Day trip or Overnighter?

There's no doubt that California's wine country is one of America's most exclusive destinations. I get the feeling that many people struggle with the question of whether to stay overnight in the area or to drive up for the day. Let's take a look at the driving distances from various spots in the Bay Area. These numbers reflect typical times, expect quite a bit longer during rush hour. Notably, for people planning to come up for a weekend, coming in on a Friday afternoon and leaving on a Sunday afternoon is certain to be a longer trip.

From	To Napa	To Sonoma	To Santa Rosa
San Francisco	1h	1h	1h
Oakland/Berkeley	50m	1h	1h
Palo Alto	1h30	1h40	1h40
San Jose	1h35	1h45	2h
Sacramento	1h10	1h20	1h50
SFO	1h10	1h15	1h20

The Charles M. Schultz Sonoma County Airport serves wine country and is located just Northwest of the city of Santa Rosa (pop. 160,000). As of Summer 2008, the only airline that flies there is Horizon Air. You can catch flights from Vegas, LA, Portland and Seattle. This isn't a good option for most people, and I don't know a single person who has ever flown in. But it's an possibility.

Hotel prices? My only recommendation here is Priceline.com. Hotels in the whole region are definitely pricey, and can be in excess of $200/night for the simplest of accommodations. If you'll have a car with you, don't be shy about staying outside of the Napa-Calistoga axis and the town of Sonoma. Instead, you'll likely find cheaper prices in towns like Rohnert Park or Petaluma. And from there, it'll only be a 20 minute drive to the choicest wineries. Of course, if you want the true wine country experience and are willing to shell out a little extra, try The Vintage Inn in Yountville, where you'll also be steps away from triple-michelin-starred French Laundry (if you're on a graduate student income, you'd be more likely to visit the Compadres across the street).

Bottom line? If you're on a restricted budget, make your visit to wine country a day trip...