Northern California's Napa Valley is the most celebrated wine growing region in America. Just 30 miles long and a few miles wide, it is home to hundreds of wineries and famous for its Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and many other grapes which flourish in its fertile soils. A popular way to see the vineyards and wineries is from the Napa Valley Wine Train. If you plan to travel the 47 miles from San Francisco to Napa, you have a variety of options.
The Napa Valley Wine Train provides a three-hour tour along a 36-mile excursion though the wine valley from the historic town of Napa – where the train station is located on McKinstry Street -- to the village of St. Helena and back. When you take this tour you have the choice of a freshly prepared lunch or dinner as you view vineyards and wineries from the vintage 1915 Pullman Dining car or the 1952 Vista Dome rail car.
Several companies offer bus tours from San Francisco to the wine country but do not include the wine train as part of the itinerary. One that does is Pacific Excursions, offering a nine-hour Napa wine tour via motorcoach from San Francisco to the Napa wine train. Traveling by bus allows easy viewing of the tidy rows of vineyards and tiny towns with their Victorian Gothic and old world architecture, including Yountville, Calistoga and St. Helena.
If you make reservations for the Napa Valley Wine Train, they will schedule a private shuttle to transport you from the BayLink Ferry dock at Vallejo to the Napa Valley Wine Train Station. The BayLink departs the San Francisco Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 41 every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The Wine Train shuttle will then take you back to Vallejo in time for the evening ferry to San Francisco.
Another option is to take the Amtrak tour bus from San Francisco. The Napa Valley Wine Train is connected to the Amtrak Capitol Corridor through the use of Amtrak's bus system. You will catch the 6511 Amtrak bus from Martinez to the Napa Wine Train Station, the only bus scheduled to arrive prior to the Wine Train's departure at 11:30 a.m.
If you are looking for a unique tour experience, taking a limo from San Francisco is always an option. For an insider’s scoop on the area, consider what Continental Chauffeur to offer. The company’s owners, who are Napa Valley wine enthusiasts, created a dedicated wine tour car service for visitors who wish to design their own itinerary. During the jaunt, you’ll get some insider’s accounts on wine country.
