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Marin County & Napa Valley Scenic Drive, Part V

Deciding where to stay
Ways to save on Wine Country accommodations

Here you find the information you need to pick the best locations for overnight stays on your Marin County and Napa Valley scenic drive. You also learn how to find bargains on hotels, inns, and resorts, and find out camping and hostel locations.

You need to get an early start if driving up from the Bay Area. From the Golden Gate Bridge all the way past the Point Reyes National Seashore, you spend nearly all your time in national and state parks, which have no hotels.

For driving directions, see Marin and Napa Scenic Drive parts III and IV.

(Continued below)

Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part I (Introduction)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II a (Reaching Marin from S.F.)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II b (Reaching Marin from SFO)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II c (Reaching Marin from Oakland)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part III (Marin County scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part IV (Napa Valley scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part V (Accommodation suggestions)

Save up to 75% on 4-star Marin County hotels!
Save up to 75% on 4-star San Francisco hotels!

Marin County coastal accommodation

There are a few bed and breakfast-type places along the coast in small towns such as Stinson Beach, but most travelers who want to explore this area in depth over several days either camp or stay in hotels along Highway 101.

Most use a hotel or motor inn in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, or Rohnert Park along Highway 101 as their base for a multi-night visit to Point Reyes. See Part III for directions. However, you can also stay in nearby San Rafael, Novato, and Larkspur. See Part 3B for easy access to these.

Most of the usual chains are available.

Hotels.com lists discounted places first. These are guaranteed to have the lowest on-line price of any website that allows you to book specific hotels prior to paying. Input “Santa Rosa, CA” or “San Rafael, CA.”

Hotwire.com discounts even more. You pick the town, the quality and amenities you desire—as well as the price, but don’t learn where you will stay until after you pay.

Hotwire lets hotels get rid of access inventory at great prices to you, without angering their higher paying customers, who never see these deals advertised.

Point Reyes National Seashore and state parks

Point Reyes National Seashore offers camping for those who hike or bike in. The park allows no cars near sites. The park also has an excellent hostel. Use the links for more information.

Nearby Samuel P. Taylor State Park and Mount Tamalpais State Park offer camping for visitors who come by car. We urge you to book ahead with Reserve America and to read the rules carefully. Tamalpais has a few cabins.

If you haven’t camped in California state parks, you’re in for a real treat. Unlike so many state park systems, California keeps its camping areas and parks as natural as possible—no golf courses, no unnecessary buildings, no resort hotels, no mowed lawns.

Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park

If traveling up the Marin coastline from the Bay Area, you shouldn't try to reach the heart of the Wine Country in one day. You have to allow time for very slow roads and for exploration of the various parks.

Santa Rosa, nearby Petaluma, and Rohnert Park all make a good first night stop. You find everything from Motel 6 to the Hyatt Vineyard Inn & Spa and Sheraton Petaluma. The Comfort Inn Santa Rosa provides a moderate cost choice.

Even if spending more than one night in the Wine Country, book the Santa Rosa area for your first night after driving up the Marin coastline.

Wine Country hotel geography

In general, you can divide the California Wine Country into three main parts.

The sweeter grapes are harvested in a long strip along U.S. Highway 101, some south but most north of Santa Rosa. This area gets more winter rainfall and somewhat cooler summer temperatures.

The hills above the valleys here tend to be covered with lush vegetation, and even redwood forests in places.

On the other hand, the most prestigious wines—again we’re speaking in generalities—come from the drier Sonoma Valley east of 101 and the even drier Napa Valley east of that.

These valleys are where most visitors want to stay.

The hills are covered with classic California oaks and grass, with pines at the very highest elevations.

Because the Napa and Sonoma valleys are adjacent, both make convenient bases for your visit to the Wine Country. Santa Rosa and Petaluma are somewhat less convenient, but offer far more economical accommodation.

Don’t confuse Sonoma County (which includes Santa Rosa) with the Sonoma Valley, which includes the town of Sonoma and the grape growing area immediately north of it.

If you want a map that shows how the various towns in the area relate to each other. click on

Priceline.com Hotels (Opens in a new window)
Priceline.com Hotels (Opens in same window)

and punch in “Napa, CA” and any future date.

Rutherford and St. Helena

We like the area around St. Helena and Rutherford in the upper Napa Valley very much.

It is just so picturesque!

Not only have the vineyards a fine mountain backdrop, the small towns themselves are a joy to explore.

Anchored by the graduate school of the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, this area hosts some of the best restaurants in California. These are reviewed in Zagat's Wine Country Guide.

You won’t find bargain hotels here. You may find discounts using Hotels.com —if you’re lucky. Type in “Napa, CA” and you’ll see prices for throughout the region.

The most popular places, such as the luxury Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena, have little incentive to reduce prices, except during the winter.

Napa and Sonoma

We lump these commercial centers of the Wine Country region together, as both Napa and Sonoma make good bases for your stay.

Napa—especially its town center—is more charming, but Sonoma offers more historic interest. They are close to each other, so you can easily explore both.

Napa is more convenient to the upper Napa Valley and Calistoga.

These towns tend to be expensive—sometimes very expensive. You find the Marriott Napa Valley and Renaissance Lodge at Sonoma, but few more moderately priced places.

One way to get around the high prices is to use
Hotwire.com (opens in new window)
Hotwire.com (opens in same window)

Punch in “Napa, CA” and you’ll often find highly discounted rates displayed for Napa and nearby towns.

As with Priceline.com, you choose the

neighborhood,
quality and amenities (2 to 5 stars plus resorts), and
price,

but not a specific hotel or inn. Unlike Priceline, you do not bid.

Interestingly, higher star-rated places sometimes cost less than lower quality ones. If you notice one of these, grab it!

Conscientious bargain seekers will attempt to undercut the Hotwire price a bit by bidding on Priceline.com Hotels. Type in "Napa, CA" or "Sonoma, CA".

Calistoga

We like Calistoga at the far north end of the Napa Valley. This is actually more of a foothill spa resort town than a Wine Country town, however.

You have easy access to the Napa vineyards, but the hot springs are the big draw here.

The excellent Calistoga Chamber website links you to the various spa resorts and motels.

Please see the links below for detailed driving directions.

Have fun in Marin County and the Wine Country! You’re visiting a great area.

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