California - Help for Sacramento Travel

I will be arriving on December 21st (at midnight) from Athens (Greece) in Sacramento CA. I am planning to visit the Railroad Museum in the area before catching the next day flight to LAX. Can you please provide some information like:

a) What a taxi would cost at midnight from SMF to the city centre?
b) How far away from the city centre is the museum? (I think it's in an area called "Old Sacramento") And what should I expect to pay for this transfer?
c) Are there also buses that will serve SMF-city centre at midnight and city centre-Museum later on in the day?

Thanks a lot!

I will be arriving on December 21st (at midnight) from Athens (Greece) in Sacramento CA. I am planning to visit the Railroad Museum in the area before catching the next day flight to LAX. Can you please provide some information like:

a) What a taxi would cost at midnight from SMF to the city centre?
b) How far away from the city centre is the museum? (I think it's in an area called "Old Sacramento") And what should I expect to pay for this transfer?
c) Are there also buses that will serve SMF-city centre at midnight and city centre-Museum later on in the day?


a) I believe Taxi prices are fixed by law, no matter the hour, at $2.80 for the first mile and $2.20 for each additional mile. Depending on what you mean by "city center," it's probably between 11-16 miles, so expect $25-35 + tip. You might check if your hotel has a 24 hour courtesy van (some do), or if previously scheduled pick-up or on-call vans might be a less expensive option. The airport website has information on all these transportation options.

http://www.sacairports.org/int/parking/ground_transporation.html#f

b) The California Rail Museum (http://www.csrmf.org/default.asp) is on the Western edge of the City center, nestled up against the river. And as railroad museums go, it's stunning....and easily among the top 5 in the world. Depending upon your interests, it's a good 2-6 hour visit. Maybe a full day for a true railroad fanatic.

c) While Sacramento and Yolo County do have bus service (even out to the airport), it really is only a daytime option...by midnight, it's long since stoped running. See Sacramento Regional Transit (http://www.sacrt.com/schedulesfares.stm) or Yolo County Transportation (http://www.yolobus.com/) for more information.

Pity you aren't visiting on a weekend or during summer with a little more time, as there are some great local rail museums and operating historical railroads within driving distance from Sacramento... But they wouldn't be operating midweek in December.

a) I believe Taxi prices are fixed by law, no matter the hour, at $2.80 for the first mile and $2.20 for each additional mile. Depending on what you mean by "city center," it's probably between 11-16 miles, so expect $25-35 + tip. You might check if your hotel has a 24 hour courtesy van (some do), or if previously scheduled pick-up or on-call vans might be a less expensive option. The airport website has information on all these transportation options.

http://www.sacairports.org/int/parking/ground_transporation.html#f

b) The California Rail Museum (http://www.csrmf.org/default.asp) is on the Western edge of the City center, nestled up against the river. And as railroad museums go, it's stunning....and easily among the top 5 in the world. Depending upon your interests, it's a good 2-6 hour visit. Maybe a full day for a true railroad fanatic.

c) While Sacramento and Yolo County do have bus service (even out to the airport), it really is only a daytime option...by midnight, it's long since stoped running. See Sacramento Regional Transit (http://www.sacrt.com/schedulesfares.stm) or Yolo County Transportation (http://www.yolobus.com/) for more information.

Pity you aren't visiting on a weekend or during summer with a little more time, as there are some great local rail museums and operating historical railroads within driving distance from Sacramento... But they wouldn't be operating midweek in December.

Thank you very very much! I now need to start looking for a hotel with a 24h courtesy transfer service!

Thank you very very much! I now need to start looking for a hotel with a 24h courtesy transfer service!

The aiport is about 10 miles out of town so if you find a hotel out by the airport, you will still need to get to the rail museum. The Embassy Suites is right acrross the street from the museum on the river http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=S34VKGT0AJ1TQCSGBIV222QKIYF C5UUC?ctyhocn=SACESES

This link suggests that the ES has a shuttle although I see no mention of a shuttle on ES webpage. http://www.sacairports.org/int/parking/ground_transporation.html#f

Might be worth a call. but, let me get this straight, you are flying from Greece all the way to Sacramento and think you will be ready to sightsee before your LA trip, well i suppose since your internal clock will be all messed up, it might work, but it sounds tiring to me. fwiw, the Sacramento Railway museum had the friendliest guides I have ever seen in my life. very accomodating and easy to talk to.

The ES is also a nice place. Had the biggest omelet ever for breakfast here and the River Otter Ale at happy hour was pretty good too.

...This link suggests that the ES has a shuttle although I see no mention of a shuttle on ES webpage. ...

When we stayed there a few years ago, we found out that they did have a shuttle but that it had to be reserved in advance (i.e., you had to call and make what amounted to a reservation to be picked up at the airport at a certain time). Don't know if that has changed since.

One day's car rental on Priceline will be less money and hassle than taxis or hotel shuttles. The airport is very remote from the city so don't expect any free shuttles. Sacramento is slightly better than Los Angeles for public transit, but not much -- dude, you really need a car. Find out in advance where your hotel will be in relation to the places you want to visit as many hotels are in remote locations. Typically a 4* hotel on Priceline in downtown Sacramento is $60-80.

...The airport is very remote from the city so don't expect any free shuttles...

On the airport's webpage there is a listing of shuttles:
http://www.sacairports.org/int/parking/ground_transporation.html#f

Since you're getting in late, I would suggest staying the night at the airport hotel. (I think it's a HOST) There won't be a hotel with a shuttle, day or night. There would be a surcharge for a late night cab, too. Cab fare downtown would be about $25 daytime, you may want to just rent a car at the airport. You'll like our RR museum.

Please DO NOT stay at the airport hotel. It is a run down, dirty embarrassement.

Stay at the ES and spend a few dollars more for a cab. You will get a clean room with a nice breakfast in the morning.

You'll appreciate you proximity to the museum in the morning as well.