Frequently Asked Questions
Make A Reservation | Call: +1.800.427.4124
- What can I expect once I arrive at the Station?
- What services are provided at the Train Station?
- Can you accommodate travelers with mobility restrictions?
- Does the Napa Valley Wine Train stop at wineries?
- Is Wine included?
- Can we get off the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- What is the 12% Service Charge?
- Is a tip included in the 12% Service Charge?
- Do you have to drink wine on the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- Are there bathrooms on the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- What is the Cancellation, No-Show and Resale Policy?
- What Payment Methods do you honor?
- How long does each trip last?
- How many railcars are there?
- Is smoking allowed?
- What do we wear?
- Who owns the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- Do you allow children aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- Do you have children's rates?
- What is the difference between the Gourmet and the Vista Dome rail cars?
- What age are the railcars?
- Are the meals made by the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- How many people can the Napa Valley Wine Train accommodate?
- How long has the Napa Valley Wine Train been operating?
- Can we bring on our own wine?
- What is the daily train schedule
- Restrictions Terms and Conditions?
- What is does "Seated with others" or "Fill-in Seating" Mean?
- Is there an extra charge for the Wine Tasting Car?
- Do you really have a Kitchen Car and can we see it?
- When is the best time to experience the train?
- Are there any limits to the number of people you can accommodate?
- Why should I choose the Wine Train over the local competition for our event?
- How do we prefer to conduct our business?
- How can I become a partner with the Napa Valley Wine Train?
- Restrictions for Promotional Fares
What can I expect once I arrive at the Station?
Your journey will begin in the Napa Valley Wine Train station. After checking in at the reception desk, feel free to explore the station. Visit our Wine Store and discuss some of our rare, boutique wines with our knowledgeable Director of Wines, Ryan Graham. See the story of our founding in the photographs on the wall or just sit and relax with wine, coffee, or friends. Thirty minutes before boarding the lunch train, glasses will be passed out and one of our wine specialists will give an introductory lecture on wine tasting and the Napa Valley's special climate and geography. The arrival of the Napa Valley Wine Train will be announced one half hour before the scheduled departure. Please wait for your seating section to be called. It takes quite a while to board an antique train, so don't feel the need to rush. We won't leave without you.
What services are provided at the Train Station?
The Wine Train's McKinstry Street Depot offers a variety of services for passengers.
Wine Emporium - over 250 'rare' and 'hard-to-find' wines and souvenirs
Unique Gift Express - features 'wine-related' gifts for entertaining with flair
Baubles and Beads 'N Things - exquisite and affordable jewelry and personal gifts
Art Gallery - featuring several regional painters and sculptures
Artist's Corner Cafe - snacks and beverages for passengers awaiting boarding
Souvenir Photography by Sharpshooter Spectrum Photographic Images
Ample Free Parking for Automobile, Motor coaches or RV's
Amtrak Bus Connection Depot
Visitor Information Brochures
Restrooms
Can you accommodate travelers with mobility restrictions?
Due to the historic age of the Napa Valley Wine Train and the preservation of the style of the era, accessibility is limited and only available in some cars. It is imperative for everyone's comfort that any special needs are discussed at the point of inquiry or reservation. Call (800) 427-4124 during business hours for further details.
Does the Napa Valley Wine Train stop at wineries?
Currently the Napa Valley Wine Train offers three winery tours in conjunction with the luncheon excursion. Passengers can choose the Grgich Hills Winery Tour and Lunch package, the Domaine Chandon Winery Tour and Lunch package, or the Raymond, ZD Winery Tour and Lunch Package. Grgich Hills Package is available Sunday through Friday year round (except during the holidays and January). Domaine Chandon Package is available Friday through Sunday, and the Raymond, ZD Tour is Monday through Thursday (except during the holidays and January).
Is Wine included?
Wines are included during the Friday’s Vintner's Lunch, the monthly Appellation Dinners, the monthly Moonlight Escape Dinners and for all guests during the informal Wine Seminar prior to boarding the Lunch train.
Cocktails, beers and wine can be purchased onboard throughout your journey. Over 100 wines are on the wine list and in the Wine Tasting Car.
Can we get off the Napa Valley Wine Train?
Currently passengers can only disembark as a part of the Domaine Chandon, Grgich Hills, and Raymond, ZD Lunch and Winery Tour Packages. The Napa Valley Wine Train’s business plans, since beginning operations in 1989, have always been to offer train service between the towns and wineries of Napa Valley with the long range hope of offering service to south Napa County and beyond to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal for connections to San Francisco for commuters and visitors.
