23 Oct Napa Valley on a Student Budget

If you’re over 21 and a fan of all types of wine then a quick day trip to Napa from the city would be highly recommended if the weather is good! However, for all its beauty and culture, the Wine Country is also noticeably rather expensive; this blog will give you a few tips on how to make your day trip a little cheaper!

Firstly, I would suggest hiring a big car to take you there and persuading lots of friends to come along for the ride, so the cost can be easily cut. We used a fairly cheap company, ‘US Rent A Car’, which also permits drivers under 25, so perfect for students. Remember to budget for additional transport costs such as petrol and bridge tolls. 

Secondly, the wine itself! We headed to a winery called ‘V. Sattui’, where we could taste five different wines of our choice for $20 per person – this is one of the best prices you can for a tasting in Napa. This particular winery also offered deals on buying their wines in bulk and had a large food deli area (with free samples!) as well as beautiful surroundings and food stalls. We also went to a winery called ‘Beringer’; their tastings were a little more pricey so, instead, we decided to buy by the glass and enjoy it in their pleasant gardens. Here, you could get yourself a delicious, large glass of their own wine for between $10-15. 

And, finally, the best ways to budget for food on this trip! Due to the mass income of tourists in the Wine Country, Napa’s restaurants and wineries can afford to rack the prices up on their food. If you’re on a tight budget, I would suggest loading up the car with snacks and maybe stopping for a drive through on the way home! Another tip would be to check out ‘Sonoma Valley’ – which is just a little bit out of Napa but has much cheaper wine tastings and places to eat!