First Timer Needs Itinerary Help... Oct 5th-8th

So my husband and I are trying to plan a trip out West - problem is we are constricted by time. We only have 3 nights and a lot of wants on our list. We will be flying in from New York to San Francisco Friday - Monday. We were thinking of staying in San Francisco Friday night then coming to the wine Country Saturday - Monday. Trouble is during harvest I%26#39;m having difficulty finding availability on that Saturday night. Would prefer to stay in a town within walking distance to restaurants at night. Would it be worth it to come for just Sunday - Monday? Also what are thoughts on Bernardus in Carmel area is it too much to do San Francisco Friday Night, Bernardus Lodge Saturday Night then try to drive up to Napa for Sunday night and fly out of San Francisco on Monday? Also thought of doing one of the day winery trips from San Francisco? Thanks for your time and recommendations - trying to make the most of our time but still want the trip to be a relaxing getaway.

First Timer Needs Itinerary Help... Oct 5th-8th

VacationDreamer2,

If you are the types of folks that are always on the run (and find this relaxing, if you%26#39;re seeing the sights), then you can definitely land in SF, rent a car, go directly down to Carmel (Fri night), then up to SF (Sat night), then to Napa for Sun night.

Finding a single night stay Fri in Carmel will be your hardest.

It will be next to impossible to find a single night stay anywhere in Napa on a Fri or Sat in Oct.

In fact, it%26#39;s going to be hard to find a good place, period, in Napa, since so many folks have been booking their harvest trips for the past 14+ months (sorry if this sounds negative-- but we don%26#39;t want you to get all excited).

Sooo . . . .

Possible itineraries:

Fri

land SFO, rent car

Drive down to Carmel (2 hrs)

Sat

Enjoy breakfast in Carmel, drive up Hwy 280 to SF

Arrive SF by 2 pm, check in (Union Square? Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf?)

Shop/Cable Cars/China Town/Pier 39/Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf/Ghiradelli

Dinner at the Wharf, or (our favorite): North Beach (aka ';little Italy';).

Sat night in SF will be hoppin%26#39; esp in North Beach

Sun

Leave EARLY (7am) for wine country

Breakfast in wine country (8:30)

Stop by your Inn, pick up maps, suggestions for wineries (9:45)

10-4 Wine tasting

4:30 Back to your Inn to relax, get ready for dinner

6:00 Dinner at one of Napa%26#39;s famous restaurants (hard to pick just 1!)

9:00 Arrive back at Inn,

Mon

Have breakfast at Inn (if you have time), leave for airport

Budget 3 hrs from departure time for drive/rental car return/check-in

*******

There you go-- 3 days, 3 cities-- a whirlwind tour of Northern California.

BUT . . .

If this itinerary is going to get you exhausted, by all means, pick JUST ONE PLACE! Stay there for 3 nights, and relax, relax, relax!!! (this is our preference. It%26#39;s vacation, after all ;).

The latter plan (staying 3 nights in one spot) will give you greater access to hotels or B%26amp;Bs (since you%26#39;re staying for more than one night, and most places have 2-3 night minimums on weekends), And-- you won%26#39;t be spending your time packing and unpacking each day, or driving around for hours to get to your next destination.

It all depends on what you like-- and what fits your personality best.

Hoping this helps! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

First Timer Needs Itinerary Help... Oct 5th-8th

Thanks for the great information, very helpful! I think we would be okay with two moves, but three is a bit much. So I%26#39;m thinking Friday %26amp; Saturday in San Fran then going to either Carmel or Napa. I%26#39;ve heard great things about the Barnardus Lodge - does it have a similar feeling to Napa? Sorry if that’s a dumb question but I%26#39;m very unfamiliar with the area.

I just did both carmel and Napa and I would def. recommend Napa over Carmel. Carmel is lovely, but Napa has a LOT more to do.