Hi:

Three of us will be in SF for a short time next month, staying at The Castle Inn.
We'd like to do Sonoma for 1 day (probably not Napa as it sounds more commercialized).
Ideally I'd like to rent a car for just that day and drive ourselves. Seems like all the tours are 8+ hours and we'd rather have some freedom. Am I nuts or should we do the bus tour instead? If so, which ones are best? If not, where could I rent a car for a day and is the drive easy enough? Thanks

No you're not nuts, a driving tour of the area is very enjoyable. Hertz, Avis & National have locations in the area...the problem is that they may close earlier than you plan to return, so you'd need to pay to park the car overnight ($20-$35 in SF). You might check to see if any might offer after-hours car return where you just park the car and then drop the keys in a slot.

It all depends:

If all three of you want to do a maximum amount of wine tasting, then leave the driving to the tour company.

If, on the other hand, one of you is willing to be the DD (Designated Driver) and only do minimal wine tasting, then having a car is much more enjoyable and flexible.

As for the hotel parking fee: The Castle Inn advertises that it offers FREE parking, certainly a giant plus for San Francisco.

Most wineries open around 10am, so if you rented a car in downtown SF around 8am when the rental car agency opens its door, you could return the car the next morning by 8am when they reopen.

Welcome to California!

Thanks for the replies thus far. I would prefer doing the car rental route and be the DD. I just can't help but think on the tour thingie you are a bit more "confined" and obviously go where they are scheduled to go, not necessarily where you'd like to stop. They also all seem like 9+ hours.

One last question. How long of a drive is it from SF to Sonoma. Any other sights to see right around there while we have the car? I've never driven in SF but drive in Boston a lot so figure I can do it!

As much as I love organized tours... you'll visit only 3 vineries of their choice! You'll see much more on your own.

While you have the car, you might want to check out Muir Woods, which is north of SF - it is the closest good-sized grove of redwoods to SF.

If you kept the car for 2 days, you might consider Point Reyes or taking a drive down Hwy 1 to Half Moon Bay and/or Santa Cruz. Monterey is also doable as a day trip.

The other option would be to hire a limo. That way you could go and see what you wanted without worrying about driving and drinking. It would be more expensive but maybe with three of you splitting the cost it would be worth looking into.

I have a friend who is doing this to Napa Valley soon with three friends so that they can enjoy the day and not worry about how much wine they have had.

What to see on the way up:

As you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, the very first exit is the "View Point", stop there. You'll get a terrific view of the entire Bay.

As you exit the View Point, the very next exit is the one for Alexander Road. Take that exit. Follow the road to the LEFT as it goes UNDER the freeway. You'll come up on the other side of the freeway, make a LEFT turn as if you were returning to SF. The road splits, take the RIGHT lane, headed for the MARIN HEADLANDS (also marked with a Youth Hostel sign). At the top of the hill, park, and walk to the batteries, you'll see a lot of other people doing the same. Fantastic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, makes me feel like I could just reach out and touch the bridge!

Check out wineroad.com for downloadable maps of the wineries. I would suggest you plot out which wineries you wish to visit, as there are at least 150 wineries in the area.

If you could stay two days, then visit Muir Woods on the way up, otherwise, I really don't believe you have enough time.

The drive is a quick hour. The roads are very easy to navigate with any map from a guidbook or the rental place. I wouldn't suggest combining anything with your winery trip because it takes a while to sip, chat, and enjoy and then eat something before heading back to SF. Depending on what day you go, some wineries (smart ones) post big signs that prohibit buses and limos. With just 3 people, you have a perfect group to relax with and enjoy yourselves.