Las Vegas to Napa Valley
 

Hi would love some help in planning my USA trip for my 50th birthday this December. I have booked Vail for Christmas and then on to Las Vegas for New Year's Eve which happens to be my birthday too, and would like to travel to Napa Valley on the 2nd January 2017. Is it better to drive or fly and where too? We would also be looking at driving from Napa Valley back to LA for our departure back to Australia on 8th January, 2017. Any recommendations on which is the best route to do this at this time of the year and best places to stop along the way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am travelling with my husband and another couple and we have not been to the USA before.

>> Is it better to drive or fly and where too? <<

The drive is gawd awful unless you drive all the way up the coast -- and that would be a 3 days drive by itself. Flying is the only thing that makes sense. Into SFO or OAK or SMF would work but the closest is Charles Schultz Sonoma County. Very limited schedules into Sonoma but there are flights from Vegas.

As for driving down the coast to LA -- you'd want 2 or 3 days minimum -- and pray there are no winter storms. At that time of year -- I'd forget about the drive and just fly to LA.

I drive the coast often in the winter. But I never pre-plan such a trip. I always wait until I see what the weather is -- which those of us living here have the luxury to do.

Are you planning to spend the 2nd-7th in Napa? That's a lot of days. If you don't want to do the coastal drive, I'd recommend spending the 2nd-4th in Napa and the 5th-7th in San Francisco, then fly to LA from SFO.

You can't really drive from Las Vegas to Napa in one day, even Yosemite is too far in one day that time of year, plus Tioga Pass will be closed. Your best bet is to fly.
Or you could fly into SFO or OAK and forget Napa and visit wineries on your way down the coast like in Paso Robles inland from Cambria and the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara. Their tasting fees are a lot less than Napa also.

Fly from Las Vegas to Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa. Then visit Sonoma County. No need to go to Napa. Google Sonoma wines, the town of Healdsburg and you'll find plenty to do. Then it's a straight shot down to S.F.and a flight to LAX. But why not fly back to Australia from SF?

I'm going to suggest something other than Napa, too. Since your ultimate destination is LA for your flight home, consider farther after Las Vegas, San Barbara and the nearby Santa Ynez Valley for wineries (watch the movie 'Sideways") http://santaynezwinecountry.com/ It should be a bit warmer and a bit drier (assuming we get rain, for which we're all praying).

Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places on the coast, a lovely town and relatively close to LA. And if you enjoy gardens there's a great one, Lotusland. http://www.lotusland.org/

Correction, "...consider farther SOUTH after Las Vegas..."