Where to stop SFO to Yosemite one night
 

Flying into SFO on a Friday night July 17 and now thinking about driving part way to Yosemite - no more than 1 to 2 hours.

Suggestions for where to stop for this one night, 2 adults and 2 boys age 12 and 15. Prefer place with breakfast if possible.

Flight gets in at 7:35 pm and then need to get rental car. I know this is a loaded question but is the Friday evening traffic going to be a big issue and where to stop for the night? Suggestions please.

Thank you so much.

Sandy

There really isn't anyplace to stop w/ this time frame. Towns directly between SFO and Yosemite are basically armpits. The best places to visit are practically on Yosemite's doorstep (in the Sierra foothills)

So, w/ that late an arrival I'd pick up the car and book a hotel either right at SFO, or in the east/south Bay somewhere w/i 10 or 15 miles of SFO and get an early start in the morning.

janisj:

Thanks for the prompt reply. I understand that most places with this time frame are not very nice but if you were going to do this and just looking for a decent hotel where would you stop?

Sandy

If you decide to head down thru San Jose and use Hwy 140 to head into Yosemite, you could stay at the Casa de Fruta motel. This is a tourist stop, but they have all kinds of produce, dried fruits and nuts, wine for purchase. Set in a foothill valley. Coffe shop, things for kids.


https://www.casadefruta.com/visit-accommodations.php

>>but if you were going to do this and just looking for a decent hotel where would you stop?<<

If it was me -- I wouldn't. I'd have a nice dinner, a good night's sleep and leave at O dark thirty. But if you really want to, then take michelleY's suggestion. Slightly out of your way but a good stop.

Personally, I would drive further than 10-15 miles from SFO. It's 20mi just to get across the San Mateo Bridge so 10-15mi would land you in the middle of the bay.

I'd go at least to Tracy (65mi), and book a basic chain motel for the night. Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn or similar.

Or even a little further to Manteca.

MichelleY - thanks for the suggestion

J62 -thanks I will take a look at Tracy and Manteca. Any ideas on the traffic flow Friday evening or is that like asking about the weather!

Sandy

>>Personally, I would drive further than 10-15 miles from SFO. <<

I meant 10 or 15 miles as the crow flies - basically in the East Bay or South Bay.

Manteca and Tracy -- just throwing a hotel night away IMO.


Casa De Fruta is actually almost the same exact length drive to Yosemite as from Manteca (about 2.5 hours)

There are 3 Extended Stay Americas in the Dublin,Pleasanton-Livermore area. They have a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker etc. if you wanted to get something for breakfast on the way. I've had good experiences with Extended Stay in several states.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/hote...16;spdist=10.2

"just throwing a hotel night away IMO. "

exactly - that's what Sandybrit is asking for, not a visit-worthy stop. They want to get to Yosemite.

why complicate things by needing to find a supermarket to get food for your kitchen at extended stay? Find a place that serves breakfast - eg Hampton Inn, HI Express, etc.

SandyBrit, if you are arriving from the UK and a 10.5 hour flight, I would follow janis's recommendation to stay close SFO to avoid navigating and driving after a long flight. Otherwise I would also take Michelle's suggestion.

BTW if you do decide to stay near SFO, give Priceline a shot for a one night stay. I use it for Heathrow all the time.

Thanks one and all.

Arriving from St. Louis and originally planned to stay at a hotel close to SFO airport and leave Saturday morning. Driver now thinks a head start on drive to Yosemite is the way to go. Not sure myself as arrival is not until 7:35 pm Friday evening and 2 hour time change.

SAB - thanks for the Priceline suggestion but need 2 bed (4 in hotel room)

Any one else with thoughts please contribute.

Sandy

I'd either drive the whole way to Yosemite or stay at SFO hotel, depending on whether you are late night or early morning driving people. With that time change, though, I think you'd be grateful for that airport hotel, and that's what I'd choose. You'd probably need to eat dinner before hitting the road that night, anyway, so it'd be 9 pacific time before you even got on the road.

I commented on your thread on Trip Advisor, but I opened this one just to see what others had to say. There are pluses and minuses to staying at a hotel near SFO or driving an hour or 2 toward Yosemite - really just depends on your travel style and how well you do with night driving. I do feel the need to comment on someone's characterization of the towns between SFO and Yosemite as armpits though. These are suburban towns for the most part, some of them rather ordinary, some of them quite nice. While none of them qualify as top tourist destinations, several are great for an overnight en route from SFO to Yosemite.

I grew up in one of those towns :)

Ah -- But MichelleY . . . you <i>left</i> ;)

November_moon . . . there <i>are</i> some decent towns in the San Joaquin Valley. But most are not. And even in the nicer ones there are dangerous to VERY dangerous neighborhoods in most of them.

My first post was about these valley towns in general and not Tracy or Manteca specifically. We had one poster asking almost the same question wondering if they should stop over in Stockton . . . HELL NO!

I stand by what I posted.

janis - I think you were making some generalizations about the central valley that don't apply to this question. I don't mean to pick on you, I just want the OP to be able to make her choices with accurate information.

You said, "There really isn't anyplace to stop w/ this time frame. Towns directly between SFO and Yosemite are basically armpits."

-and-

"My first post was about these valley towns in general and not Tracy or Manteca specifically. We had one poster asking almost the same question wondering if they should stop over in Stockton . . . HELL NO!"

If I were driving between SFO and Yosemite Valley on a Friday night in July, I would go over the San Mateo Bridge and then connect to Hwy 580 east to 205 to 120 - this is a pretty standard route. This route goes through Pleastanton, Livermore, Tracy, and Manteca. All are fine towns and perfectly fine for an over night stay. There isn't any reason for the OP to detour off this route to stay in Stockton or any other town with problems.

Crime rates in Pleasanton and Livermore are much lower than the state average - these are very safe towns. Pleasanton is an upscale suburb - average household income there is $112K/year and average home prices are close to $700K - both are close to twice the state average. Livermore isn't quite as prosperous, which an average annual household income of only $100K. The crime rate in Tracy is also lower than the state average, although not quite as low as Pleasanton and Livermore. Manteca is the most dangerous town of the mix, with a crime rate slightly higher than the state average - I still wouldn't call it an armpit though and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there overnight.

I think Janis is trying to give the OP a tourist's perspective. Valley towns don't have much to offer tourists. Not very exciting compared to other places in California.

JanisJ- I left, but go back about every other weekend ;)