Some say
you can drive faster to Reno than flying from the Bay Area. That is not always true.
Let’s analyze the two:
Driving:
Reno is approximately
200 miles from the East Bay. That is 3 hours, no traffic – straight through. How often does that happen? You will hit
traffic in Fairfield, Vacaville, Davis, Sacramento, Roseville, and up the grade. So, how long does it really take to drive
to Reno? Generally, 4 hours on an average Friday afternoon, not a holiday weekend.
When you drive, how relaxed are you when you
arrive? Stop and go traffic, traffic accidents, lane closures, drivers going up the grade the same speed as the trucks, trucks
in both lane on the grade, and much more. So I ask again, how relaxed are you when you arrive in Reno?
Using the flying analysis
below, leaving the East Bay at 2:45pm, you should arrive at your destination at approximately 6:45pm, not being a holiday
weekend. Don’t forget, you have to drive back home.
Flying:
To better analyze the two, let’s
just say, you have a 5:00pm flight from Oakland Airport, arriving in Reno at 6:00pm. Flights generally board 30 minutes prior
to the scheduled departure. You should arrive at the airport an hour before your scheduled boarding to check your luggage
and go through security. Therefore, you should be at the airport by 3:30pm. It takes, on an average, 45 minutes from the East
Bay to Oakland Airport. So leaving the East Bay at 2:45pm for a 5:00pm flight is not unreasonable.
When you arrive at the airport and
you check your luggage and go through security, you should have time for a few over-priced drinks before you board the aircraft.
Once you board the aircraft, you are relaxed. If there is drink service on the aircraft (depending on if it is a full flight
or there is turbulence), you might be able to have another cocktail before you arrive in Reno. If drink service is not available,
enjoy the 30 minute flight.
When you arrive in Reno, you should be relaxed. Go get your luggage and wait for the free shuttle
service to the resort. When you arrive at the resort, you are so relaxed, you are ready to have some fun.
Economics of the
two:
If
there are sales on flights and each person is paying for their own, it may be better to fly. If you have a family, say a total
of five, flying might not be economical.
Scenic:
At times, I like to drive to Reno, especially in the winter after it has been snowing
for a while. The Sierra - Mountains in the winter in awesome. Once you get into the mountains, the scenery will make the drive
feel a lot less time. Just don’t drive when it is snowing or it will make the drive fell a lot longer, which it will
be.