Travel to Napa Valley
Please use this page as your travel planning guide to Napa Valley. Read all of our tips below to make the best of your getaway.
Cheers!
Your Napa Team
AIRPORTS
There are four commercial airports close to Napa Valley:
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) - 60 miles to Napa
Oakland International Airport (OAK) - 53 miles to Napa
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) - 68 miles to Napa
Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa (STS) - 48 miles to Napa (just a little west of Calistoga - not shown on map)
San Jose Airport (SJC) is also in the region, but a little further south.
Of course, if you are in Southern California or somewhere on the West Coast, it might be more convenient for you to drive. By the time you get to the airport, park, check-in, go through security, fly, claim your bags and rent a car, that could take 5-6 hours which is the same as driving in some cases. This is something to keep in mind if you prefer to have your own car and save some money.
*STS is located just west of Calistoga, over the mountain pass.
HOTELS
The Westin has been our partner for 11 years running, and we are thrilled to be associated with such a beautiful property with such great people dedicated to making your experience more than exceptional. Several events will be held here including the "Wine Downs" and the After Party.
Meritage Resort & Spa
Stay tuned for hotel package information coming this summer…
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HOTEL INFO
CAR RENTALS
We highly recommend you rent a car so you can experience all that Napa Valley has to offer. Just driving up and down Highway 29 and Silverado Trail is spectacular!! It is very easy to navigate while in wine country as both highways are the two main roads in Napa Valley. They run parallel to each other for about 30 miles up the west and east sides of the valley with 'cross-roads' every mile or so connecting the two.
If you are planning to rent a car at an airport, the major highways in the area (80 & 880) will be quickest to get to Napa Valley. However, if you fly into San Francisco (SFO), taking the 101 North up through Marin County and the back roads in Sonoma County on the way to Napa is quite scenic. If you fly into Sonoma County Airport (STS), you’ll take Petrified Forest Road over to Calistoga and then Highway 29 South to Napa, which is a very scenic drive as well.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICES
If you would prefer not to rent a car or wish to avoid Bay Area traffic, shuttle services are available.
San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) both have shuttle buses that run to the city of Napa. To arrange shuttle service call either:
Evans Transportation: 707-255-1559
California Wine Tours: 800-294-6386
Some hotels may offer a shuttle service so be sure to check with your hotel to see if this service is available.
The only non-hotel shuttle to Napa Valley available from the Sacramento Airport is the Fairfield Airporter.
Fairfield Airporter: 877-424-7767
You will need to call in advance to reserve this service.
PARKING
Click HERE for parking information about all of our venues.
WINE TASTING ETIQUETTE
Check out this article as it is a good source for wine tasting etiquette while in Napa Valley:
NAPA VALLEY AVA's
Did you know that Napa Valley is actually made up of 14 distinct regions called AVA's (American Viticultural Areas)? Check out this very interesting article that explains the characteristics of each region:
Here's a cool map of the region that shows each AVA:
LIST OF WINERIES
Here is a comprehensive list of the over 400 wineries located in Napa Valley:
DRINKING AND DRIVING
Never ever drink and drive.
While visiting the wineries, please have a designated driver with you in your party.
If you plan to partake without a designated driver, please consider hiring a limo service. Or, if you are tasting and then driving, please make use of the spit buckets as it is perfectly acceptable to not actually ‘drink’ the wine.
We want everyone to have a safe Napa Valley experience!
WEATHER
Evenings can be very cool, even in the summer, so bring a sweater, jacket, shawl and scarf. In the town of Napa, the average temperature in June is 66 degrees, while the average high is 78 degrees and the average low temperature is 51 degrees. There is very little humidity as well, making even an 85-degree day not so hot feeling. However, it can also get well into the 90's during this time, so we recommend bringing a few options just in case it gets HOT and COLD. Hey, it's weather :)
ATTIRE
We recommend that everyone wear upscale casual and comfortable attire, affectionately known as 'wine country chic'. It can be very hot during the day, and cool at night so layers are appropriate.
Women: we recommend flats, sandals, or wedges in wine country as many wineries (including Charles Krug) are on grass, and other outdoor terrain. Heels are not generally recommended, except for The Welcome Dinner if you so wish.
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding your travel into and around Napa Valley. Email us anytime at:
Help@jazzgetaway.com
Cheers,
Your Napa Team
* Drive times are approximations based on normal traffic. Napa Valley can get very congested during the summer with tourists going wine tasting each day. Please leave extra time to get around the valley.