Reno Transportation

Taken from a forum post regarding a day-trip to Tahoe without renting a car:
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I grew up on the north shore of Tahoe, Incline Village to be exact. If you don't have a car and you want to spend a couple hours up at the Lake, you really will not see much since you will spend most of your time in transit.

There was many years ago, a Hyatt shuttle that connected Reno Airport to the Hyatt in Incline, but now it is operated by North Lake Tahoe Express (For reservations and additional information, use web link: http://www.northlaketahoeexpress.com/)

If you don't want to rent a car, and the shuttle bus does not work for you, your only other real option is to take the Amtrak up to Truckee then take the TART buses from there. I've included lots of information on the TART buses on my various pages of Tahoe. Take a look at my Incline Village page for starters.

One excellent way to see the Reno & Lake Tahoe area is to take advantage of the many limousines available through the many companies in Reno or Lake Tahoe.

Most cars are fully equipped and have amenities including a full liquor bar.

One of the biggest advantages is that someone else drives while you take in the scenery without fear of driving off the road and you can request stops along your selected routes--all the while sipping your favorite libations without the risk of driving yourself.

Rates run about $75.00 U.S. per hour and drivers are usually tipped 15-20%.

You do not need to get taxis everywhere in the city. Unless its late at night, Reno does have a decent bus system to get you around Reno, Carson, and Douglas areas.

The "Pride" is a cheap bus that gets you to/from the airport, Reno, Carson, and Douglas County. http://www.rtcwashoe.com/transportation/pride/

The "Citifare" is a bus that services the Reno/Sparks area. http://www.rtcwashoe.com/transportation/citifare/

The "Sierra Spirit" is a free bus that services downtown Reno area, making stops all along Virginia St. http://www.rtcwashoe.com/about/organization/transportation/sierra_spirit/

Once you are up in the Tahoe Basin, there is also the economic TART bus too.

The Sierra Spirirt is a free bus that will take you around the center of Reno and makes a complete loop every 30 minutes. It is a great way to get around.It goes as far as the University to the north and the Museum of Art to the south.

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This wonderful airport is home to the Reno National Air Races. It is also home to a new Air Tanker Facility opened by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as well as 9,000 feet of new runway. In 1942 was built by the Army Air Corps. It was renamed in 1951 after Croston Stead who died while practicing in his P-51 Mustang. It continued to serve its community until 1963 when the base closed, but reopened in 1966 as Reno-Stead Airport.

Reno Tahoe Arpt Auth
P.O. Box 12490,
Reno, Nv 89510

Some tour companies operate bus tours from San Francisco. Often these are overnight packages complete with a hotel room. Food and casino credits are usually included. One such tour company is Lucky Tours.

In addition, many organizations charter buses for overnight group trips to Reno.

Flying to Reno is relatively convenient. The flight from San Francisco to Reno lasts only about a half hour. However, the door-to-door journey will take a couple of hours due to transportation to and from the airports as well as the airport security rigmarole. But flying eliminates the need for driving over the mountains or across the desert. Reno’s International Airport is served by several airlines.

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A more nostalgic transportation alternative is to take the train. Amtrak has regular service to Reno from Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco. (From San Francisco, Amtrak shuttles passengers to the Oakland Station by bus.) Amtrak’s Capital Corridor route runs between San Francisco and Reno, with stops at cities in between. Amtrak’s California Zepher runs between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area and serves Reno along the way. The Zepher also stops at select cities in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The train offers some spectacular scenery when crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains, especially in the winter.