Traffic from Wine Country to SFO on weekday
 

Hi - we're planning a CA trip in Aug/Sept. How is the traffic on a weekday (Wednesday) morning getting from wine country to SFO in the morning. We have an 11:30 flight, return rental car, etc. We're early risers - so leaving early is not an issue. Just wanted to know if traffic would/should prevent us from leaving that morning. Rosie

If it were me, it's not I know, but if it were, I'd stay near the airport on your last night. Infinitely easier and removes (almost) all possible impediments and guesswork. A drive down in the evening won't deprive you of any significant wine country time.

We have done that drive on a weekday at that time many times. It's smooth sailing until you get close to the city, and then there's a minor slowdown at the Bay Bridge exit, and it's always very slow through the city (which is the route we choose).

We allow 2.5 hours from Healdsburg for the drive (Google says 1.5) and have never even come close to having a panic. I do not see the necessity of staying at the airport the night before--what a waste of time!

NewB, we all have our ways of doing things. I don't even want to think about being late and would consider your approach a waste of peace-of-mind, rather than (very little) time. There is no perfect answer to these things that are often as much personal solutions as practical ones.

I generally discount the advice of those who would have us believe there is no right answer other than theirs.

Oh brother.

I think anytime there is a bridge involved during the peak of commute traffic - you are asking for trouble and stress if you HAVE to be somewhere by a certain time. Your day is LOST to travel if you do this on the day of departure. I live 2 exits past SFO, and there is often heavy commute traffic going south as you get near the SFO airport exit. I don't see anything wrong with leaving the Wine Country around 7PM and getting to an airport hotel at 9:30PM. If you will be in the Napa Wine area, have an early dinner at Mustards and then head out.

Stu Dudley

On a weekday morning everybody goes to work in San Francisco, it seems. You will be lucky to have occasional traffic jams and slow downs, but if there is an accident...

Agree with all who recommend to stay overnight at the airport.

I used to live near Stu and now live in the city. I would also stay near the airport the night before (but then, we moved to the city because we were sick and tired of the commute).

OK, but how many of you have done the exact drive--the whole thing-- that the OP describes, on a weekday at that time? As I said, I have, over half a dozen times, NEVER encountering a problem.

So: are you giving specific advice, or just kvetching?

And before you jump in with "I live in SF", sorry, that doesn't count. Unless you regularly drive to and from the airport to wine country on a weekday early morning, of course.

Just be honest! If you're giving general life advice because you can't help yourself, don't disguise it as good travel info.

Of course, it doesn't count to be sensible.

I have driven from the Napa, Sonoma, Marin, Solano county areas either into the city, to SFO, or to the lower peninsula on weekdays countless times . . . (I had a job that entailed a TON of driving in the area - always on weekdays) And I would NOT do it to catch a morning flight if I could at all avoid it.

You don't gain any 'wine country time' since you'd have to be up and on the road so early. Have a nice dinner and then head down to SFO the night before. You can either turn the car in then and use the hotel shuttle, or return it in the morning.

I live in the SF Bay Area. I drive the freeways every day. The traffic is bad here and getting worse. You simply cannot predict when you can get anywhere and be correct every time.

The person that recommended the 2.5 hours to do the drive is probably correct and you can probably do it. You just never know if there will be a BIG RIG turn over somewhere that will ruin your day.

I tend to agree with the person that said get a late arrival at a SFO airport hotel, turn in your car early and just take their van over for the flight. Much less hassle.

You could also arrange to turn in your car in the City of SF, get a room at the Hyatt near Embarcadero and take BART to SFO the next morning for $8.10 each. It drops you in the terminal of SFO. At least that way you could have a nice final dinner at one of the nearby restaurants on the Embarcadero and not have a car to hassle with on departure day. The Embarcadero BART station is right out the front door of the Hyatt.

I've driven from Sonoma County to SFO and no way would I risk missing my flight by driving down that morning. Traffic can be horrible.

Just drive to the airport after evening rush hour is over and you'll still have a full day in wine country.