Update: 2/22/22
Getting in and out of wine country is not as hard as a lot of people think. Sonoma towns are about an hour and a half north of San Francisco but it doesn’t mean you have to drive an hour and a half to get there from the Oakland or San Francisco airports.
The thought of how long it takes to get there and then driving on long country roads while you’re there doesn’t sound appealing at all for a quick trip. I get it. Especially after wine tasting.
However, how about this?
Flying into Wine Country…for $29
If long drives are your thing after all, you don’t need to take a long drive to get there. Just fly. Leave the beautiful drives for when you get there. There are plenty of long drives to experience the beauty of wine country and not the 5 freeway.
Previously I recommended flying into Oakland (OAK) and preferably Santa Rosa (STS). However, now there are permanent rates to fly into Santa Rosa for $29 each way. Richard and I couldn’t leave with the rest of the gang as they drove up so we just met everyone the next day by flying for less than $60 bucks.
We left Los Angeles at 4 pm (during rush hour) and planned to meet everyone by 7:30 pm in Santa Rosa, nearly a 7-hour drive. If we were to fly into San Francisco or Oakland, a 6 pm arrival would leave us driving north in rush hour traffic or more than likely almost the same amount of time it would take to fly.
If your departed city can get you into Santa Rosa within 2 hours, you can fly after work and be in Sonoma in time for dinner (and all restaurants close early). And of course, if your flight is not delayed like ours was.
The Matheson
Flights are no longer expensive. Avelo Airlines now offers a standard $29 flight out of smaller airports. Southwest Airlines is starting to match this same pricing on their specials. And Alaska Airlines just launched a flight-subscriptions service to 16 West Coast cities.
The Santa Rosa airport is so small that renting a car is so easy, (except after 8 pm). The one caveat we learned when we rolled in on a delayed flight is the car desk was CLOSED!
When you book your flight, either plan to take a Lyft or Uber to where you’re staying or call ahead of time to ensure they stay open for you after they close. Consider calling from the flight path if necessary.
You might want to make sure your rental car will be waiting for you just right outside the terminal. After receiving your rental keys, it might take you just a few minutes to find your car and in less than 20 minutes from landing, you’ll be opening the trunk to put your bags in your car.
Once you get in your car, you’ll crank up the heater from the cold crisp air, your body will start to relax and your tension can start to loosen up before even hitting the gas pedal.
Napa
If you’re staying near the town of Napa, like Sonoma, Glen Ellen, or the Carneros wine appellation, Oakland airport is the best airport, not San Francisco (SFO). However, if you’re staying in St. Helena or anywhere north of Yountville in the Napa Valley, just stick with the Santa Rosa airport.
I read another “weekend in wine country” article and when they mentioned flying into SFO, I knew they didn’t know what they were talking about. You don’t want to drive through the city unless you plan to see the city or if you’re staying in the city.
The drive into Napa from Sonoma County.
Before driving through the Alexander Valley to get into Napa from the Santa Rosa airport, have lunch in Santa Rosa or Healdsburg, one of the 6th most romantic towns in the U.S. according to CNN. Just make sure that whenever you land, consider the drive at night on dark roads.
The Benny’s
The best part of flying into Santa Rosa is Time and Rest. Part of the attraction is getting rest and enjoying the serenity of wine country. The rustic scenery, the laid-back vibe, and warm and friendly hosts can’t help you if you’ve fought the bigger airlines, traffic to get there (because Northern California does get rush hour traffic), and long travel times. If you have only 2-3 days, flying is how to take advantage of the rest waiting for you.
We figured we should have our clubs the next time…
And last but not least, on your return, as long as you’re at the Charles Schultz (Santa Rosa STS) airport an hour before departure, you’re good to go. From the Sonoma Wine Nest, it’s about a 10-minute drive too. Even during a holiday, we were warned to be at all airports three hours before departure so we were prepared by being there as warned but we ended up waiting 3 hours.
Good thing there’s a restaurant bar although you won’t see the flight path.
Update: the Santa Rosa airport has been going under heavy renovations. The restaurant is still open but the entire airport won’t be completed until the Fall of 2022.
And there you go. You’re a high-roller for the weekend just by knowing.
Always know you have a home to come to in Sonoma County.
For help with your own vacation rental or just information on the Sonoma Wine Nest