Hot Air Balloon Adventure

Has anyone taken a Hot Air Balloon Ride, and if so, which company do you recommend?

It looks like it would be a great way to see everything, and experience a balloon ride at the same time.

Any comments would be appreciated

Hot Air Balloon Adventure

I don%26#39;t know the balloon companies in Napa, but if you are interested, the Chamber of Commerce in Windsor, which is over in Sonoma County north of Santa Rosa, recommends a company there called ';Up, Up, and Away';.

Hot Air Balloon Adventure

wickedcute-

A few things about hot air balloons in Napa:

1. They%26#39;re a bit expensive ($200 pp avg)

2. They only can fly in the early hours (5:30/6:00 am)

3. If the weather is bad, you don%26#39;t go up.

4. If the weather is foggy, you don%26#39;t go up in Napa (they shuttle you to an inland valley).

5. You are taken where the winds go--- so no telling the %26#39;driver%26#39; which vineyards you want to see! :)

All of these points may all seem self-evident, but if you look at the reviews of all the balloon companies, you%26#39;ll note that every single bad review is based on one (or more) of the 5 items listed above.

So as long as you%26#39;re OK with all of these things, you should have a great time.

Floating like a bird is a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It%26#39;s something you will remember for the rest of your life. But you need to be prepared for disappointment-- not floating over vineyards, or worse-- having the flight canceled due to bad weather.

All in all, we think balloon rides are wonderful. But they%26#39;re all about expectations. If you go into the experience with an open mind (and heart), you will have a great time. :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

PS Regarding the ';best'; balloon company: It all depends on what you want. Balloons Above the Valley is the largest, with the largest baskets. Other smaller companies do a superlative job as well-- it%26#39;s hard to go wrong. Go to the reviews, and read them with the 5 listed items above in mind. A well informed choice gives you peace of mind.

PPS Balloon weather right now is wonderful-- but it can be foggy some mornings, which means you will be shuttled to a sunnier inland valley (which may not have vineyards).

I would recommend Napa Valley Balloons. I recently visited Napa and flew with Balloons Above the Valley(BATV). We had an unusual trip (not in a good way), and the BATV customer service response from them has been awful. Napa Valley Balloons%26#39; passengers were treated very well following our ordeal.

mdud-

We read about your trip. In all our years in the Valley, we have never heard of something like this happening.

Our thoughts go out to all of you-- and we have a call in to BATV to ask why they haven%26#39;t taken care of the guests that day.

Thank you for posting the review-- it was illuminating, and will affect which balloon companies we work with and recommend in the future.

Hoping that you had a great time the rest of your trip! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

I flew with Calistoga Balloons a few weeks ago. Here%26#39;s what I can tell you:

It was 200/person

We had to meet at 6:00 am. You go to your ';take off'; site and watch them inflate, which was very interesting. You load up and go for anywhere from 45 miniutes - 70 minutes (give or take), depending on winds, landing options, fuel, etc. You land, wait a while for them to load up basket/balloon and then all go to breakfast together in Calistoga (paid for as part of the cost).

Overall, I am happy I did it and it was beautiful, but I would not do it again. First, it was ENTIRELY too crowded in the basket. 14 passengers and the pilot!! I was in the ';compartment'; of the basket with three other men (none of whom were my husband!) and it was so tight, I coulnd%26#39;t move. I was in the middle, so i could not see over the side of the basket and could not get good pictures. I would STRONLY recommend that you ask how many people will be with you and if it is more than 10-12 in the large basket or 5-6 in the small basket, don%26#39;t do it. 14 was completely unacceptable, IMO, for the amount of money you%26#39;re paying. I was also surprised that we didn%26#39;t go higher (a little disappointed), but that%26#39;s all about wind, other balloons in the air, etc.

It is very quiet, calm, slow, peaceful. NOT COLD, as I thought it would be. Don%26#39;t wear shorts/t-shirt, but don%26#39;t feel you have to totally bundle up.

I am glad I did it and would recommend it, but make sure they are not overpacking the basket.

Have fun!!