Arriving (driving time)

[Andrei]

My goal is to arrive on playa on Monday at least few hours before dark to set up.
I have 2 options and want some feedback.

1). Stay over at Reno on Sunday night and drive to BM early morning. (stay in traffic and get in before dark)
2). Leave from SF on Sunday night, drive overnight and arrive on Monday early morning.

Right now I am thinking option #1.
What traffic wait time should I expect for each of the options?
Also, is there much traffic from SF to Reno on the highway?
Thank you

[FIGJAM]

Rest up for the final push to the gate.

Hitting the gate line after a long drive was torture for me.

Drove 16 hours, then 8 hours in the gate line.

[AntiM]

Dawn on Monday is a lovey time to arrive, cool, enough light to see by, and a much shorter line.

[Rice]

My goal is to arrive on playa on Monday at least few hours before dark to set up.
I have 2 options and want some feedback.

1). Stay over at Reno on Sunday night and drive to BM early morning. (stay in traffic and get in before dark)
2). Leave from SF on Sunday night, drive overnight and arrive on Monday early morning.

Right now I am thinking option #1.
What traffic wait time should I expect for each of the options?
Also, is there much traffic from SF to Reno on the highway?
Thank you

The traffic will be high at Gate opening and that night.

It is hard to predict the traffic any other time, since people arrive at random times.

Anticipate a 4-8 hour wait, if it is shorter - GOLD, otherwise - you are prepared...

[plantmandan]

Unless you are a seasoned camper and road tripper, option #1 is the best plan. A few things to consider:

Is this your first burn? If so, chances are it will take you hours longer to pack than you anticipate. You must also factor in stops along the way to get your final provisions. Combined with the wait at the gate, this all adds up to a long haul. In that case it's a much better option to pace yourself and stay in Reno Sunday night.

Are you driving alone or with others? If you can switch drivers, your plan to drive straight from SF is definitely more feasible. However, packing and stocking supplies can get complicated with more people and can delay your departure time and prolong your stops along the way.

On a Sunday, traffic to Reno from SF should not be a problem unless there is a wreck or wildfire or something like that. It's freeways the whole way. Once you leave I-80 in Wadsworth you will get stuck behind a slow vehicle, but traffic generally moves at a steady pace. Just kick back and get excited at that point.

[Andrei]

Thank you all,

ye, its my frist burn, I am going with my girlfriend.
I'll stick to option 1 at planned than

[nixiebunny]

Sleep is better than no sleep. Fewer fatal problems occur.

[trilobyte]

The drive from SF is normally around 6 hours, but you'll likely encounter some construction and depending on time of day you'll hit traffic in Sacramento and Reno. Anticipate an 8 hour wait at the gate. If you're lucky it may be as little as 4-5 hours, but plan for 8. Besides, with the reports of heavy dust storms there may be periods where the gates are closed (if the roads aren't safe to travel, they won't let people through).