Behind every trip to wine country, there’s a designated driver. But that driver doesn’t have to be you, or your companions. The Napa Valley offers an abundance of quality transportation providers that will allow you to enjoy Napa and its wine. Here are our top picks:
A Chauffeur For Your Rental Car: My Napa Valley Driver
We had to list this one first because it’s such a great concept — why hire a car when you already have one? My Napa Valley Driver simply hops into your car and drives it around Napa for you. The $45 per hour driver rate is particularly economical if you’ve already rented a car, and don’t want to pay for a separate vehicle on top of that. Customers are particularly happy about My Napa Valley Driver’s staff, who are timely, attentive, and can even help build your itinerary.
Party Bus: Delta Limousine Services
When it comes to bachelorettes and birthday bashes, a party bus is the perfect way to get around Napa. But bus services have an added level of complexity. Two of the most common complaints: breakdowns and dirty buses. After all, nothing ruins a good day in wine country like being parked on the side of the road for hours, or boarding a bus that smells like yesterday’s beer. So, we placed extra scrutiny on these factors before making a recommendation. Our winner: Delta Limousine Service, which maintains a spotless five star rating on Yelp for impeccable service (and no breakdown complaints to speak of at the time of this article). Unlike companies specializing in tours and local knowledge, Delta focuses on a quality fleet of vehicles. It has buses supporting up to 35 passengers, where many other companies only have smaller 22-person buses.
Luxury Limo: Perata Luxury Tours
Perata Luxury Tours makes our cut as the top luxury car service in Napa. It’s quite a feat for a transportation provider to maintain impeccable Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews. Somehow, Perata manages to keep thousands of customers happy. The company has different levels of service, ranging from limo service to custom itinerary creation. Owner Nick Perata personally serves as your point of contact for itinerary planning. He has personal relationships with many small production wineries, and can provide exclusive access to them. For the quality of service, the rates are extremely reasonable — $90-100 per hour for an SUV or $140-150 per hour for a limousine van. To add to the experience, all of Perata’s drivers are Napa Valley locals. Perata books up quickly, so plan in advance if you want to hire them.
For the Solo Budget Traveler: Platypus Tours
If you’re looking to get a slice of Napa, but don’t want to purchase an entire limo just for yourself, Platypus Wine Tours is your best bet. Platypus offers a join-in group tour daily for just $110 per person. You’ll join a small group of passengers to visit four wineries, enjoy a picnic lunch at one of them, and nosh on a cheese platter while on the bus. The tour runs from about 10:30 AM to 5 PM, translating to about $17 per hour — a far better rate than any other dedicated car service.
For the Active Wine Drinker: Napa Valley Segway
OK, so we know a Segway isn’t a limo or a shuttle. But we couldn’t resist including Segways here because this is a beautiful way to experience wine country that you may not have considered. Napa Valley Segway combines food, sightseeing, and wine into one experience. Each tour includes only one winery, likely to avoid drunken Segway incidents. But at just $75 for a two hour experience, you’re left with plenty of time (and money) to hit up another winery before the day ends.
Still can’t make up your mind? You can always pull together a last minute itinerary using Uber or Lyft, both of which service the Napa Valley area. And if you’re looking for wine tasting recommendations, check out our top wineries in Napa.