The world renowned Napa Valley receives millions of visitors every year. But long gone are the days of free tastings and economy pricing on dining and lodging. How can you still enjoy what this area has to offer and not go broke trying?
Where To Stay
Hotel lodgings in the area run at least $140 a night which is high by most families standards. Perhaps plan your time of year to visit to be during the off season for cheaper rates. During the winter or spring from October to May you’ll find plenty of hotel bargains with many rates dropping to half price. The grapes won’t be hanging from the vines but a weekend where you can cozy by a fire sounds just as nice doesn’t it? There are a great selection of delightful Airbnb options as well. If they have a small kitchen area you could even consider buying groceries to eat a few meals in or picnic to save your money for those spectacular dinners the Napa Valley’s restaurants are so well known for that you’ll want to splurge on.
Winery Barrel storage
If you are traveling in a group to a few wineries perhaps consider an Uber service. This would be the most affordable plan where no one has to be concerned about drinking and driving. We drove our tour with my husband as our designated driver. If there’s one in the group not into wine a car rental like ours was will work great.
I highly recommend going first to the Napa Valley Visitors Center and for $30 purchase a tasting card. They offer other discounts for wineries as well, but this card allows you to taste at 10 different tasting rooms in downtown Napa for really good value. Find parking downtown and visit 10 of the 25 tasting rooms all within walking distance of each other for a great way to sample and get a feel for what wineries you would perhaps like to go visit in person or just to make sure you purchase what you know you truly love. There are hundreds of small lot, artesanal wines you’d never find otherwise.
Things To See In The Area
The town of Napa has a lot to offer in markets, fashion, fine art, boutiques and gifts. This trendy area has something for everyone in your group and can still stay in budget. Enjoy the natural beauty of this area by visiting Skyline Wilderness Park. It’s 850 acres of wilderness with hiking and biking trails, kayaking and RV and picnic areas. It doesn’t hurt to visit the local grocery stores as well. On our visit we found an end cap of wine at Safeway for only $2 a bottle from a local vineyard and it was amazing!!
Navigating your stay on a budget will not take anything away from your experience. It will make for a memorable visit for everyone and you will get to experience one of the most notable areas of wine and beautiful countryside anywhere for less money than the other guy.
