I want to get to Tulare for the expo. feb 13-15th. This is on my RTW trip, SYD,LAX.BOS.LHR.AMS.SYD. Does anyone know if I can drive (h/c), train or fly. I would like to fly but h/c or train might be more flexible.
Advice appreciated.

Have Fun, Ray

The closest you could fly would be Fresno (FAT.) You would need to rent a car there to drive the final 45 very easy miles to the event venue, which is just off highway 99, the main route from Fresno. You could also just drive from LAX - about 180 miles, but that is not quite as easy as it includes some downtown LA and Southern California freeway driving. Those would be my preferred options. The train (AMTRAK) does not leave from LAX, so you would need to get to a station in central LA or take the shuttle bus to the Van Nuys Flyaway and walk/cab to the nearby Amtrak station. The closest full service rail stations to Tulare would be 25 miles away at Hanford and rental cars would be rather difficult to arrange there, or Fresno. Much simpler to just fly into FAT (or LAX) and rent a car.

Are you planning to stay a night or two in the area of the Expo? If so, be aware that hotels in the area fill up during that time so it is a good idea to book ahead. There is not a whole lot to choose from in Tulare, but hotel options are fair in nearby Visalia or even Fresno, near the airport.

JR

While driving from FAT would be the easiest, I have found that OAK-SJC-SFO often have much better fares for ~2.5 hr drive (often 50% less). The drive from any of these airports is much more scenic than a trek from LAX.

Hotels are hard to come by in this area. The airport (FAT) has a brand-new Courtyard, with an adjacent Starbucks. Not sure about options in Tulare or Visalia.

However you arrive you will certainly enjoy the Expo! Have a wonderful time in the California's San Joaquin Valley

2.5 hours from SFO to Tulare?? Remind me not to ride with you.

I think 3.5+ hours is a much more realistic estimate, particularly with the extensive on-going road work on 99. It could be 4+. Agree about the scenery, although again, it is winter and scenery isn't great anywhere.

There are many hotel options in all classes in Fresno. Most of the hotels closer to the venue are probably already booked up by repeat farm show attendees. A quick check on Expedia shows nothing available in Visalia, Tulare or Hanford for those dates. I think the OP will have to drive in from at least as far as Fres-berg.

JR

Actually the closest commercial flights to the Ag Show are at VIS, only about 10 or 15 minutes north of the expo grounds.

Flights are on USAir Express from Las Vegas so that would require a connecting flight to do it out of LAX.

But I would expect that they are sold out, I haven't looked yet.

The drive from either LAX or the Bay Area would be about the same to Tulare, I've done it both ways many times.

And because this trip is proposed for February, keep in mind that the Grapevine (the mountain pass that separates Southern California from the San Joaquin Valley) is at elevation 4100 feet and is often affected by snow/weather conditions. Plus, the term "tule fog" and the town name Tulare are related

IIRC, one could do the follwoing:

1. Nonstop bus from LAX to LA Union Station
2a. Nonstop Amtrak bus from LA Union Station to Bakersfield Amtrak station
2b. Connect to the waiting Amtrak train north to the destination (the Amtrak bus and train are on a single ticket).

Except AMTRAK trains do not stop at Tulare or Visalia. To use the train, he would have to get off at Hanford and switch to the bus or go on to Fresno and rent a car. There really is no point in going to Tulare without a car as there are no hotel rooms to be had and no public transportation options out to the farm show location.

The VIS flight option is pretty shakey. I just don't like cramming into one of those little 1900s. When UAX served VIS with EMBs, it was a definite option, but those days are gone.

Another option is to fly or train (motor coach) to Bakersfield, stay there and rent a car. It is only a bit further from Bakersfield-Tulare than Fresno-Tulare.

JR

I'd second the notion of flying to some California destination and renting a car to get to Visalia

Major Airports:
LAX (200 miles)
SFO (240 miles)
While getting to tickets to either airport or car-rentals there will be easy, the trip involves long travel through dense urban areas, complex freeway travel, and at least 3.5 hours of driving....with no traffic.

Regional airports:
Fresno FYI (55 miles)
Bakersfield BFL (80 miles)
Both have at least a dozen regional connections via LAX, SFO, Las Vegas, & Phoenix; and a scattering of flights to Salt Lake City, Houston, Denver, etc. While they both have multiple rental agencies, I'd reserve a car well in advance...as they are not apt to have a *lot* of last-minute cars. The drive will be easy and straightforward and less than an hour and a half throught the Central Valley on Highway 99...which will give you a view of CA agriculture (if it isn't fogged in by Tule fog).

Local Airports:

Tulare only has a general aviation field, so unless you plan to charter a small plane in Los Angeles and pray for a local car rental, forget it.

Visalia Municipal Airport, is a little bigger, it's mostly a general aviation field, but does have 3 flights a day to/from Las Vegas via America West Express in a Beechcraft 1900. (tiny prop plane) Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the only game in town for car rentals, and it's a small outlet.

Personally, I'd look for a flight from LAX to FYI or BFL on an alliance partner to your RTW fare...

Thanks to all above, I was about to book UAX to FAT along with a hotel when I had to change plans. The week of Ag Expo I will now be on SQ to SIN, LHR. AMS and back to SYD.
Thanks again.

Ray^