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The [wiki=b74f4df265c7db52cc242d5b69c7a366]California Zephyr[/wiki] [url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321209&ssid=137],]which runs between [[Emeryville[/url]] and [wiki=9cfa1e69f507d007a516eb3e9f5074e2]Chicago[/wiki], stops once a day in both directions in Reno. The station is full service, including an indoor waiting room and checked bag service. The station is in the middle of downtown Reno, and is within walking distance of all the downtown casinos.
Amtrak California also operates a shuttle buses between Reno and [wiki=2ff4bdbec0419eb92d7fada8b262b480]Sacramento[/wiki] which connects to the Capitol Corridor, serving Northern California, and the San Joaquins, serving the Central Valley and points south, rail routes.
Long distance bus transit in the state is mostly only along the I-80 corridor.
Greyhound maintains a depot in Reno and buses go daily to and from Northern California and Chicago and points east.
There are buses between Reno and [wiki=11a102ecaaa05237b301ecc9b8e0c9f3]Carson City[/wiki] that are operated by NDOT and the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission [http://www.rtcwashoe.com/transportation/pride/].
Express bus service operates to/from [wiki=2ff4bdbec0419eb92d7fada8b262b480]Sacramento[/wiki] and [wiki=f4334fdfa1c728eae375fe781e2e2d9d]San Francisco[/wiki]. Double Deck Coaches with WiFi, Restrooms, Power Outlets and seats starting at $1.
The Reno-Tahoe International Airport [http://www.renoairport.com] is served by most major domestic airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, United, and US Airways. For the lowest fares, try to avoid flying into Reno on Friday, and out of Reno on Sunday. Continental and Frontier have ceased operation in Reno. Southwest Airlines features non-stop service to Chicago(Midway), Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles. Alaska offers non-stop service to Seattle, Portland and San Jose.
The airport offers free wireless for anyone wanting to surf the internet or do some work, and a vast number of slot machines for those with other interests.
Reno is served by two freeways: I-80 running east-west, and US 395, running north-south. Circling the valley of the Truckee Meadows is the McCarran Blvd ring road. The primary business artery is Virginia Street, which runs north-south through downtown Reno. Major east-west routes include Moana Lane, Plumb Lane, Mill Street, Second Street, Fourth Street, and Sixth Street. Major routes running north-south in Reno include Keystone Avenue, Lakeside Drive, Wells Avenue, and Kietzke Lane.
Nearly all national car rental agencies serve the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A list is available at RNO's website [http://www.renoairport.com/transportation/rental_car_agencies.php].
Note that several agencies do not have fleets within the airport property. Most notably, Enterprise's fleet is located 1 mile away from the terminal. However, the terminal includes an Enterprise service counter, they offer free shuttle service during business hours, and taxi vouchers and a pickup hotline for drop-offs after hours.
Reno's transit system, called RTC RIDE [url=http://www.rtcwashoe.com/section-public-transportation],]is operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County [url=http://www.rtcwashoe.com/[/url].]The busiest route, the #1 bus, was recently replaced with two new services, RTC RAPID, a priority express bus making limited stops, and RTC CONNECT, the local. RAPID runs 15 minutes or better headways most of the day through Downtown Reno (a good place to start is the RTC 4th Street Station at 4th and Lake which opened Oct 31st 2010) and down South Virginia Street (the major north-south street) to Meadowood Mall [http://www.simon.com/mall/mall_info.aspx?ID=1256[/url]. RTC RAPID should serve any tourist well for most shopping, dining, and gambling needs.
Other routes to know about are the #11, which runs between downtown Reno and downtown Sparks, and the free, yellow Sierra Spirit circulator bus (7AM - 7PM), which connects various downtown destinations along the Virginia Street corridor down to the Truckee River to the south and the University of Nevada, Reno, to the north. In downtown Reno, all buses stop at or near the RTC 4th Street Station at 4th and Lake St, where you can also find The Bus Book.
Fares may be paid on the bus by cash (exact change) or by pass. All RTC RIDE passes are available from the Pass Vending Machines (as of March 28th 2011 all day passes are $4 at the Station, if you buy them on the bus they are $5. One trip fare is $2, but asking for a transfer allows travel on any bus in any direction for 1 1/2 hrs from the time of purchase. All major casinos have a bus stop for easy access.) , available at RTC 4th Street Station and Meadowood Mall, and may be purchased with cash, coin, debit or credit cards (cash only if purchased on the bus).
Reno’s taxis are plentiful, efficient, and comfortable. At the airport, downtown or near any major casino they should be very easy to come by, in other places expect to call to arrange pick-up. Don’t drink and drive.
