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Traveling from Portland to San Fran/Napa Valley

Traveling from Portland to San Fran/Napa Valley

Old Mar 22nd, 2015, 07:42 PM
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Traveling from Portland to San Fran/Napa Valley

Hi there,

My husband and I are planning a two week trip to the west coast this summer and as part of it, we are trying to decide the best way to travel from Portland to Napa Valley/San Fran.

We won't have much time to spend traveling between the two cities - pending the mode of transportation we decide upon, we would leave early one morning and want to be in Napa Valley early afternoon the following day. Based on this short time frame, would you recommend driving, flying or taking the overnight train?

Flying is the cheapest option and would give us an extra day in Portland, and we could do a day trip to either the coast/Cannon Beach or Mt. Hood (or somewhere else if you have a recommendation!), but we wouldn't get to experience any of the scenery and fun stops along the way. Driving would give us those opportunities, although we are trying to decide which route would be best given the time we have. We want a mix of driving down some of the Oregon coast and through the Redwoods, but also not taking the longest/slowest route. The train sounds like a fun experience, but a lot of the scenic parts come when it's dark outside and it seems like the most expensive option.

What would your recommendations be? I'd love any insight you can provide!

Thanks so much.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2015, 08:39 PM
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>>Based on this short time frame, would you recommend driving, flying or taking the overnight train
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Old Mar 22nd, 2015, 10:56 PM
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It's been quite a few years, but I've driven Portland to SF many times. It is a long 12 hours, and as you've noticed, many of the sights are on the Oregon or SF end, not in the middle. If you use that time instead to drive to the Oregon coast or Columbia Gorge, you'll have an adventure with nice scenery in a much more compact area.

In addition, you won't have the drop off fees for the car, and PDX is a very convenient airport. After a long day you could return your car and sleep at one of the airport hotels. Take a free shuttle to the airport in the morning.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2015, 05:28 AM
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Check if Alaska/Horizon air flies from Portland to Santa Rosa. This is in Sonoma County and just a quick 7 minutes to Healdsburg. Or if you insist on going to Napa, a short one hour drive over the hill. If you decide on Sonoma county, you can see beautiful Redwoods at Armstrong Woods State Park in Guerneville. Fewer Tourists than at Muir woods just out side of SF. The other advantage of Flying into The Charles Schultz airport in Santa Rosa, is that you can then take #101 directly into SF, crossing the Golden Gate bridge.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2015, 05:54 AM
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Fly.
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Old Mar 23rd, 2015, 07:58 AM
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Oh - I didn't realize Alaska serves Santa Rosa. If so, that is a no brainer - assuming the fares aren't astronomical.

(Living in the Sacramento Valley, I've never had reason to fly to wine country except a couple of times in small/private planes.)
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Old Mar 25th, 2015, 07:17 AM
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Thanks so much for your feedback! I think we will definitely be flying.

We haven't decided exactly where we are staying yet, but it'll be somewhere in Napa Valley. Would you recommend renting a car or taking a shuttle/cab? What is the better option, if we will then be going to San Fran a few days later? (we're totally fine taking shuttles, etc, as opposed to renting a car if it makes sense and also saves money).

Thanks!
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Old Mar 25th, 2015, 07:21 AM
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I would consider Sonoma for wine tasting instead of Napa- I like much better
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Old Mar 25th, 2015, 10:20 AM
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I'd also stay in the Sonoma Valley instead of Napa. You can still day trip over the hill into Napa. The main highway through the Napa Valley gets very congested - especially on weekends. Though I love some of the wineries in the Napa area, I personally find Sonoma and northwards just nicer.
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Old Mar 27th, 2015, 12:03 PM
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Naturally stay in Sonoma County... Healdsburg etc. Check out vacation rentals by owner, for interesting places to stay. www.vrbo.com/healdsburg so much nicer than a hotel, and Sonoma county so much more beautiful than Napa.. and with better wine.
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