What is the 12% Service Charge?
12% Service Charge is added to all food and beverages in order to provide higher wages to our staff, medical coverage and other benefits not often common in restaurants.
Is a tip included in the 12% Service Charge?
Gratuities or ‘tips’ are not a part of the 12% service charge and optional tipping is solely based upon the guests’ experience onboard. It is not unusual for guest to leave 3%-8% additional based upon receiving excellent service.
Do you have to drink wine on the Napa Valley Wine Train?
Many guests enjoy coming to the Napa Valley Wine Train and being served wine with their meal ... still many others do not. We also offer juice, soda, non-alcoholic wines, beers, cocktails and brandies.
Are there bathrooms on the Napa Valley Wine Train?
All three of the restaurants; The Gourmet Express, Champagne Vista Dome and Silverado Grill are equipped with beautiful restrooms.
What is the Cancellation, No-Show and Resale Policy?
All reservations must be pre-paid with credit card or gift certificate numbers.
24-hour advance cancellation notice is required to avoid forfeiture of payment.
5-day cancellation notice may apply for some special events and holidays.
"No show" guests who do not call will not be entitled to a refund, so please remember to call if you are delayed.
Reserved Seats are released for resale 10 minutes prior to departure.
What Payment Methods do you honor?
Acceptable forms of payment for your online reservations are as follows: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa, Diner's Club, Carte Blanche, Discover, Novus, and JCB.
Gift Certificate numbers must be provided at point of reservation as payment method and must be presented upon check-in to secure boarding passes
How long does each trip last?
Lunch and Dinner trains typically take three hours. Some Special Event trains may vary and generally run for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
How many railcars are there?
The Napa Valley Wine Train consists of nine rail cars and a double-sided Alco Diesel Engine:
Lounge Cars (3)
Lounge Car with Wine Tasting Bar (1)
Gourmet Express Dining Cars (2)
Silverado Car (1)
Vista Dome Car (1)
Chef de Cuisine Kitchen Car with Glass Observation Corridor (1)
Is smoking allowed?
No smoking is permitted in the Station, onboard the Train or on the outside observation deck of the train.
What do we wear?
Attire is generally casual, depending on time of year or which special event passengers are participating. Dinner can be more dressy with some guests prefering ‘cocktail party’ attire. Jackets are suggested on cool nights, but not required.
Who owns the Napa Valley Wine Train?
The Napa Valley Wine Train is family owned and operated.
Do you allow children aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train?
Children are always welcome and some programs have special rates and menus. Caution is recommended to parents of toddlers who might have a difficult time ‘relaxing’ for three hours. Due to the general movement of the train or the rare potential for a sudden stop, children cannot walk about the cars unattended. Diaper changing is not permitted in the railcars due to food service and the bathrooms are somewhat small. McKinstry Street Station has a ‘diaper changing station’ in the Restroom. Due to safety issues, strollers and carriers are not permitted onboard, booster seats are available. Please check with your Napa Valley Wine Train Reservationists for special handling for infants.
Do you have children's rates?
Please call a reservations agent if your party includes children age 12 or under in order to secure the children's rate.
What is the difference between the Gourmet and the Vista Dome rail cars?
These two restaurants both offer freshly ‘prepared to order’ gourmet meals but have a slightly different menu style. The Vista Dome has more choices within each course. Additionally, the Gourmet Express is decorated in the style of the era of the 1915-1917 Pullman Cars that are used for this restaurant and made to replicate that era of the world famous “Orient Express”. The Vista Dome car has a much newer style of fabrics and layout to match the 1950 era during which it was originally built and operated.
What age are the railcars?
The Alco-diesel engines are 1950, the Silverado Grill and Gourmet Express cars are 1915-1917, and the Vista Dome is 1952.
Are the meals made by the Napa Valley Wine Train?
The Silverado, Gourmet and Vista Dome each have their own kitchen and specific menu. Award-winning Executive Chef, Kelly Macdonald, and his culinary staff do not cook each meal until it is ordered. Some of the side dishes and desserts are prepared in the Napa Valley Wine Train’s Culinary Arts Center and ‘finish’ cooked or baked onboard during the three hour excursions. Even the sorbets are made by us!
How many people can the Napa Valley Wine Train accommodate?
The Silverado capacity is 50, the Vista Dome is 56 and the Gourmet is 264.
