Last Updated: 03/17/20 | March 17th, 2020
With its verdant hills, acres of vineyards, and temperate climate, Napa Valley in California is one of the world’s premier wine-producing regions.
Located just over an hour from San Francisco, each year over 3 million people flock to this region to bike, hike, swim in a veritable pool of wine, and eat rich, delicious food.
However, Napa is not easy on the wallet. Restaurants, hotels, and winery check outs add up quickly. like a money-sucking feedback loop, visitors expect to spend a lot of money, and prices reflect people’s willingness to open their wallets.
I went seeking an answer to the question I ask of all destinations: “Can you travel here on $50 a day?”
I found you can, but it takes work. even if you don’t desire to do it bare-bones, there are ways to cut your expenses and still delight in an inexpensive check out to Napa Valley.
Accommodations
If you cut your accommodation costs, you can check out Napa on a budget. The average cost for hotels in the area is around $175 per night, with some basic options starting at $99 (before taxes). Unless you’re traveling as a pair or part of a group, that’s a lot for one person to spend per night.
The best way to save money on accommodations, especially as a solo traveler, is to use Couchsurfing, a site that connects locals with travelers who need a place to stay. It’s a fantastic form of cross-cultural exchange and a totally free place to stay at night!
However, there aren’t a lot of hosts in Napa, so look for one in advancement since, given the cost of accommodations, they get a lot of requests. I found a host two weeks before I went, and they had other people staying with them at the same time, too.
But if this doesn’t appeal to you, choose Airbnb. It’s the most affordable paid option. There are a lot of listings for the area, with some costing as little as $75 per night for a private room.
Mat
Napa is home as much to world-class food as it is to wine. That doesn’t bode well for your pocket. You can easily sit down for a meal and pay over $10 for just an appetizer!
Stick to the markets and sandwich shops if you want to survive on a budget. There is a farmers market (with a few restaurants) in downtown Napa. Gott’s Roadside has locations in both Napa and St. Helena and serves delicious burgers for under $8, while ad Hoc runs a delicious food truck providing fried chicken made by a Michelin star chef for $15 with sides.
Beyond that, cook your own food. There are food markets galore in the region where you can purchase fresh groceries at a sensible price.
I would certainly splurge on at least one meal, though, as the region is well-known for its food, but I would limit how numerous meals you do this on — it will add up quickly! You can find world-class food anywhere. Why blow your budget? So splurge sparingly — save it for the wine!
Transport
Transportation in Napa is complicated. Unless you have a designated driver, driving is neither the best nor safest option. (Remember: Don’t drink and drive!!) To get around, you’ll need to find other implies of transport.
First, you can rent a bike. organized bike trips are over $100 and don’t include tasting fees at the wineries — so I’d skip those. Instead, make your own bike tour. You can rent bikes for around $45 per day. two good rental companies are Calistoga Bikeshop and Napa Valley Bike Tours.
Second, you can hire a automobile service — there is no shortage of companies that will take care of driving you and your pals around. However, this is a really expensive option. many cost $35 per hour and have a multi-hour minimum, while some of the much more glamorous options cost around $115 an hour.
I wouldn’t recommend these unless you are part of a larger group.
Third, you can join organized group tours. These typically cost around $100 per day (and don’t always include totally free tastings). You’ll be shuttled from winery to winery on a timetable, but it can be a good way to see a lot of wineries in a single day.
If you’re searching for a quick and problem-free way to see the wineries and don’t want to bother planning it all yourself, this is the option for you (though it won’t be cheap!).
Your most affordable option is Uber, a ridesharing service that operates around the world. You download their app to your smartphone, register your credit report card, and request a nearby chauffeur directly through the app. It’s a door-to-door automobile service! (Personally, I like their competitor Lyft better, but they don’t operate in the area.)
There are plenty of Uber chauffeurs in Napa, so you’ll have no problem getting a ride. A 15-minute, five-mile drive will cost around $14. If you’re traveling with a group, this will be the most affordable way to get around.
Vin
Tastings whatsoever the wineries in the area run $15-20. If you stop by the tourism office, you can pick up a number of 2-for-1 tÅ gi kort, som er kjempefine hvis du reiser i et par. Jeg prøvde å løse dem på egen hånd i håp om at jeg enten skulle få to smaksprøver eller halvparten av en, og resultatene ble rammet eller savnet.
Det er også en app som heter Winery Finder som viser aktuelle kampanjer på vingårder i regionen. Jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste å bruke denne appen, ettersom mange av kampanjene som er nevnt ikke blir annonsert på reiselivskontoret.
I tillegg vil mange vingårder frafalle smaksavgiften hvis du kjøper en flaske eller to av rødvinen deres (frakt ikke inkludert). Så hvis du planlegger å lagerføre din rødvinsjeller, vil du finne at du vil kunne smake på mye gratis vin!
***
Jeg gledet meg virkelig over min tid i Napa. Regionen var vakker, maten var utrolig, og vinen … vel, rett og slett guddommelig. Jeg anbefaler imidlertid ikke å gå alene. For det første er det mye dyrere, og fordi jeg ikke kunne dele kostnader, drev det virkelig opp kostnadene!
For det andre er gleden av Napa å utforske området med vennene dine og dele noen historier over god rødvin og mat. Du kan ha det gøy på egen hånd, men jeg gledet meg mest da jeg møtte vennene mine og hadde folk til å dele opplevelsen med.
Når det er sagt, trenger ikke Napa å busse budsjettet. Det er ikke mange måter å spare penger på, men det er noen få, og når de brukes sammen, kan de redusere kostnadene dine betydelig og gjøre din drømmetur til Napa til en mye mer billig virkelighet.
Bestill turen til USA: Logistiske forslag og triks
Bestill flyet ditt
Bruk Skyscanner eller Momondo for å finne en rimelig flytur. De er mine to favoritt søkemotorer fordi de søker på nettsteder og flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid vet at ingen stein er igjen. Begynn med Skyscanner først, men fordi de har den viktigste rekkevidden!
Bestill innkvarteringen din
Du kan bestille vandrerhjemmet ditt med Hostelworld, ettersom de har den viktigste varelageret og de beste tilbudene. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de rimeligste prisene for gjestehus og rimelige hoteller.
Ikke glem reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikring vil ivareta deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri og kanselleringer. Det er omfattende beskyttelse i tilfelle noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke den flere ganger i fortiden. Mine favorittbedrifter som tilbyr den beste servicen og verdien er:
Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)
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