sonoma
 

If we stay in Sonoma for the last two days of our vacation in California can we make it to the San Francisco airport in time for a 10:45 a.m. flight? Is there a lot of morning traffic that would make us miss the flight?

Peggy, <BR> <BR>You should probably tell us what day of the week your flight is scheduled on. Although I don't live in this area, I would assume that traffic on a Saturday/Sunday is a bit different than it is during the week. <BR> <BR>Robin

We are still able to change flights, but current plan says we would be taking a flight home on Thursday. would that be trouble?

I assume that you probably want to arrive at the airport around 9:45 am. It is about 60 miles from Sonoma to SFO. If you left by 8:00 am you should be OK. The traffic will be pretty bad getting into the city from the north. However it should be pretty easy from the city to SFO as you are going against the commute traffic.

I have to disagree. If you want to get to SFO from Sonoma (I assume the eponymous town, not healdsburg or somplace up there) you have no chance unless you leave at 5 or so. Ok, no chance is a bit of an exageration, but it will be a thoroughly awful trip. You will hit stop and go traffic from San Rafael through to the airport (and you are going with the commute - these days as many people go south to the valley from SF as go North). <BR> <BR>Basically it's an awful idea. It usually takes me 2 hours on weekends to drive that route.

I have traveled from Tiburon ( Marin County ) to SFO many times in the morning. It has always taken less than an hour. It probably could take much longer if one were to go through the city via 101. I take 19th ( Hwy 1 ) south from the Golden Gate to 280. From 280 I take 380 across to the airport. Once you get south of the Golden Gate, the traffic is much lighter on the southbound side than the northbound.

I admit I'm usually coming from the other direction. That said, Tiburon is almost next to the Bridge, and is a fair drive in Traffic from Sonoma. <BR> <BR>No question one should stay off of 101 though. And 19th, though sometimes better, has taken me 45 minutes by itself before, what with the lights and all. THat's why the city is talking about burying it- its a big bottleneck.

I have never had to spend 45 minutes on 19th going south in the morning. However even if you do take 45 minutes, if you add up the times I think your total travel time will be close to my original estimate. <BR> <BR>I have to admit that I do not know how long it would take to get from Sonoma to Tiburon. I have allowed an hour which I thought would be enough though I can't say for sure. Even allowing 45 minutes for 19th which I think is being pretty generous, you still should not take much more than 2 hours from Sonoma to SFO. When you get to 280, it is only about 10 minutes from there to SFO in the morning. <BR> <BR>Bearing all of this in mind, I will stick by my first estimate of leaving by 8:00 am. If you really want to be on the safe side then leave at 7:30 am. However I still believe that Charles is exagerating a little to say that you must leave by 5:00 am.

I've actually got the same situation as Peggy (of course, there are not alot of options flying from West to East); we are going to stay in Healdsburg for the first couple of days; for the night before we have to go back to the Oakland airport, is there a town in Sonoma which makes more sense. I assumed we would have to get up early to make the flight but I don't want too much stress. <BR> <BR>thanks in advance for any thoughts, <BR> <BR>Mary

SFSally, <BR> <BR>Basically, it takes me 2 hours to do that trip on a weekend. The rush hour in the bay area is one of the most awful I've ever seen. Therefore, I expect it would take well in excess of 2 hours to do during rush hour. Assume 1 hour extra, and getting to the airport an hour before flight (cutting it close with all the construction). that leaves leaving at 6:45. At that point, I'd try <BR>to leave earlier and avoid the traffic. 3 hours in stop and go traffic strikes me as a miserable way to end a vacation. <BR>And 10 minutes from 19th at 280 to SFO? In rush hour? I thought I drove fast...

Charles--you helped me on Martha's Vineyard--got an opinion for me on where to stay to get to the Oakland airport for a 10:00 Tuesday morning flight? I'd rather not leave the wine country and stay near the airport and don't mind getting up early. <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR> <BR>Mary

The sense of; most of the responses has me looking at changing our plans and staying in Sonoma Fri and Sat nights, leaving on Sunday, absorbing the higher B & B rates. Will the crowd rushing to church services impede our progress to the airport on Sunday morning?

Mary, <BR> <BR>Sorry, don't have any thoughts. Maybe someone else can help? <BR> <BR>Peggy, <BR>Umm, I wouldn't worry too much about traffic jams from churchgoers in the bay area. No offense meant, but is this a serious question? It did put a smile on my face...

Peggy: 1) Maybe 2) Yes <BR> <BR>I agree with Charles. I'd leave NO LATER than 6:15 to arrive by 9:15. (And returning a car will be fun too!!! Allow 30 minutes for that and the bus ride to the terminal. The new car return complex is....complex...for the 1st time.) <BR> <BR>I can tell you that during rush hour, it took me ONE HOUR+ to get from the intersection of 101 & 280 back to 101 & the Bay Bridge (via 280 downtown), a distance of about 4 miles. <BR> <BR>Traffic in and around SF has gotten HORRENDOUS in the last 5 years. <BR> <BR>If you do the drive, be sure and take 19th AVE immediately after you get off the Golden Gate Bridge. That takes you to 280, which you take to 380 East (about 5 miles). If you're returning a rental, stay in the left lanes of 380 (which is a 1 mile freeway running east and west between 280 and 101.) THat dumps you down onto a frontage road. Turn right, past long term parking and follow the signs to rental car return..about a mile+.