday, make sure you take the East Bay route (routes 29 > 37 > 80 > 780 > 680 > 101 > 156 > 1) and don't think of heading back through SF.

If I'm going from Napa to Carmel on Sunday, then from Carmel to the San Jose airport on Tuesday, will I be missing the scenic Highway 1? I don't know which portion of 1 is the "must see" part and whether I can hit that or not? Thanks!

The most scenic part is south of Carmel, to Big Sur. You will not pass this area on the way down from Napa or on the way to San Jose. Take a day while in Carmel to go down Hwy 1 to Big Sur and environs.