Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TRAIN
with connecting buses to Napa (45 minutes), Santa Rosa (1¼ hours) and Healdsburg (1¾
hours).
Norte ($4.40, 30 minutes). Napa Valley Vine bus 29 runs weekdays from BART to Calis-
BART to Vallejo ($5, 30 minutes), then connect with Napa Valley Vine bus 11 to Napa and
Calistoga; on Sundays, there's no connecting bus service from BART.
Getting Around
You'll need a car or bike to winery-hop. Alternatively visit tasting rooms in downtown
Napa or downtown Sonoma.
BICYCLE
Touring Wine Country by bicycle is unforgettable. Stick to back roads. We most love pas-
toral West Dry Creek Rd, northwest of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. Through Sonoma
Valley, take Arnold Dr instead of Hwy 12; through Napa Valley, take the Silverado Trail
instead of Hwy 29.
Cycling between wineries isn't demanding - the valleys are mostly flat - but crossing
between the Napa and Sonoma Valleys is intense, particularly via steep Oakville Grade
and Trinity Rd (between Oakville and Glen Ellen).
Bicycles, in boxes, can be checked on
Greyhound buses
for $30 to $40; bike boxes cost
$10 (call ahead). You can transport bicycles on Golden Gate Transit buses, which usually
have free racks available (first-come, first-served).
CAR
Napa Valley is 30 miles long and 5 miles across at its widest point (city of Napa), 1 mile at
its narrowest (Calistoga). Two roads run north-south: Hwy 29 (St Helena Hwy) and the
more scenic Silverado Trail, a mile east. Drive up one, down the other.
The American Automobile Association ranks Napa Valley among America's most con-
gested rural vacation destinations. Summer and fall weekend traffic is unbearable, espe-
cially on Hwy 29 between Napa and St Helena. Plan accordingly.
