I'm exploring the idea of driving to Las Vegas for a show and an overnight, as inexpensively as possible. Can you tell me what the drive time is and give any other suggestions/tips???
Thanks in advance,
Judy
Tars
12-24-2009, 07:31 PM
Since you mentioned "inexpensively", probably the least-damaging would be to drive 101 south to San Rafael bridge, I-680 south to I-580 east to I-5 south to I-210 in LA, to I-10 East to I-15 northeast, to Las Vegas.
Each to their own - I prefer to drive through LA late in the evening. If I leave Sebastopol around 6-7 in the evening, I miss most of the East Bay, and later, the LA traffic nonsense. One thing about driving to Vegas is that it's incredibly boring scenically. So a night drive won't cause you to miss anything.
Depending on what speed you drive, you should be able to reach Vegas in 10-13 hours.
Sure you want to drive? Southwest airlines has hourly flights to Vegas from SFO. Lots of cabs & free public transit in Vegas. Might be cheaper & less stressful all around to go that route.
Have fun!
Barry
12-24-2009, 07:55 PM
I believe there are also direct flights from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas.
ROME
12-25-2009, 01:57 AM
I would take Heed to what Barry and Tars have to say. Lived In Vegas for 5 years, Home town outskirts of sebastopol. Drove it to many times, not fun. Fly!
Since you mentioned "inexpensively", probably the least-damaging would be to drive 101 south to San Rafael bridge, I-680 south to I-580 east to I-5 south to I-210 in LA, to I-10 East to I-15 northeast, to Las Vegas.
Each to their own - I prefer to drive through LA late in the evening. If I leave Sebastopol around 6-7 in the evening, I miss most of the East Bay, and later, the LA traffic nonsense. One thing about driving to Vegas is that it's incredibly boring scenically. So a night drive won't cause you to miss anything.
Depending on what speed you drive, you should be able to reach Vegas in 10-13 hours.
Sure you want to drive? Southwest airlines has hourly flights to Vegas from SFO. Lots of cabs & free public transit in Vegas. Might be cheaper & less stressful all around to go that route.
Have fun!
Big Bob
12-25-2009, 09:06 PM
Why would you drive all the way to LA to get to Vegas???
Since you mentioned "inexpensively", probably the least-damaging would be to drive 101 south to San Rafael bridge, I-680 south to I-580 east to I-5 south to I-210 in LA, to I-10 East to I-15 northeast, to Las Vegas.
Each to their own - I prefer to drive through LA late in the evening. If I leave Sebastopol around 6-7 in the evening, I miss most of the East Bay, and later, the LA traffic nonsense. One thing about driving to Vegas is that it's incredibly boring scenically. So a night drive won't cause you to miss anything.
Depending on what speed you drive, you should be able to reach Vegas in 10-13 hours.
Sure you want to drive? Southwest airlines has hourly flights to Vegas from SFO. Lots of cabs & free public transit in Vegas. Might be cheaper & less stressful all around to go that route.
Have fun!
n4rky
12-25-2009, 11:17 PM
I'm exploring the idea of driving to Las Vegas for a show and an overnight, as inexpensively as possible. Can you tell me what the drive time is and give any other suggestions/tips???
The times I've driven to Las Vegas from the Bay Area, I went east out of Bakersfield using Highway 58 East to I-15 north. (This is the route suggested by Google Maps.)
It is a very long drive. You won't want to do this for an overnight trip. As I recall, it was 11 hours one way, plus any time for stops. (Google Maps puts the distance at 610 miles and driving time at 10 hours, 17 minutes.) I stopped in Bakersfield because it is really the last opportunity for a selection of places to eat before you get into Vegas itself.
Flying is probably a really good idea. I drive because I really don't like subjecting myself to the TSA's hare-brained ideas about so-called security (I see them as propaganda to keep the public in fear--and thus acquiescent to fear-driven policies such as the Patriot Act).
Byron
12-26-2009, 04:01 PM
I would suggest flying too.
I had to make an update to the Doubletree parking rates-- see below
My first preference would be flying Horizon from Santa Rosa.
Go to www.sonomacountyairport.org (https://www.sonomacountyairport.org)
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of their page to get the latest TSA instructions and how early you have to get to the airport. Some people think that because it is a small airport, they can just roll out of their car and go to the plane. Not so. Probably a modest fee for parking.
