It's all about a fantastic train ride with exceptional wines, foods and scenery aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train that wends its way up and back the famed Napa Valley of California. It begins at the Napa Valley Wine Train Station in the heart of the City of Napa, located just 50 miles north of San Francisco. With refurbished, elegant, old fashioned Pullman cars dating from 1915, the now diesel powered train makes its way from Napa to the City of St. Helena, and then back again, 36 miles, providing a series of differently timed tours, differing meals and the enjoyment of the best wines of the Napa Valley. One of the few active, historic passenger railroads remaining in the United States, the Napa Valley Wine Train offers an engaging and memorable experience that echoes the glory days of train travel with fine dining service and multi-course meals, cooked to order.
Take a step back into history as you sit in historic, updated, railcars enhanced with Honduran mahogany paneling, etched glass partitions, brass accents, plush seating in luxurious armchairs that evoke the spirit of the great days of western train travel of years' past. With rail car names that include the Cabernet Sauvignon Lounge Car and a Pullman car that came from the Denver Rio Grande, you are launched into rail history, enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery in the State of California.
True to its historic beginnings, the Napa Valley Wine Train shines as one of the most outstanding and distinctive restaurants in the Napa Valley where luxury is an accepted factor. Napa Valley Wine Train guests are welcomed to view Executive Chef Donald Young and his culinary team at work in the Kitchen Car, preparing multi-course, gourmet meals, cooked to order. Chef Young's team prepares luncheon and dinner menus that feature local fresh and seasonal menu items, prepared aboard. Chef Young and his culinary team source the highest quality products and cultivate strong partnerships with local providers who produce the best, freshest and most sustainable food and beverage products. The Napa Valley Wine Train's extensive wine lists feature a wide selection of local Napa Valley vintages.
All Napa Valley Wine Train tour packages include a welcome taste of wine for those over the age of 21. Tour packages vary, according to time and extent. Dining journeys range from the Gourmet Express from $146 per person on a lunch and dinner train ride. Enjoying dining in the Napa Valley Wine Train's Vista Dome tours begin at $221 for lunch and dinner, while the Quattro Vino Tours begin at $329 per person for tours that include lunch and winery tours.
For "Day Trippers" there are the Grgich Hills Winery Tour, a lunch train from $206 per person, (pp), and an Ambassador Winery Tour with lunch starts at $266 pp and the Castle Winery Tour with lunch, from $266 pp. Their Raymond Winery Tour, a lunch train, price starts at $206 pp. Napa Valley Wine Train special events include a Private Reserve Train from $269 pp with dinner and a local winemaker aboard, and Private Twilight Tours (very romantic) start at $349 pp for dinner and after-hours' tour and tasting on Saturdays. There is a $15 per 750ml bottle and $30 per magnum bottle corkage charge. Reservations for any Napa Valley Wine Train tour are highly recommended. All major credit cards are accepted and there is wheelchair accessibility with advanced notice for some tour packages. Self-parking is available at the Napa Valley Wine Train parking lot, with big rig RV parking requested to be on the lot perimeter. Excess parking can be found for RV's at Napa's nearby Oxbow Market which you will be sure to want to explore.
RV'ers will be happy to know they are in for a grand treat aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, but that they can camp in some of the most beautiful RV resorts anywhere, not far from the Napa Valley Wine Train Station, located at 1275 McKinstry Street in historic downtown Napa. The Napa Valley Wine Train is owned and operated by Noble House Hotels and Resorts whose stated mission is, “Built on a culture of uncompromising service to our customers.”
Nearby is the Napa Valley Expo RV Park on the Silverado Trail. Daily rates are $60 in this full amenities park where Good Sam, AAA and other discounts are offered. Flat, shady sites with full 30/50-amp and water/sewer hookups make your stay enjoyable, all within an easy walk to downtown and the Napa Valley Wine Train Station. Along a river walk, you find elegant restaurants, great shopping, cultural and arts' centers and multiple annual events, many held at the Napa Valley Expo Center. About a mile away from the Napa Valley Wine Train Station is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks' Lodge No. 832- 2840 Soscol Avenue, Napa, CA- which has 12 full hook-up sites for Elks' members who wish to camp there. Campsites are $30 and RV's can remain there for up to two weeks. According to Monica Farris at the Elks' Lodge, “Monday through Friday, from 11:30 to 2 p.m., we serve lunch in the Elks' dining room.
We have Wednesday night dinner from 6 p.m., and on Fridays, we have barbecue on the menu, also starting at 6 p.m.” Monica went on to state, “Twice a month on first and third Tuesdays, we feature 'Taco Tuesday,' with tacos on sale at $3 each.” The RV sites are flat and level. There is shade. Contact them at (707) 255-4522 for information or email them at napaelks@sbcglobal.net.
RV'ers who prefer a more rural setting can find it five miles north of St. Helena, off Highway 29, at Bothe-Napa State Park, operated year 'round by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset, but limits maximum length for travel trailers to 24-ft., and RV's to 31-ft. Rates are not posted at their website but rather at the California State Parks website. Another great place for RV'ers to camp is at the sprawling Skyline Wilderness Park at 2201 Imola Ave., where nature trails beckon. Horse people are also invited, according to Marcy.
Open seven days a week, summer hours are 8 a.m to 7 p.m. RV sites are $35 per night, tents, $25. You can select full hookups, partial RV sites with water and electric, plus free dump at the end of your stay, or dry camp at $25 per night, free dump on leaving. Horse camping is available at Skyline's 10-spacious horse sites. Two horses and two rigs are allowed on these sites. “We welcome horse owners to explore our beautiful trails which wind through a wilderness area not far from downtown Napa,” says Marcy. Horse camping, with two rigs, is available at $25 per night. “We are all filled up for BottleRock Festival 2018, a Napa Valley Expo music event,” says Marcy at Skyline, who reports she also understands that the May 25-27 BottleRock tickets are sold out, as well.
The BottleRock musical event is only one of many Napa events to attract worldwide visitors to Napa, according to Sara Warren at Napa Valley tourism site. “If you go to the website and click on 'events' you will see the many festivals, and events, that attract so many people here each year.” Coming up at Skyline is the annual native plant sale by the California Native Plant Society, (CNPS), April 14-15, Free admission to the park is provided for the sale. Sandra Hewitt of the CNPS says of Sunshine Wilderness Park that, “it is recovering well from the October, 2017, fires, and is a great place for outdoor activities.” “Each year at the park,” she adds, “we hold an interesting event, drawing customers to our annual plant sale. It draws native plant lovers from several surrounding counties. We also hold a fall sale in October.”
For a longer stay in Napa Valley, a nice RV resort can be found in Vallejo, south of Napa some 13 miles. Vallejo Mobile Home Community and RV Park, 1867 Broadway St., Vallejo, has daily rates at $50 with full hookups. Weekly and monthly stays are allowed. Under new management, this park provides ease of access to both Napa and San Francisco. Water taxi service to the San Francisco Ferry Building and to Fishermans' Wharf is not far from this campground. Cable cars can take you around the city once you arrive.