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* Radio dispatched to insure prompt service.
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Nevada Museum of Art. The current Nevada Museum of Art building was designed by Will Bruder and opened in 2003. It plays host to national and international touring exhibits in addition to smaller exhibits of regional significance. Located in the financial district on Liberty Street, south downtown. It is a beautiful building, architecturally.
* Wingfield Park. Located along the Truckee River just a few blocks from the casino core, Wingfield Park features an amphitheatre with regular performances during the summer months, a kayak park open year round, and many pleasant spots to sit and watch the world go by any day of the week, at pretty much any time of the day. Home of annual events the Reno River Festival, held in May, and the Artown Festival, July 1 - 31.
* Reno Central Library. Reno’s library was designed by an architect who wanted to set it in a park. There was not enough land available for both a park and a library, so he brought the park inside the building. This library is an excellent example of inspired architecture from the 60s that actually stands the test of time and is worth a visit just to see the innovative treatment of the periodicals section in the basement.
* California Avenue. This area of small shops and restaurants is located a short walk from the downtown casino core and provides a pleasant setting for a meal.
* University of Nevada, Reno [http://www.unr.edu/tour/]. An ideal location for a pleasant stroll, the layout of the University campus was inspired by Jefferson’s University of Virginia. Visitors will find a parklike setting with a variety of architectural styles, and the Fleischmann Planetarium. Guided walking tours are available by reservation at 775-784-4700.
* Rancho San Rafael Park. A few blocks west of the north end of the University, this 570-acre county park is home to the Arboretum, as well as the Wilbur D. May Museum and the Great Basin Adventure children’s attraction (seasonal). This is the home of the Reno Balloon Races, held in late summer/early fall annually.
* South Wells Avenue. A local neighborhood with a decidedly Latino flavor, this neighborhood features unique shopping and dining and generally winds down in early evening hours. Served hourly by the #19 bus from downtown.
* Victorian Square. This is the center of downtown Sparks and features casinos, restaurants, a movie theater, and several redevelopment projects currently under construction. Home to the “Best in the West” Rib Cookoff every summer.
* Idlewild Park. A nice stroll from downtown along Riverside Drive, Idlewild Park features Reno’s Municipal Rose Garden, as well as a seasonal kiddie park, a driving range (the exercise kind, not the golf kind), a skate park, and various walking trails. Located on the south bank of the Truckee River.
No entry on Reno would be complete without an overview of the various casinos in the city. In addition to gambling, these properties provide a variety of dining and entertainment opportunities and should not be overlooked.
* Silver Legacy. This is the newest hotel/casino to be constructed in Reno, and was completed in 1995. It includes a cheesy “mint press” “churning out” souvenir coins as well as numerous dining options including several lounges, an oyster bar, a steakhouse, coffeeshop, rum bar with dueling pianos, and more. Owned through a joint venture by Gary Carano of the Eldorado and Circus Circus corp. Buffet is about a 6/10 scale for quality. 4/10 scale for price ($20 pp).
* Eldorado. Connected to Silver Legacy via skywalks, the Eldorado is a pink neon masterpiece featuring a variety of dining options including the world cuisine Tivoli Gardens café, The Brew Brothers brewpub (with live music on Friday and Saturday nights), a steakhouse, seafood restaurant, La Strada Italian Restaurant, and more. Buffet is one of the better values in Reno, 8/10 scale for quality and hotness, 8/10 scale for price ($13 pp).
* Circus Circus. Also connected to Silver Legacy is the Circus Circus. While this casino does not come highly recommended for its dining options, its Circus acts and midway arcade are great attractions for families so if you’re traveling with children, they should not be missed.
* Reno Nugget. Not to be confused with John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, the Reno Nugget is a tiny casino on Virginia Street and features a great bar with strong drinks as well as a classic “greasy spoon” diner serving up the famous “Awful Awful” burger, which is a rather large burger served with a monstrous basket of seasoned fries.
* Harrah’s Reno. Reno is the birthplace of Harrah’s, and the Reno location features all the usual amenities to be found at Harrah’s properties, and also includes a martini bar and an Asian noodle restaurant. Harrah's Steakhouse is reportedly quite a highbrow affair. Good buffet at 8/10, price is about $15.
* Club Cal*Neva. The last downtown casino to be covered here, this property features affordable gambling of all types and a variety of cheap dining options. This is the classic “Reno-style” casino and should not be missed, especially for those who like to gamble.
* Atlantis. This tropical themed casino resort features a variety of dining options including a pizza café with a real Italian pizza oven, a good buffet, and steakhouse. Located across the street from the convention center, south of downtown. Well served by the #1 bus. Buffet is one of the best in Reno in price vs quality. ($ 13)
* Peppermill. If you’ve been to Vegas and seen the Peppermill on The Strip, you might just have to do a double-take when viewing Reno’s Peppermill. This is a large, well-appointed hotel/casino, with all the dining and entertainment options you would expect. South of downtown, well served by the #1 bus.
* Grand Sierra Resort. This is Reno’s largest hotel/casino, located just up Terminal Way from the airport. It features a set of high-end luxury condos (starting at $245k and up to $1.1M) which can be rented separately from the hotel through Reno Luxury Resort or Indy's Hotel Condos at Grand Sierra Resort. The Hotel features a pool and nightclub that was operated by Nikki Beach, and many decently appointed standard guest rooms. You will find a whole host of dining options including a Charlie Palmer Steak, Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante, and a shoppiing mall, movie theater, seasonal swimming pool, video arcade, bowling alley and more. Well served by the #14 bus, though driving or taking a cab is recommended.
* John Ascuaga’s Nugget. This is a big hotel-casino/resort located in Sparks’ Victorian Square only minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It features a great coffee shop, Rosie's Café, as well as the upscale Basque-themed Restaurante Orozko, Trader Dick's Polynesian restaurant, The Steakhouse Grill, John's Oyster Bar, the newly remodeled Rotisserie Buffet, Gabe's Pub & Deli, and Starbucks Coffee. Also regular live, weekly music performances from local and national touring acts. Buffet is good at 7/10 but price is average at $13.
Tourism is the main focus of Reno, and a number of yearly tourism events are held in the Reno-Sparks area, mostly during the summer months.
Casinos are Reno's most common visitor attraction.
The open desert terrain that surrounds much of Reno, especially to the Northwest, offers some fantastic mountain biking. Peavine mountain has many networks of trails that are a biker's paradise, most of it singletrack, and most of it technical. Many cyclists start near Rancho San Rafael Park to access the Peavine trails. Be careful, however, as there are often gun-happy residents shooting away, not always sober, farther out in the government lands; also be sure to bring plenty of water, as the desert heat can be quite oppressive. Find more information in books such as Mountain Biking Reno & Carson City: Best Trails by R. W. Miskimins. Nearby areas, like [wiki=ca0463a2bdf6b4a0ed562b9ec6cb0f30]Lake Tahoe[/wiki] offer even more for the mountain biker, such as Tahoe's famous Flume Trail.
There exists a rather good bike trail along the Truckee River which extends from the eastern fringes of Sparks to the western limits of Reno and beyond. The section inside city limits is fun and easy for bikers of any skill level, but is actually only a section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway [http://www.tpbikeway.org/] which--when completed--will run from Lake Tahoe all the way to Pyramid Lake: 116 miles in total.
Reno is the closest major city to [wiki=0a5c251bab3813f10cd93529899660f4]Black Rock City[/wiki] and the corresponding Burning Man festival. Many burners pass through Reno on the way to Black Rock City, and many Reno businesses cater to burners by stocking extra water and camping supplies during the Burning Man week. Some hotels offer Burning Man discounts for travellers staying overnight in Reno.
Reno is within two hours of an incredible number of ski resorts. Here is a short list.
* Mt Rose [url=http://www.mtrose.com/]]Mount Rose Highway. This resort is at elevation 8200 feet and has a great layout and an impressive array of terrain for its no more than 1500 feet of rise off the base. Good powder here.
* Heavenly [url=http://www.skiheavenly.com/[/url]]The Mountains above the Carson Valley, up Highway 207. Lake Views on one side (you’re literally skiing above the casinos at the south end of the lake) and the desert valleys and pow pow on the other side. Huge amount of terrain and claims to have the West's largest snowmaking system for those dry years.
* Sugar Bowl [url=http://www.sugarbowl.com/[/url]]I-80 to just above Donner Lake. Two base areas with a little village in between and an extensive network of terrain.
* Diamond Peak [url=http://www.diamondpeak.com/[/url]]Incline Village, North Lake Tahoe. Ski right above Lake Tahoe on a well laid-out network of runs. They have carpetloader lifts, so be prepared for a strange boarding experience. Small resort, family-friendly.
* Squaw Valley [http://www.squaw.com/[/url] I-80 West to Truckee, then Highway 89 South. This legendary resort is home of the legendary KT22 and hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Reno offers a kayak park at Wingfield Park. Equipment rentals and outdoor adventures can be booked nearby.