Visiting Napa on a Budget - Catheryn Grivna

One of the most frequent things I get asked about is traveling to wine country. People are always asking me about places to stay, wineries to visit, restaurants to try, etc. While I have many recommendations and many blog posts about all of this, I thought it would be fun to share a little something different. Today, I am going to share my top tips and secrets on how to visit Napa on a budget!

Getting to Wine Country

If you don’t live in the Bay Area, you are probably going to need a plane ticket. While airfare can be really expensive, it can also be affordable if you spend a little bit of time searching. I have found fares as low as $200 for a round-trip to SFO or OAK. Use Google Flights to help narrow your search and find the best deal.
My tip: Do not limit your airport options! You basically have 4 (maybe 5) airports you can fly into: San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and possibly San Jose. With all of these options, you are bound to find something reasonable.
Also, don’t be afraid to use a budget airline! I have flown Frontier several times and have never had an issue. Don’t rule out the cheaper carriers.

Getting Around Wine Country

- I think your cheapest option for getting around wine country is by renting a car. I know this may sound crazy because you are probably going to be drinking, but it is going to be way more affordable than paying a driver or a limo service.
- We have always rented a car and we make sure that we aren’t going overboard on the tastings. We actually split a lot of our tastings because it saves so much money!
- You can also use Uber or Lyft to get around wine country, so I would recommend a combination of rental car and ride share services. Plan to use the rental car, and use Uber as a back-up option if you think you’ve had a little too much to drink.

Where to Stay

We have stayed in a ton of different places when visiting wine country. There are plenty of beautiful Bed & Breakfasts and fancy resorts in the area. However, if you really want to save big money, I would recommend staying in American Canyon. It is about 40 minutes away from the wineries and it can be dirt cheap. I have stayed in American Canyon for as little as $100/night! Yep, that’s right. $100!
Here are a few options of places to stay in American Canyon:
These hotels are not fancy, so don’t go into it thinking this is going to be the Ritz Carlton or something! When I go to wine country, I don’t really care how nice the hotel is because we are only there to sleep. Why would I want to pay $600/night if I am going to be out and about all day?

Where to Drink

Did you know that wine tastings aren’t cheap?! Wine tastings can range anywhere from FREE all the way up to $100+! It really depends on what you are looking for. If you simply just want to taste the wine, it is going to be a lot cheaper than touring the entire property and sitting down for a picnic lunch. I am going to list a few options below that are on the less expensive side. In general, Sonoma wine tastings are a lot cheaper than tastings in Napa.
Napa Tasting Recommendations (prices per person):
Sonoma Tasting Recommendations (prices per person)**:

**A lot of the Sonoma tastings are BOGO if you have a Visa Signature Credit Card

Where to Dine

In terms of where to eat, this one is hard for me. I am such a foodie, so I love to wine and dine at some of the more expensive restaurants. Despite this, I have found some really great options that won’t break the bank!
Cheaper Napa Restaurant Recommendations:
Cheaper Sonoma Restaurant Recommendations:

General Tips:

Visit in the off-season (December – April)
- Everything will be cheaper and you will get a more personal experience (and possibly free wine)
Sonoma is cheaper than Napa
- Napa has become extremely busy and crowded in the past few years. If you want a little more room to breathe and cheaper prices, stick to Sonoma.
Split tastings
- Not only can you save money by splitting a tasting, but you will also save yourself from feeling like crap the next day!
Don’t buy 3 cases of wine
- Don’t be like us and sign up for every wine club! We sometimes come home and think, “Why did we buy so much wine?!” I can’t say I regret it, but if you want to save money, make sure to keep your wine purchases to a minimum.

I hope that you find these tips and tricks to be helpful when planning your next trip to wine country! We have been over 20 times, so I have learned a thing or two along the way. Even though it is possible to do a more budget-friendly Napa trip, it still isn’t cheap! All I can say is…..it will be worth it! This is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and you will absolutely not regret your Napa weekend.

If you need more information on wine country, check out my other blog posts on this topic: