United States

Napa Wine Train Map and Directions

If you’re visiting  Napa California, a “must do” is  the Napa Valley Wine Train. The tour leaves the station at 1275 McKinstry Street and follows highway 29 through some of the valley’s most scenic wine country  to the quaint town of St. Helena.

My wife and I took the Napa Valley Wine train tour in September of 2011 and found the food and service to be of excellent quality.  We had previously read about the tour on TripAdvisor and saw that it had mostly great reviews, though some folks who were not accustomed to older trains complained about the slightly jerky motion of the train at times. This is just is normal for older railways and we found it to be just a part of the charm of it all.  The tracks that the wine train travels along were originally laid in the 1860′s, when the train brought tourists to the hot springs spa at Calistoga.

The Napa Valley Wine train consists of nine cars. There are four lounge cars, two dining cars, the Vista Dome car, the Silverado car and the kitchen car. Our seating was in the Vista Dome car, which provides a panoramic view of the hills, sky and vineyards. As we left the station a full moon was rising, and could be seen above our table as it rose in the sky.  Built in 1952, the Vista Dome car was lavishly restored and is one of just a few remaining in use in the world today. The lounge and dining cars were built between 1915 – 1917. Keep in mind that this is an antique train. Watch your step as you move from car to car and be careful in narrow hallways and on the steep stairs up to the Vista Dome car. Wine tastings are held in the Zinfandel lounge car.

There are a number of side tours available on the Napa Valley Wine Train. You may choose the evening dining tour, which is simply a trip to St. Helena and back, or one which features winery tours as part of the train ride. For up to date info on tours available, check Winetrain.com for the current schedule.

A Worthwhile Part Of A Napa Vacation

While some may find the Napa Valley Wine train a bit on the “cheesy” side, it’s not every day that you can dine in an early 1900′s rail car as it travels through scenic vineyards. If you have even the slightest affection for trains, you’ll love riding on a piece of railroad history in one of the most beautiful parts of America.  We found the food to be excellent, though a bit pricey, but “food with a view” always is. At the time of our visit the Vista Dome dining package was around $129, which includes a three course meal and a glass of champagne. (Note that the chefs use only humanely raised, hormone free meats and fish, and locally sourced fruits and vegetables.) We found staff on the Wine Train to be professional and courteous and we did not experience any delays in service. In St. Helena the lights go off for just an instant as the train’s locomotive is disconnected and moved to the back. The train is hooked up to city power in the meantime, and this takes only a few seconds.

Photos Of Napa Valley Wine Train

Below are some photos of the wine train that we took in September of 2011.

Below, inside the Vista Dome dining car. Glass of complimentary Champagne, orchid on table.

It’s simply unbelievable how the chefs on the Napa Wine Train can cook all of the meals served in the close quarters of the kitchen car. You can view the train’s kitchen car as you walk from one end of the train to the other.

Directions And Map To Napa Valley Wine Train

The train departs from the McKinstry Street Station in the Oxbow district, about five minutes by foot from downtown Napa. The station is located at 1275 McKinstry Street, which is the address you can use for GPS navigation.  Below is a map of the Napa Valley Wine Train location.

The phone number for the Napa Valley Wine train is 1-800-427-4124.