There are flights ranging from $64 to $357 for one way -- all for Santa Rosa to Vegas. Don't ask me how they come up with these numbers. Probably based on demand.
The trick (obviously) is to match up your schedule with the $64 flights.
Because rooms in Vegas are so inexpensive, you could even extend your trip by a day and still come out ahead (financially) if you cant exactly match your schedule up with the $64 (plus tax) fares. Try to stay away from the fights that connect in Seattle or Portland. It could get a little tiresome going all that way and sometimes you might have to arrive late and "sleep over" in Seattle.
If you choose the Santa Rosa option, you might want to take a "dry run" to the Sonoma County Airport to become familiar with the parking, etc.
My second preference is taking Southwest from San Francisco to Vegas. Last I looked they had a $39 (plus tax) one way fare -- who knows how long it will last. www.southwest.com (https://www.southwest.com)
I like to take the Airport Express to the Airport instead of driving -- go to www.airportexpressinc.com (https://www.airportexpressinc.com) for their schedules. I like to get to the Airport at least 90 minutes in advance -- especially in light of the recent scare which could result in more thorough screening. Its about $30 one way. I park my car at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park at $5 per day (Formerly 72 hours FREE but they decided to charge for it.)
My favorite Bay Area airport to fly out of has been Oakland. However Airport Express has curtailed their late evening pick-ups there, so if your return flight arrives late for some reason, you might be stranded and have to spend the night at an Oakland Airport motel.
So when you compare these options, they are pretty close in price after you factor in the ground transportation and parking etc.
As I mentioned, the rooms are pretty reasonable in Vegas -- they appear to be between $25 and $30 for a low priced room on the strip -- probably less off-the strip. Who knows? Maybe the Motel 6 is actually back down to its original $6 per night. Perhaps the event you are attending has special rates at their venue.
Bon Voyage,
Byron
Thad
12-26-2009, 05:37 PM
Depending on your personal wherewithal to protect yourself amongst strangers, the casinos subsidize charter buses and almost throw in the ride for free to get you to there to gamble, they throw in a lot of stuff to make it attractive. If you can watch your money and your back then its a party ride to there.
I'm exploring the idea of driving to Las Vegas for a show and an overnight, as inexpensively as possible. Can you tell me what the drive time is and give any other suggestions/tips???
Thanks in advance,
Judy
Ben Zolno
12-26-2009, 08:10 PM
If you put in car cost and wear and tear and insurance and risk into the figures, you should do like the IRS does and charge yourself 55¢ a mile... that's equal to the total miles one way, + 10%.
It's also one heck of a footprint, as a driver or as a flyer, to go to a city that's got about as big of a footprint as you can get, with a goal of sucking out your pocket for all you're worth.
Maybe consider taking a full car of rideshare folks, to share cost and drivers. Or consider staying local :):
Tars
12-26-2009, 09:08 PM
The google routes have you taking I-5 or CA99 to CA58 going through Bakersfield, then I-15 to Vegas.
Hwy 99 is a more challenging drive than I5. 99 is the much older freeway - so over the length of it road surface varies more. It passes through the valley communities, so there's more of-and-on traffic. Re: hwy 58 - I've driven that route a few times, coming & going. i didn't care for it, because stretches have poor road quality, dips, potholes, etc. There;s a lot of local traffic - agro trucks, commercial vehicles - some stoplights, as I remember.
But, again, each to their own. My favorite route (currently), if time isn't a major consideration, is to drive highway 50 over the Sierras, and then drive south down the length of Nevada. This route is slower going, but there's some interesting scenery. Long LONG ways between fueling spots on some stretches; requires planning. Besides which, it runs through Pahrump, Nevada. You haven't lived 'til you've seen Pahrump.
n4rky
12-26-2009, 10:19 PM
Hwy 99 is a more challenging drive than I5. 99 is the much older freeway - so over the length of it road surface varies more. It passes through the valley communities, so there's more of-and-on traffic. Re: hwy 58 - I've driven that route a few times, coming & going. i didn't care for it, because stretches have poor road quality, dips, potholes, etc. There;s a lot of local traffic - agro trucks, commercial vehicles - some stoplights, as I remember.
