Top 5 Airports near Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range between California and Nevada state and is famous for tourism due to its clear blue water and activities such as boating. Featuring beautiful sandy beaches, skiing resorts, one of the most beautiful hiking trails, golf playing fields, casinos, and many other attractions within its vicinity, it would be important to note that a record of over three million visitors throng this place annually.

It is important to note that reaching Lake Tahoe can only be done by air and then a road trip to the lake. Here are the top 5 airports closest to Lake Tahoe to consider for your next getaway: Here are the top 5 airports closest to Lake Tahoe to consider for your next getaway:

1. Reno-Tahoe International Airport

Distance from Lake Tahoe: If the person is walking, then the number of miles would be 39.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is the largest carrier of passengers who would wish to visit the Lake Tahoe region. Skiing is only 39 miles away in Reno, Nevada and has the most non-stop flights available from most major domestic airline hubs. Almost all these flights arrive from cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Denver. It also grants convenient to both the California and Nevada aspects of the Lake Tahoe.

As for transportation on the ground, the key car rental companies which are represented at RNO airport include Alamo, Avis, Hertz, Budget, Enterprise and others, so it will not be very difficult to rent a car in order to get to Lake Tahoe immediately after the arrival. The South Tahoe Airporter shuttle bus offers transport from Reno airport to and from your accommodation in Lake Tahoe. It is about 1 hour and 15 minutes drive from Standard Gauge start station via Mombasa Road.

2. Lake Tahoe Airport

Distance from Lake Tahoe: They are 4 miles apart.

Second, on the list comes the Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL), which is situated only 4 miles from the California’s shores of South Lake Tahoe and is therefore the closest airport to Lake Tahoe. Yet here are few flights available most of which are seasonal commercial airlines connecting a few west coastal destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Burbank and Seattle.

The advantage of flying into the Lake Tahoe Airport is the location since one is almost there and can immediately experience the region. Even the airport is very small and it will not take more than 10-15 minutes to pick up the luggage and get a car for rent from companies such as Avis or Enterprise that are available inside the airport. Most of the hotels, restaurants, lake beaches, and skiing resorts in the South Lake Tahoe area are easily accessible by car or shuttle in not more than 15 minutes’ drive from the TVL airport.

3. Truckee Tahoe Airport

Distance from Lake Tahoe: Then, after another 30 miles, the drivers had to pull in at the next stop.

Another more convenient option to access Lake Tahoe is through the Truckee Tahoe Airport (TRK), which is only 7 miles in proximity to North Lake Tahoe ski resorts and 30 miles to South Lake Tahoe. Stopped commercial aircraft flying into the airport for passengers but continues to host charter aircraft on a regular basis. A majority of travelers who plan to visit North Shore lodges, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar, and Sugar Bowl ski slopes consider it most convenient to arrive at Reno-Tahoe International first before using private transfer or driving their rented cars.

There is a domestic airline company known as Surf Air that offers a direct service from the Truckee Airport to a few cities on the west coast for its members and this may also be viable. The big plus of discussing the Truckee Airport instead of Reno is the closeness to North Lake Tahoe: it is, in fact, closer by about half an hour. However, it must be noted that getting to areas such as Northstar or Incline Village will only take about 25-30 minutes when road conditions on Highway 267 are good from this relatively quiet Tahoe airport.

4. Sacramento International Airport

Distance from Lake Tahoe: It covers 112 miles of the river.

Among the major airports within Northern California, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is also among those that provide the primary gateway for air travelers who intend to visit Lake Tahoe. Almost all the large airline carriers operating in the United States provide flights to and from Sacramento to major hub cities.

The distance from Sacramento Airport to Lake Tahoe is approximately 120 miles North of Sacramento on highways 70/80 and it takes almost 2 hours’ drive if you take the direct route passing through the midway point of San Francisco. It also means that depending on the location of the flight, sometimes the prices here in Sacramento can be cheaper than those offered by the Reno hub airport. The only thing that one should consider when going from one airport to another is that there will be extra time in transit.

5. San Francisco International Airport

Distance from Lake Tahoe: 193 the distance between the city of New York and North Adams is 193 miles.

Our last airport listed, ranking fifth, is the San Francisco International Airport, SFO, which is 193 miles from South Lake Tahoe in California and 267 miles from North Shore areas around Incline Village in Nevada. Being one of the biggest and most visited airports in the world, SFO provides numerous international flights as well as an incredible selection of domestic flights to get into the city from any point of the USA with a minimum of two flights per day. The fact that there are several large carriers that transit through this airport does contribute to the fact that prices are relatively affordable despite it being a tourist high season.

Getting to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco International does however take about 3 to 4 hrs self-drive crossing through the steep Sierra Nevada mountain passes with beautiful views. Motorists who rent a car from the airport have the freedom to drive up Highway 80 directly from the airport after they have rested and are ready to continue with the trip towards Lake Tahoe.

Regardless of which airport you decide is the best to use as your entryway into the marvelous Lake Tahoe area, once you get there and more importantly once you catch the first glimpse of that pristine blue water nestled perfectly between those towering snow-capped mountains, that could have been hours could feel like mere minutes lost in the sheer beauty and grandeur of it all. Have a wonderful trip!