We arrive on a Thursday night at 11pm at SFO. We are planning to drive to Napa early the next morning for a 4 day vacation there. Does it make sense to rent a car at the airport Thurs. night, then drive across the GG Bridge to stay in a hotel in Marin county to avoid early morning traffic going through SF? Or should we stay in an airport hotel and rent the car the next morning? Any ideas for a moderately priced hotel for sleeping only across the GG? Thanks!

I tend to think that you'll do better price-wise by finding an airport hotel on Thursday night (if use Priceline, and you should be able to get a pretty good deal). I know it's tempting to try to avoid rush-hour traffic and zip up to Marin, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble so late at night.

Thanks! What would be the best time to leave the airport hotel in the am to get to Napa early but avoid the heaviest traffic?

Thanks! What would be the best time to leave the airport hotel in the am to get to Napa early but avoid the heaviest traffic?

Leave by 7 or wait until 9:30.

I agree with Doug. What if the flight is late? What if there is a line to rent a car?

Get a cheap hotel room at the airport, and have a good night sleep.

If Spinnaker is opened for lunch, stop for breathtaking views. It's a restaurant on the water in Sausalito.

Why do you want to be in Napa early? The wineries don't usually open until 10am.

As for the traffic problem, you'll be going counter to the heavy traffic anyhow.

From the airport, take 280 north, cross over on 380, continue on 280 N, take the Highway 1, 19th Avenue exit.

Go north on 19th Avenue in town (probably 20-25 minute drive, regardless of what time of day or night).

19th Avenue will become Highway 101 for you. Continue N on 101 across the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow signs to Napa.

Doug's suggestion of bidding on Priceline for an airport hotel is an excellent one. You can get a 3-star for about $40 plus tax.

Up in Napa you could also try Priceline, although the hotels in Sonoma County are easier to get and are cheaper. For about $65-85 you could get a really decent 3-star in Sonoma County.

Have you bid on Priceline before? If not, come back with more questions and we'll walk you through the process. Look at biddingfortravel.com first before placing any bids on Priceline.

Welcome to California!

I like the Marriott at the airport(Burlingame). There is a shuttle to pick you up, it's a nice quiet hotel and there is a Hertz rental right in the hotel.

I appreciate all the replies! We wanted to be in Napa by 10am, but it seems like that would put us in the worst traffic. I guess we might be better off getting there around noon. Just wanted to get our wine country vacation started ASAP!!

FWIW, I live in Burlingame (a few minutes south of the airport) and I never take easytraveler's route to Napa. We go 101 north through the city, across the Bay Bridge, 80 East. Either way, you're going toward the city, which is why you'll have commute traffic.

Correction, that's 101 North to the city, then the 80 split to the Bay Bridge, then continue on 80E.

Hi, dmlove! Good to see you again!

Taking Highway 80 means he has to cross the Bay Bridge and negotiate the initial part of the MacArthur Maze. Then there's all that I80 traffic all the way to Vallejo.

Cutting over to Highway 1 avoids the heavy traffic, IMHO.

I live south of you and I avoid taking I80 whenever possible. It's usually 280 to 101 to get to Marin County or cut inland to 680 and head north. I80 is a bear to negotiate any time of the day.

Say, are you coming to the GTG in March? Hope so!

>>From the airport, take 280 north,<<

Correction - take 101 north

>>cross over on 380, continue on 280 N, take the Highway 1, 19th Avenue exit.<<

Don't look for Hwy 1, because on 280 it first directs you to Hwy 1 - but in the wrong direction on 1. Look for 19th ave.

>>Go north on 19th Avenue in town (probably 20-25 minute drive, regardless of what time of day or night).<<

That's not true - 19th is stop & go on workday commute evenings, and often on Sat night. It could be only 10 mins with no traffic from 280 split to GG Park. If we go to restaurants in the Richmond District on Fri or Sat Night - we take Sunset Blvd to avoid the stop & go on 19th. 19th is about the most un-scenic stretch of road in SF.

>>19th Avenue will become Highway 101 for you.<<

Before it becomes 101, 19th ave will enter Golden Gate Park. Keep to the right, and the road will make a sweeping right turn & then left, then exit the Park on Park Presidio Ave. Just follow your nose and the rest of the traffic to go across the GG Bridge - which is 101.

>>Continue N on 101 across the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow signs to Napa.<<

I live next to the airport also, and I use easytraveler's route if I leave before 7:30am, and a different route after 9:30am (through the middle of SF so my wife can check out the Victorian houses). I never go across the Bay Bridge - the Golden Bate Bridge is much more exciting than the lower & non-scenic deck of the Bay Bridge.

If you leave at 7:30 you might not get there too much before 10:00. If you do, pull into Yountville & drive through town a bit & perhaps have a coffee or breakfast at one of the cafes there. You could instead drive to Domaine Chandon in Yountville (west off the main road) and wander around their grounds a bit - they're quite pretty.

Stu Dudley

All respect to dm,my experience is that ET's route to Napa is easier, the sheer joy of having nothing to do with the Bay Bridge and the Maze is worth it !

The second deal maker for this route is crossing the bay via the Golden Gate and the at the entrance to the Waldo Tunnel.

Our Sonoma County Airport bus uses this route as well
FWIW.

I'd Priceline a SFO hotel, take the shuttle
and have a good night;s sleep and save the cost of the rental car.

Enjoy your visit !

R5

Stu: "Before it becomes 101, 19th ave will enter Golden Gate Park. Keep to the right, and the road will make a sweeping right turn & then left...

Stu is correct in most of what he hsa written. You want to be on the right when you are at that stretch of road; HOWEVER, prior to that - very close to when you exit the freeway - you have to stay in the LEFT lanes because the 19th takes a huge LEFT turn.

May I suggest that, since this is a three-lane road, once you exit the the 280 freeway that you stick in the CENTER lane and just follow it all the way north, regardless of how it turns?

These explanations make it sound more complicated that it actually is. About 90% of 19th Ave is a very straight road.

If you go into Google and type in "San Francisco map" and when the map comes up, click on "Street View" you can even see the street that you will be travelling on.