rachel_k_cassar

HI Fodors.

Everyone on Fodors insisted that we stay the night at Yosemite but now i'm stuck trying to work out the best plan of attack for the return trip.
We have booked the Amtrak which sees us arrive in Yosemite at 1:20pm on Friday Nov 8. We have booked a night's stay at the Curry Lodge. From Yosemite we need to get to SFO to board our 10:10am flight to Las Vegas on Nov 10.

Now I'm stuck trying to work out how to best get to SFO from Yosemite. I want to spend as much time as possible at Yosemite on Sat Nov 9.

There's an Amtrak that leaves at 6pm on Nov 9 and arrives in San Francisco at 12:35am. What is the closest station to SFO? We're thinking rather than finding a hotel and checking in etc for a few hours sleep we'll just go from Yosemite straight to SFO and have a few hours sleep there instead.

Is our only option to get the 6pm Amtrak and arrive in San Francisco at 12:35am and then hop on the BARTS to SFO?

And renting a car isn't an option because most rentals don't allow the cables which we will need.

Gretchen

What cables?

tomfuller

From Merced go south on the San Joaquin to Fresno and take a taxi to the airport. Fly from Fresno (FAT) to Las Vegas.
The other choice is to go to Bakersfield and take the Amtrak bus to Las Vegas (via Barstow).
Another possiblity would be to take the San Joaquin to Sacramento and then take the YOLO bus out to the Sacramento airport (SMF).
If you do go with the SFO plan you have to take the Amtrak bus over from Emeryville into San Francisco and then take BART out to the SFO airport.
You should not go into Yosemite if there is a chance that you will need tire chains to get back out. YARTS will suspend service if the road becomes dangerous due to snow and ice.

janisj

>>What cables?might need chains but probably not. You will need to carry them (they sometimes check when you enter the park). But IF there is snow (definitely not a sure thing that early). You could park in Sonora or Midpines or somewhere and take a YARTS bus into the Valley.

YARTS will run unless the conditions are very wintry . . .

(I'm going to Yosemite over Christmas and will NOT put chains on my roadster so that is what I plan. If the weather is cooperative I'll drive all the way in. Otherwise I'll park it and take YARTS)

If you are VERY unlucky and there is serious snow -- then you'll have to eat the Yosemite visit and maybe stay in the foothills.

But I'd NEVER rely on Amtrak if I had a plane to catch.

tomfuller

In this case I agree with janisj. If you decide to drive a rental from SFO and must return it there, pick up a set of tire chains at the friendly Les Schwab in Manteca (on Yosemite Avenue). If the box is unopened and the chains are unused, you can return them to the store for a 100% refund.
This allows you to travel on your own schedule instead of Amtrak's. The Amtrak on time performance for the past 12 months on the San Joaquin line is 73%. Delays on this line are mostly due to work done by BNSF and not failure of Amtrak equipment.
Several years ago we were in Yosemite on Nov. 7. The weather was in the upper 60's and was beautiful.
We were driving a rental car that we picked up at FAT after we got off the San Joaquin in Fresno.

rachel_k_cassar

Argh okay so I think we're going to change our plan again and refund the Amtrak ticket and rent a car instead and drive to Yosemite and then to Fresno airport to fly out of there instead of going all the way to SFO. We just have to pray we don't need chains because rental cars do not allow them! Has anyone been in November - what's the likelihood? How's the weather looking now?

janisj

>>Has anyone been in November - what's the likelihood? How's the weather looking now?

Gretchen

You can't use chains on a front wheel drive car--and there are jolly few rentals that aren't.
We drive rental cars in Colorado all the time during ski season with no need for chains--even in snow.

AustinTraveler

Isn't Yosemite closed?

tomfuller

As I said in my previous post. My DW and I were in Yosemite for our anniversary (Nov 7) with absolutely great weather. The view from the Tunnel View was stunning.
I'm hoping that you don't have to pay a drop off fee to rent at SFO and drop off at FAT.
Janisj seems to make it in December with no problems.
The views going into Yosemite from Merced are not so pretty since the Rim fire.

janisj

>>You can't use chains on a front wheel drive car-- . . . >Isn't Yosemite closed?

Gretchen

I must have been quoting the rental agency about the chains.

janisj

You can't put them on most rental cars but you definitely can put them on FWD . . .

rachel_k_cassar

Hertz is quoting us 135 AUD for 2 day rental - does that seem fair?
We just have to pray that a) the weather is clear and we don't require chains and b) the shutdown ends by November!!! What a nightmare.

Gretchen

The rental rate seems pretty good for a short time period to me.