Forgive me if this question has been asked before.
My husband & I will fly (hopefully May '07) from the east to CA, with our main purpose being a visit to Yosemite. The flight to Fresno is v. expensive w/two stops. We can get flights into Sacramento or San Jose at half the cost, w/one stop.

Do you have an opinion as to what airport destination would provide us with a better drive to Yosemite?

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.

We flew into Oakland (cheap flight on SW), took the BART to SF for a day, then picked a rental the next day, and headed to Yosemite. Have you considered this option?

Hi bayougal. No, we had not considered Oakland. Just checked the airfare and it's the same cost (w/one stop)as Sacramento and San Jose.
We need to throw this idea into the mix. Thanks so much!

Patti, others more familiar with traveling into that area will be along to offer advice this weekend. However, if you want to spend a day or so in SF, then flying into Oakland or SF could be a cheaper solution. Also, compare car rental prices from each area, too. You could pick up a car in SF as opposed to the airport and maybe save a little more.

I don't really think there will be much difference in the driving time, nor in the drive conditions. It will probably take you about 4 hours to get to Yosemite from San Jose. it can be done faster, but I am guessing that this is your first time and you will feel unfamiliar with the territory. There are two entrances and from San Jose they are probably approximately equal distances.

From Sacramento you would only take the North entrance.

But the idea of going to Oakland and having the option of going to San Fran is the best, if you have time. And the Yosemite trip is a tad shorter from Oakland than SJ, I believe.

Someone will give you more specifics I'm sure.

I would say that Sacramento is probably not a good idea, though.

Have fun!

If you plan to use 140 to get into the park keep your on on the progress of the road they are building to get around the permanent rock slide. The road around the slide is open but is currently a single lane so they alternate directions all day.

http://inciweb.org/incident/236

I would reccomend Sacramento if all you are doing is going to Yosemite. You can choose to go for either the north entrance or south entrance. Distance is not much of a factor but traffic may be a huge factor depending on your time of travel. Bay area traffic is much worse than Sacramento traffic.

Others may not feel the same way but I would fly into Fresno and spend an extra day in Yosemite if that is your purpose for coming! It is only an hour and a half drive to the park and the Fresno airport is clean and there is no waiting for luggage and no chance of traffic. Factor in your time and cost of gas... and then see how you come out! Enjoy your trip... I've been to Yosemite more times than I can count and it's still one of my favorite places to visit.

I think that's an excellent suggestion, Moneygirl.

No. Wait. I just re-read the post -
Fresno is more expensive with two stops... hmmmm. But in the end it is probably the easiest of all for Yosemite access.

What is the difference in cost to fly directly to Fresno? Remember, gas is expensive, too.

Don't know from where on the east coast you're flying but Jet Blue does fly into Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose. If I chose not to fly into Fresno and wanted a less expensive airline but wanted comfort, I would fly into any of the above via Jet Blue, rent a car and drive to Yosemite. Another thought would be to fly into Reno and drive to Yosemite. Due to Reno being touristy and its proximity to Lake Tahoe, there are many flights in and out of its airport.

I'm not sure where you're flying from but you can fly direct to LAX or SFO from almost anywhere... and Fresno is one flight from there. For me, it would be worth a bit of extra $$ to have two full extra days of vacation rather than two days of driving... but without more details... it's hard to say.

My guess is that flying into Fresno won't only be more expensive. If there are multiple stops/connections you will likely land in Fresno much later than Sacramento, SJ or Oakland.

So I would go w/ the one that 1) has the best fare, and 2) arrives earliest. This would maximize both your budget AND your time in Yosemite.

The easiest drive (other than from Fresno) would be from Sacramento. So if the the cost/times are semi-equal - choose SMF.

Another vote for SMF. I live outside Sacramento. When we visit Yosemite, we travel down Hwy 49. Beautiful drive through the gold country. You can stop in Columbia (not far off Hwy 49), Sutter Creek or even visit the wineries near Plymouth. We have taken the Hwy 99 route and found Hwy 49 much more scenic and just a bit longer. It takes about 3-4 hours from SMF airport to Yosemite, depending on stops, via Hwy 49. SMF is a smaller airport than OAK or SJC so you can be on your way faster.

I should point out that Reno is probably not a good option for a way to get to Yosemite in May as Tioga pass is closed. Will add about 2 hours to your drive to Yosemite in comparison to SMF. Might be worth it if you want to see Lake Tahoe along the way but otherwise SMF is still your best option.

I'd choose Sacramento as well.