Yosemite as a side trip
 

With NZ loosening their MIQ requirements ie not having to isolate in a hotel on return to NZ, but can now isolate at home, we are planning a trip to NYC May/June this year.

Just mulling the possibility of flying to San Francisco and doing a side trip to Yosemite before flying to NYC. I see that it is possible to take Amtrak and then a YARTS bus to the park, but this could be tricky as we will have a checked bag each and carry on each which we will have to take along with us. The logistics seems a but daunting although in theory looks a good option. Also the bus doesn't seem to go until about 5pm, and the morning buses seem to early.

Other alternative it to hire a car, which means driving on the other side of the road, and DH doesn't really get a chance to enjoy the scenery along the way. Also looks like it is better to drive back to SFO to take the next flight to New York.

Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

You could take a Yosemite tour bus but they leave early 6:00-7:00 am and are not cheap. This is an all-day excursion. You would have to leave your bags in your hotel. Many tours will pick you up at your hotel. https://www.extranomical.com/en/yose...-san-francisco

Amtrak bus #6610 leaves from a stop at 555 Mission St. (Chase Bank) at 7:00 and takes you to Emeryville to get on the San Joaquin to Merced with a guaranteed connection to the YARTS bus into Yosemite (Amtrak #8412) The fare is $30 one way per person. It arrives at the visitor center about 1:21PM. If you can't get lodging in the park you could get lodging at El Portal and take a later YARTS bus into the park from there. Having a large amount of luggage will present some logistic problems.

Storage Facilities | San Francisco International Airport (flysfo.com)

how much time do you have for this side trip?

Do I understand you to mean doing a day trip upon arrival at SFO and immediately returning to SFO to fly to NY? I assume this because you mention having your luggage which would mean you aren't staying in a hotel. No - hell heck no. Just no. Yosemite is not a day trip between flights. Please clarify if you are asking about a day trip on your arrival day.

In any case, even adding a day/night between flights is difficult because the times just don't synch. Flights arrive either too late in the AM to catch a tour or in the evening. Say you arrived 8PM-ish. You could get a hotel in San Francisco or at SFO, next day leave your bags at the hotel and take an early morning tour to Yosemite, and take a red eye to NYC. But that would be two hellaciously long days (3 days actually counting travel from NZ)

Just not practical unless you add a day or two in California.

What Janis said. Even doing the early morning trip it would be exhausting and you would not be able to get the full flavor of Yosemite. And no to driving on the wrong side of the road. That windy road on the cliff on Hwy 120 where you're on the edge side . . . unless you've done Hwy 1 and the Amalfi coast drive before, I wouldn't try it. You can go through Merced and take Hwy 140, a less scary drive, but the last time I did that was a year and a half ago, and due to road work, we had a LOT of wait time where the road turned into a single lane in parts.

Thanks for the advice. No the plan was stay a night at SFO hotel, then do a trip to Yosemite the next day, stay a couple of nights, then go back to SFO and fly to NYC later on that afternoon.

However plans have totally changed and we are now flying direct to NYC.

Oh that's totally different -- moot point now because your plans have changed. But with three days you would have had plenty of time. Maybe plan it for a future trip. Fly into SFO, stay the night at an SFO hotel. After a good night's sleep you'd be able to drive next morning. Drive to Yosemite via Merced hwy 140 (not the REALLY winding hwy 120 mentioned above). Arriving via hwy 140 is the lowest elevation and least twisty turny white knuckle road of the three routes into YNP. Stay 2 nights and then fly to NY from SFO or San Jose, or Sacramento (or Fresno if you don't mind multiple stops). Rooms in Yosemite Valley book up months/a year ahead but there is a great motel *Yosemite View Lodge* in El Portal right on hwy 140 a few minutes from the entrance gate. So you could try book a room at Yosemite View and then keep trying for a cancellation in Yosemite Valley

Would it work to go to California/Yosemite on the way back from NYC? There are a couple airports other than SFO to go visit Yosemite. Oakland has an easy connection to Jack London Square where you can get on the San Joaquin train to Merced.

jansisj, that was basically my plan, and we did have a room booked at Yosemite View Lodge. Had looked at airfares from Sacremnto and Fresno, so looks like I was on the right track. We will get there eventually.

Great minds :)

Just fly into Fresno- otherwise you waste so much time driving! The Fresno airport is small and not crowded and its an easy drive to Yosemite. The tickets will likely be a few hundred dollars more because it's a small regional airport but it's worth it in my opinion. Sacramento is still too far away- adding many hours of driving to your trip and if you're driving on the 5 south- you won't see anything of our beautiful state- its an ugly drive. The 99, which would be the alternative route is only two lanes in some places and it can be a long slog through the central valley.