From the Bay Area, you'd only be on 99 for a short distance as Highway 58 doglegs through Bakersfield. Your description of the roads is accurate, though 99 has improved over the last few years.
But, again, each to their own. My favorite route (currently), if time isn't a major consideration, is to drive highway 50 over the Sierras, and then drive south down the length of Nevada. This route is slower going, but there's some interesting scenery. Long LONG ways between fueling spots on some stretches; requires planning. Besides which, it runs through Pahrump, Nevada. You haven't lived 'til you've seen Pahrump.
At first I thought you were referring to US 395, which is indeed spectacular as it traverses the east side of the Sierras, but largely in California. I can't say I'm familiar with US 95 or with Highway 160--which is a detour off of 95 to Las Vegas that goes through Pahrump--but I'm having a hard time imagining these roads are in better condition than Highway 58.
Tars
12-27-2009, 10:09 AM
dancingstar (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/members/dancingstar.html) has indicated that she's had her original question answered amply. So, for those who may be interested, but haven't driven through eastern CA & Nevada, I'll digress a bit & give my impressions. Hope y'all will humor me.
At first I thought you were referring to US 395, which is indeed spectacular as it traverses the east side of the Sierras, but largely in California. I can't say I'm familiar with US 95 or with Highway 160--which is a detour off of 95 to Las Vegas that goes through Pahrump--but I'm having a hard time imagining these roads are in better condition than Highway 58.
Yes, 395 is lovely, at some points. I've driven the southern portion a few times, though not recently at all. Near Bishop & northwards, it gives a fantastic view of the eastern side of the Sierras. Southern part of 395 though, through the Mojave, is so similar to I-15 vistas that makes for a tedious drive. Especially during mobile home migratory seasons, as it's mostly two-lane.
After crossing the area numerous times, eastern CA and Nevada became the gauntlet that I had to run, to get to the magnificence of the southern Utah"4 corners" area. Hence I gave myself time & distance leeway to go the north-south route through western Nevada. I was pleasantly surprised to find that large parts of it aren't so...deserty. 95 provides some great vistas, if you like wind-blown wide open spaces. It's surprisingly green in many places. Nevada provides occasional rest areas along the route. Not many gas stations or truck stops. Not much traffic on the road either, as one has to go fairly far out of the way to get there. Mostly what I saw were occasional agro trucks.
If your destination is east of Nevada, and you have the time, Nevada Hwy 6 crosses the state west to east, and is worth the drive. Wide open spaces out the wazoo; very little traffic. Better have a very reliable vehicle though, as there are stretches where it's over a hundred miles between gas stations. Cell phone coverage? Not.
Yes, Pahrump is a little bit of a detour, not worth the time really. I just detoured there because it was the home of Art Bell's "Coast To Coast" talk show, which I listened to during late night drives. Imminently missable, as is Las Vegas as well.
Happy travelling!
n4rky
12-27-2009, 11:02 AM
Yes, Pahrump is a little bit of a detour, not worth the time really. I just detoured there because it was the home of Art Bell's "Coast To Coast" talk show, which I listened to during late night drives. Imminently missable, as is Las Vegas as well.
I only ever went to Las Vegas for conventions and occasionally for my first job out of college the first time. It was always too gaudy for my taste. I don't think I've been through Pahrump, so I don't know what I'm not missing.
On my more recent trips, Vegas has become hard to miss because it just goes on and on and on. It was--at least until the housing bust--one of the fastest growing cities in the country and the sprawl of subdivisions seemed limitless. It might actually be interesting to take a drive through the subdivisions now to see how many boarded up homes there are. Not something I'm going out of my way for, though.
Though Reno has long had a weird vibe in a downtown that combines a skid row with barely hanging on casinos with (now) closed casinos, I actually like it a lot better. There is a vegetarian restaurant that is anxious to accommodate vegans at 1st and Ralston (if I recall correctly) and which is quite affordable. And the town is a whole lot closer.
Sabrina
12-28-2009, 10:12 AM
And, why don't you answer your own question? Just curious. The question was have you driven to Los Vegas, and what's the best way, etc.
Why would you drive all the way to LA to get to Vegas???