How long has the Napa Valley Wine Train been operating?
The Napa Valley Wine Train began gourmet-dining excursions September 16, 1989, however the Napa Valley Railroad was built and operated by Samuel Brannan in 1864 as a tourist railroad to take visiting San Franciscans as they arrived by ferry in south Napa to his resort town 'Calistoga'
Can we bring on our own wine?
Although we have a wine shop with almost 300 kinds of wine and onboard have approximately 100 kinds of wine, we do recognize that many people have special wines that they want to have for a ‘special occasion’. The Napa Valley Wine Train charges a Corkage fee of $15.00 per 750ml bottle.
What is the daily train schedule
Lunch Train Schedule
Daily
10:30am Check In
10:45am Depot Wine Tasting
(Open to all Lunch Guests 21 or older)
11:00 am Boarding
11:30 am Depart Napa for St. Helena
2:30 pm Return Napa
Dinner Train Schedule
Daily
5:30 pm Check In
6:00 pm Boarding
6:30 pm Depart Napa for St. Helena
9:30 pm Return Napa
What are the Restrictions Terms and Conditions?
The Napa Valley Wine Train promotes the responsible consumption of alcohol. No one under 21 will be allowed to consume alcohol. Our servers are trained to assist the customer and may refuse to continue to serve alcohol at their discression. The Napa Valley Wine Train always reserves the right to withhold service to anyone at anytime. All prices and schedules are subject to change without notification.
ANY RESERVED SEATS NOT CHECKED IN 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE MAY BE RELEASED FOR RESALE
What does "Seated with others" or "Fill-in Seating" mean?
Seating is limited in many of our special events due to their popularity. Thus, in keeping with railroad tradition, parties of two might be combined to sit together at a table of four. When seated with another couple, you and your guest will be seated on the same side of the table. Parties of four will always be seated at the same table. We seat parties together for special events such as Murder Mystery, Vintners Lunch, Appellation Dinner, Varietal Voyages and Winery Tours.
Is there an extra charge for the Wine Tasting Car?
Wine lovers may wish to visit our wine tasting car, have our wine expert pour a sample of Napa's more famous wines, or let them help you discover new favorites. $10 buys four selections, but no purchase is necessary for the advice and stories that our wine expert can provide.
Do you really have a Kitchen Car and can we see it?
At the Napa Valley Wine Train, we pride ourselves on the quality of our food. Our executive chef, Kelly Mcdonald, buys only fresh, local produce, line caught fish, and humanely raised meats. All of our entrees are prepared onboard, and guests are more than welcome to observe our kitchen car in action.
When is the best time to experience the train?
The expansive range of services that we are capable of offering our guests allows us to operate nearly every day of the year. Our exhaustive list of weekly train excursions, private receptions or even extravagant ballroom affairs ensures an option that is best suited for your operation.
Are there any limits to the number of people you can accommodate?
Our dedicated customer management teams are able to find the perfect combination of services to assist our guests in matching experience options from individuals through corporations with more than three hundred.
Why should I choose the Wine Train over the local competition for our event?
With our ability to provide customizable options for any sized group or function, you receive the highest Return on Investment with minimal financial inconvenience to your operations.
How do we prefer to conduct our business?
Our way of conducting business is different. We prefer to offer our guests a personal and professional service experience with “face-to-face” and “hand-in-hand” connections whenever possible. We build our business on relationships and long standing trust.
How can I become a partner with the Napa Valley Wine Train?
“Wine Train Partners” is an extension of the Napa Valley Wine Train designed to promote local businesses of the Valley and increase awareness in community, regional and international issues. Our company takes pride in the continued charitable contributions made to many different organizations and events. By bringing businesses together, we are able to have a stronger force to share all that the valley has to offer.
Restrictions for Promotional Fares
$25 OFF TRAIN FARE FOR LOCALS
The Napa Valley Wine Train is offering the current "50TF" ($25 OFF Train Fare) promotion to encourage Napa County residents that have heard of the Napa Valley Wine Train but have yet to experience it. The promotion is valid on a seat available basis only for travel from November 10th through December 31th. Tickets must be booked directly with the Napa Valley Wine Train by calling 707.253.2111. The 50TF promotion is for the following dining experiences:
- Gourmet Express Car: Lunch | Dinner
- Silverado Grill: For Lunch | For Dinner
Note: this offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions and is not valid for any special events or winery tours. This and all offers are subject to change without notice. No group rates and no commissions paid on this offer.