Exodus - Estimate time need to get to San Francisco

[bebulf]

I am planing on taking the Burner Express at 6 am to make it to San Francisco then hurry my ass to the airport to catch a flight at 5:30 pm. Do you think I would make it? Long did it take you to exist the playa then make it SF last year?

[theCryptofishist]

The limiter is traffic on 447. (Limitor?)
If there's no snarl, it seems possible. (I'd double check against mapquest about time and add at least a couple of hours.) Have you asked Burner Express? they may be in a better position to know.

[Eric]

On a good off-season day it's about 6-8 hours from SF to the playa (depending on traffic around Sacramento, through the Sierra's, & through Reno). During Burning Man it's taken us as long as 12-15 hours. One difference with the Burner Express is that they don't have to wait in the Exodus line, but they still have to go down 447 with the same traffic as everyone else. You also have to get from where Burner Express drops you off in SF to the airport, plus check in & go through security, so you would need to be in SF by 3ish to be safe...

I would call Burner Express and see if they have an estimate based on travel times from last year - if it's 9 hours or less, you should be fine.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Are buses permitted to drive at the same highway speed as smaller vehicles along that corridor?

I know in some places larger vehicles have lower speed limits. Companies also often impose speed limits on their drivers.

[maladroit]

I wouldn't risk it...either move your bus departure to an earlier slot or move your flight to a later one. You will really, really, really want a chance to grab a shower, clean clothes, and a meal with fresh ingredients before you inflict yourself on other air passengers.

All time estimates are also based on a best case / average scenario, which might not happen. Take last year...you might have been stuck in Exodus for a few extra hours waiting for a rain shower to dry up.

[goathead]

One difference with the Burner Express is that they don't have to wait in the Exodus line.

WTF? For some reason this pisses me off then feathers and plug and play camps.

Talk about privileged assholes.

[Eric]

One difference with the Burner Express is that they don't have to wait in the Exodus line.

WTF? For some reason this pisses me off then feathers and plug and play camps.

Talk about privileged assholes.

The idea with Burner Express is to get less vehicles on the road - and by taking it you bypass both the entry line & Exodus, which should encourage people to use it more. I'm not sure why less overburdened cars filling your roads pisses you off, it would make me happy.

Also not really sure why you think they're "privileged assholes" - if you aren't core to building a camp, aren't part of a camp, or don't have a ton of shit to bring, it's a great alternative. I have a friend who's a 20 year veteran who used it to get home last year, he was expecting hippie-hell, but said it actually was a fun ride - basically the Burn continued back to SF.

[bebulf]

I found some Information after digging the QA of their website. they said "the ride from Reno to Gerlach will take between 2-3 hours and from San Francisco it’ll be 6-7 hours to Gerlach. From Gerlach, it’s another 8 miles into Black Rock City, and since you’ll be expedited through Will Call, the Gate and Greeters, it’s probably another 1-2 hours all together".
I have 11.5 hrs but will take at least 1 hr from the civic center to the airport. This might be pushing it but hopefully!

I really need to be back before Tuesday as I am a graduate student/instructor at my university and this will be the first day of class for me and my students.

It s not that people who re taking the bus are privileged ass hole. Besides reducing environmental impacts and traffics, the bus is also a way to help people get to airports or home safe and sounds. After a week on the playa, drinking and taking substances ( for some people ), Hitting the road at midnight or before dawn might not be a good ideal aw

[FIGJAM]

There's still the chance of an accident on 447 throwing your schedule down the toilet!!!

[pink]

Yes, if I were you, I'd leave a day earlier.

[Dr. Pyro]

The reality of the situation is this: Everything takes longer and costs more than you think. Murphy's Law is a law for a reason; it's not Murphy's Suggestion. You will miss your flight guaranteed. How you can even believe for a moment that everything will go your way when that isn't the world we live in (especially those of us coming from Black Rock City) is naive beyond belief.

[goathead]

One difference with the Burner Express is that they don't have to wait in the Exodus line.

WTF? For some reason this pisses me off then feathers and plug and play camps.

Talk about privileged assholes.

The idea with Burner Express is to get less vehicles on the road - and by taking it you bypass both the entry line & Exodus, which should encourage people to use it more. I'm not sure why less overburdened cars filling your roads pisses you off, it would make me happy.

Also not really sure why you think they're "privileged assholes" - if you aren't core to building a camp, aren't part of a camp, or don't have a ton of shit to bring, it's a great alternative. I have a friend who's a 20 year veteran who used it to get home last year, he was expecting hippie-hell, but said it actually was a fun ride - basically the Burn continued back to SF.

As a local, core part of a theme camp, who makes multiple trips in and out. As someone who has at times had to leave the playa because I had to go to work, "younger more foolish days". Who has refused to leave before Tuesday just for this reason for years now. But had to pull shit out last year on Sunday because it was the only day we could use that vehicle and spent more time in the fucking exodus line then it looks like this entire trip out and to SF would be. Most LOCALS have quit going just because it is such a FUCKING hassle to get in and out. Yet if you take the BM express you get to skip this wonderful part of the event? Do you get to sip Krug with the hat at first camp also?

[maladroit]

In my opinion, the people riding Burner Express are doing me a favor by keeping more cars off the road. And the necessity of cramming your camp into a limited baggage allowance implies anything but luxury to me. I drag a trailer with a hexayurt, swamp cooler, two burner stove, solar panel, generator, queen sized bed, shelving, folding table, plywood furniture, bikes, spare tent, fresh food in a cooler, etc. That's luxury...pretty much none of that is happening on the Burner Express.

[mrchiff]

I am planing on taking the Burner Express at 6 am to make it to San Francisco then hurry my ass to the airport to catch a flight at 5:30 pm. Do you think I would make it? Long did it take you to exist the playa then make it SF last year?

Nope, I don't think you will make it. I know a person that took it last year and it took 12 hours to get from BRC to their house in the east bay. They got lucky and missed the major accident and ensuing delays that day in Reno.
Assuming you are leaving Monday you also have to consider it is Labor Day. The traffic over the pass and then from Sacramento to Berkeley, AND then the traffic through Berkeley, and then over to SF all adds up. Then you need to get to the airport and check baggage within the appropriate window? No way. It won't happen. Any thoughts otherwise is pure denial.