Imagery
12-28-2009, 10:30 PM
The fuel cost calculator (https://www.travelmath.com/fuel-cost/from/Santa+Rosa,+CA/to/Las+Vegas,+NV) states it will be $100.27 round trip, assuming you get 25 mpg with fuel purchased at $2.83 per gallon. You'll probably also have to pay for parking in Vegas if you drive.
That is probably less expensive than round trip airfare, adding the cost of on-the-ground transportation to and from airports (+parking) on both ends.
I'm guessing this travel calculator uses the current public school education level to calculate things. It's obviously wrong...
based on the 620 miles (each way):
Round Trip - 1240 miles
1240 miles/25 miles per gallon = 49.6 gallons of fuel
49.6 x $2.83 (cost of gas) = $140.36
Mind you, that doesn't count a single mile of driving while in Las Vegas.
IMHO, stay as far away from the Stratosphere as you can. I won't go too far into details, but suffice it to say my wedding night was a complete nightmare...
...then they spammed me for two years using my email address.
n4rky
12-28-2009, 10:52 PM
I'm guessing this travel calculator uses the current public school education level to calculate things. It's obviously wrong...
based on the 620 miles (each way):
Round Trip - 1240 miles
1240 miles/25 miles per gallon = 49.6 gallons of fuel
49.6 x $2.83 (cost of gas) = $140.36
Mind you, that doesn't count a single mile of driving while in Las Vegas.
IMHO, stay as far away from the Stratosphere as you can. I won't go too far into details, but suffice it to say my wedding night was a complete nightmare...
...then they spammed me for two years using my email address.
But fuel isn't the only cost of driving. I don't know if it still holds, but I used to just double my fuel cost and figure I would be spending the other part in maintenance and depreciation.
And for me, your point that this calculation "doesn't count a single mile of driving while in Las Vegas" blows this out of the water. Las Vegas is huge. One could, I suppose, park at a hotel on the strip, spend the night, catch a show, do absolutely nothing else, and head back in the morning. Which could be consistent with how the original question was phrased. I'm just having a really hard time imagining actually doing this. Especially when the drive is 11 hours each way (more actually if one stops for a meal on the way, each way).
Karl Frederick
12-30-2009, 01:24 AM
When I look at the costs of operating my 1999 Camry sedan with 150,000 miles on it, I find them much higher than many would assume, even though the car has been very reliable, my insurance is less costly than that of many folks', and the car gets average mpg (24 MPG around the local area and 30 mpg on the highway). Here's how it breaks down, in terms of cost per mile, assuming a current rate of 10,000 miles driven per year:
FIXED COSTS
Fixed depreciation $.0325*
Registration & Smog $.0127
Insurance $.1040
Total Fixed Cost per mile: $.1492
VARIABLE COSTS
Variable depreciation $.0375*
Tires $.0150 ($450 every 30,000 miles)
Gas $.1208 (assuming $2.90/gal.) 24 mpg
Oil $.0059 ($44 every 7,500 miles)
Other Maintenance $.0500 (wild guess $500/ year)
Total Variable Cost per mile: $.2292
Total Fixed + Variable Cost per mile: $.3784
* Fixed depreciation is that due to the car's value decreasing over time, even when it's parked. Variable depreciation is the additional loss of value due to miles driven during the year. I used kbb.com to compare car values for different years and mileages to approximate the depeciation figures.
The "total cost" doesn't include lots of other important variables related to personal and social costs, environmental costs, etc., but it does make some things clear. For example, the total cost per mile is a little over three times the gasoline cost.
How you use the information for budget planning, or perhaps for establishing a fair car pool cost sharing plan, is a personal choice. Your insurance agent, the DMV, and your mechanic don't care whether you pay out of short term or long term funds!
If anyone would like a copy of the not-very-refined Excel spreadsheet file I created to make the calculations, please respond privately; I'll be happy to email the .xls file.
But fuel isn't the only cost of driving. I don't know if it still holds, but I used to just double my fuel cost and figure I would be spending the other part in maintenance and depreciation.
And for me, your point that this calculation "doesn't count a single mile of driving while in Las Vegas" blows this out of the water. Las Vegas is huge. One could, I suppose, park at a hotel on the strip, spend the night, catch a show, do absolutely nothing else, and head back in the morning. Which could be consistent with how the original question was phrased. I'm just having a really hard time imagining actually doing this. Especially when the drive is 11 hours each way (more actually if one stops for a meal on the way, each way).