First-Time Lake Tahoe Visitor Questions (Reno: to rent, hotels, wedding)

[QuietBlue]

My girlfriend and I may be going to Lake Tahoe to attend a wedding in mid-June. Neither of us has been there before, so I'm researching our options for transportation, lodging, etc. If this has been covered in previous threads, feel free to link to those here, but I figured I'd ask a few questions as well.

The ceremony will be somewhere in Tahoe City (I don't recall the exact location), and we'd probably fly in to Reno since we're coming from the Midwest. I looked at flying into Sacramento, but it doesn't seem like we'd save any money that way. So, will we need to rent a car to get from Reno to Tahoe City? I'm assuming yes, but wasn't sure if there were any other transportation options available. Also, would it be better to stay in Tahoe City, or in Reno itself (or elsewhere if there's someplace I've overlooked)? It looks like Reno has more options, and we don't want to spend a lot of money, but since it also looks to be around a hour's drive between them, that would make for a lot of driving on the day of the ceremony itself, and I'd wonder if driving back at night would be an issue.

Anyway, thanks for any tips or suggestions you might have!

[MrWillys]

Cheap at that time of year is difficult near the lake. Truckee would be the city close to Tahoe city you might try. Rooms in Reno will be way cheaper, but it's a 1 1/2 hr drive to 2 hrs. You might try those cheap internet deals for Truckee to save drive time.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by MrWillys

Cheap at that time of year is difficult near the lake. Truckee would be the city close to Tahoe city you might try. Rooms in Reno will be way cheaper, but it's a 1 1/2 hr drive to 2 hrs. You might try those cheap internet deals for Truckee to save drive time.

Or you can stay at South Lake Tahoe on the CA side which has lots of motels - everything from Motel 6 and up. About 30 miles from Tahoe City and the road goes around the lake and is fairly flat.

Or you could try the casinos on the south shore of Lake Tahoe on the NV side. This will cost more, but what the heck! Go see a show and gamble a little.

Harveys Lake Tahoe
www.montbleuresort.com
Horizon Casino Resort - Lake Tahoe - Home
Harrah's Lake Tahoe

[DanC33]

You might try looking at Hotels.com they get rooms for almost half what other's advertise.

[QuietBlue]

Thanks for everyone's responses. Being by the lake isn't important, so Truckee looks like a decent option and a good compromise as far as location. I'd prefer to avoid the south end of Lake Tahoe due to the distance both from the airport and from Tahoe City, but I'll keep it in mind if needed.

[Sunshinem]

Yes you need transportation from the airport.
There is a bus that can take you, however I'm not sure how long it takes, the airport should have this info.
If the wedding is later in the day, stay in reno for the night. Everything is cheaper than in Tahoe! Plus if you stay downtown there is a free bus and you can enjoy the city

[wolfdog]

You should also check Tripadvisor for Lake Tahoe information. They have a forum, as well.

[QuietBlue]

Well, we ended up staying in Tahoe City after all, since there was a block of rooms resevered at the ABVI there and we got a good rate (though even the rack rate wouldn't have been too bad). I've stayed in ABVIs before when I've needed cheap accomodation and they've been so-so, but this one was much better than any other I've stayed at; I'd happily stay there again. Being across the street from the lake didn't hurt either.

We did end up renting a car, and I'm glad we did, since it made getting around much easier. Plus we took the opportunity to drive around the entire lake one afternoon. It was a bit nerve-wracking at times, especially around Emerald Bay and just east of there, but the views were amazing.

We're already planning to go back in a few years, as we really enjoyed our time there!