For the first part of the trip, which will bring attendees to one of two recommended major cities near the workshop, attendees may leverage any of the major forms of travel: flights, trains, busses, or cars. For the second part of the trip, which is to South Lake Tahoe itself, attendees may leverage cars, shuttles, or the regional public transit system.
Note that attendees will be given the final destination once they have accepted and paid for the workshop. Travel directions enclosed below are for estimation and planning only.
Recommended Major Arrival Points
For the first portion of the trip, attendees may choose between one of the following cities for arrival:
- Reno, Nevada - Reno, also known as "The Biggest Little City in the World," offers attendees an international airport as well as stopping points for train and bus service. Additionally, Reno serves as a point of departure for the Tahoe-Area Regional Transit (TART) system.
- Sacramento, California - Sacramento offers an international airport and is also a stopping point for Amtrak and a variety of national bus carriers.
Between both of these cities, the retreat recommends that Reno, Nevada be leveraged for arrivals and departures.
Car
If you are accepted to the workshop and planning on renting a car or bringing your own, we would strongly recommend coordinating with your fellow attendees using the Candidate Mailing List. This will help minimize the number of vehicles required to travel from major transit points and also helps your and your fellow attendees share transportation costs.
Attendees whose trip will be entirely by car are responsible for planning out their trips using their preferred mapping solution. We suggest Google Maps.
If you are renting a car at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, you can leverage this Google Map to get approximate directions.
If you are renting a car at Sacramento International Airport, you can leverage this Google Map instead.
Bus
Greyhound Bus Lines provides services to the following locations within a few hours of the workshop:
- Reno, Nevada
- Carson City, Nevada
- Truckee, California
- Sacramento, California
Other bus services, such as Bolt Bus and Megabus may also provide services. For more information on bus service, consult the Greyhound, Bolt Bus, and Megabus websites.
Note that this will not take you directly to South Lake Tahoe, CA. You will need to further travel via another method such as public transit.
Air
The nearest major airports are:
For a full list of airlines, airline schedules, and other information, please consult the airport website and/or the commercial airline websites. Our recommended airlines are Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Delta Airlines.
Note that this will not take you directly to South Lake Tahoe, CA. You will need to further travel via another method such as public transit.
Train
There are a few Amtrak stations within two or three hours of the South Lake Tahoe, California and in South Lake Tahoe proper:
- Sacramento, California (SAC)*
- Reno, Nevada (RNO)*
- Truckee, California (TRU)*
- South Lake Tahoe, California (SLT)
For more information about the stations and train schedules, please visit the Amtrak website. For more complex or difficult to schedule itineraries, you may contact Amtrak directly via telephone. Note that some of the stations listed may not be full service or even train stations, but may be pickup and drop-off points only.
Note that this may not take you directly to South Lake Tahoe, CA depending on the selected drop-off point. You will need to further travel via another method such as public transit.
* Confirmed Amtrak station or Partner Station with some typical, expected station features.
Private Transit
There are a variety of private transit options available from any of the cities surrounding South Lake Tahoe, California. Be advised that many of the taxi and private car services may be expensive due to the amount of time and distance, or may not be available in all cities.
Some reference times for people driving from selected major transit reference points near the workshop:
- Sacramento, California (120 Minutes)
- Reno, Nevada (70 Minutes)
- Truckee, California (70 Minutes)
- Las Vegas, Nevada (7 Hours, 10 Minutes)
Should you require private car service, you must arrange through the service of your choice. If you want to use a semi-private car service, we would suggest utilizing Lyft, SuperShuttle, or another semi-private car service.
If you are traveling from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, you may leverage South Tahoe Airporter for travel to selected destinations near or in South Lake Tahoe. (Thanks to Ocean Tigrox for the contribution).
Note that you may need to further travel via another method such as public transit.
Public or Mass Transit
If you are interested in taking public transit to come to the workshop, there are several options available from the following locations:
- Reno-Tahoe International Airport (Bus: 395 Lone Pine-Reno, 21X) [2.5 Hours]
- Sacramento International Airport (Bus + Amtrak: 42A, Amtrak Connector) [4.5 Hours]
- Carson City, Nevada (Bus: 21X) [70 Minutes]
- Truckee, California (Bus: TART Hwy 89, Red, 19, INTC, 21X) [5 Hours]
Public transit is best for individuals who don't foresee needing a vehicle during the workshop. Please keep in mind that the workshop will not be providing a vehicle or attendee transportation to specific locations for safety reasons.
Note that this will take you to South Lake Tahoe, but additional local travel may be required.
