How to get from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe

San Francisco in Northern California is bursting with art, music and cutting-edge cuisine, as well as saloons and speakeasies over a century old. Nearly 16 million people visit here every year, and many of them often make the journey to Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It has 75 miles of shoreline. It’s also the second deepest lake in America and one of the clearest lakes in the world. It is a year-round destination with plenty of activities at whatever time you decide to visit. Lake Tahoe is popular with couples as it is one of the most romantic places in California. It also has one of the best beaches in California and is an incredibly popular ski resort.

There are four ways to make the journey between the two places. How you get there depends on how you like to travel, what you’re interested in seeing along the way, and how much time and money you have.

Getting from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe

Car

The most convenient way to get from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe is by car. There are plenty of places in San Francisco to hire a car in case you don’t have access to your own vehicle. Then, you can get out on the highway and start this scenic drive.

If you are heading to North Lake Tahoe, take Highway I-80 East. Tahoe City is 199 miles away), but how long it takes to get there varies widely depending on when you go. With minimal traffic, you should reach Truckee in about four hours.

If you are heading to South Lake Tahoe, take Highway I-80 East and then connect with US-50 East. Emerald Bay is 195 miles away, and the drive should take about four hours with minimal traffic.

Bus

If you are on a tight budget, you can take the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to Truckee. The bus ride is about six hours long.

You can take the Sourced Adventures shuttle to Boreal Mountain and Sugar Bowl during the ski season. You can also take the  Sports Basement ski bus from San Francisco. This goes to Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows every Saturday and Sunday, and another bus goes from San Francisco to Northstar every Saturday.

Once you’re in Truckee, you can use the Truckee Area Regional Transit free bus service to get around the main attractions of North Lake Tahoe.

Train

Take the train for one of the most relaxing ways to get between the two destinations. You can get on the BART from San Francisco to Richmond station. This leg takes about 35 minutes. Then you board the Amtrak “California Zephyr” train from Richmond to Truckee. This leg of the journey takes 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Once you’re in Truckee, you can use the Truckee Area Regional Transit free bus service to get around the main attractions of North Lake Tahoe.

Plane

The quickest way to travel to Lake Tahoe is by plane. However, flights only go to Reno, some 40 miles away from Lake Tahoe. This direct flight takes just over one hour.

From Reno, renting a car at the airport is the best option. The drive from Reno to Lake Tahoe takes about 45 minutes.

Melanie May

Melanie is an intrepid solo traveller, endlessly curious about people, places and food. She is a fan of slow travel and loves exploring the world by mouth, discovering a culture through its food. Having backpacked her way around the world she turned her wanderlust into a career and is now a full-time travel writer.

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