Should you Stay in San Francisco or Napa Valley?
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On the porch of Triple S Ranch Napa | Splendid Lakeside Stripe Pajama Set | Ugg Scuffette Slippers
Inside the lobby of Staypineapple's The Alise in San Francisco | BlankNYC Suede Moto Jacket | Madewell Silk Bandana | J. Crew Factory Scallop Camisole | NYX Lipstick: Electra
One of my favorite things to cover on Lments Of Style is “where to stay”, with “where to eat and drink” close behind😉 Yes, it’s usually just the place you are sleeping, but if that is a bad experience, it’s likely to leave a taint on your trip. When I am traveling somewhere, I usually look up all the options I’d like to stay at within the area and go from there. Usually what I’m looking for involves a uniqueness about it, that makes it more of an experience rather than a warm bed. And not, I’m not referencing the hotel’s add on packages (ie spa treatments), but more so how do they do things differently, in an attractive manor.
A step that happens even before I look where to stay at a specific location, is the actual what area to stay in question! When it comes to San Francisco area, we have historically stayed in SF and did day trips to places like the Muir woods or Napa. This past March, we actually stayed in Napa Valley for the first time and that was quite a treat. Are you headed to Nor Cal and not sure where to stay, but know you want to spend time both in the wine country and in the city? Keep reading to figure out what’s best for you.
Benefits of Staying in Napa Valley
- no time swallowed up by traffic in the back and forth
- parking isn’t an issue
- the nature is relaxing / no hustle and bustle of the city
- access to a myriad of cute towns with their own personalities
Cons of Staying in Napa Valley
- An hourish drive from SFO
- To fly into Napa direct is more expensive
- Everything is spread out - Unless you are just doing tasting rooms in downtown Napa, you have to drive everywhere or use a service
- *while the focus is on wine, there are other things to do in Napa Valley, so "only wine" is not really a con
Benefits of Staying in San Francisco
- copious amounts of restaurants and Michelin star chefs
- walkability
- the focus isn't mainly on wine
Cons of Staying in San Francisco
- parking is an issue
- more traffic than inside Napa
Sooo yeah. Not really any deal breakers in my list. Overall I liked how we did it this past trip – 2 nights in Napa Valley and 2 nights in San Francisco. I didn’t have a problem with only staying in SF for previous trips, but I feel like we did ourselves a disservice by not staying to experience all that Napa has to offer. Napa Valley is truly a great place to wake up in! If you aren't going to wine country, then yes. 100% stay in San Francisco; but, if you plan on experiencing The Valley at all, I'd at least stay one night there.
When we were in the valley, was stayed at Triple S Ranch Napa and when we were in SF, we stayed at StayPineapple The Alise. Have you been to both Napa and SF? They are like apples and oranges in comparison, but do you have a preference?
P.S. If you liked this post, you’ll enjoy these:
Where to stay in San Francisco
Tips for Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
Where to Get Coffee in San Francisco
Travel Guide: San Francisco in a Weekend
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