South Lake Tahoe Travel Forum

We are planning to drive from Vegas to Lake Tahoe in January. I see that it is a long trip but can anyone suggest the best and safest route? We live on the coast in Sydney so snow and chains are not common to us!! Any advice greatly appreciated!

That's a beautiful area - any time of the year. My only advice would be to read up on how to drive on snow or ice. It can be tricky - even for us who have done it many times. That said, snowy areas (especially tourist ones) usually take very good care of the roads and plow them well, put down salt and sand etc. Enjoy the views!

Not sure if a Vegas rental agency will have chains, their plastic now. You may want to have them ask their Reno office to help.
Chains are usually only for rear tires for traction. One of the more difficult things in snow is not going but stopping. If you start to slide, DON'T BRAKE HARD. Gear down to low and SLOWLY steer and SLOWLY brake.
Just go cafefully and stay to the right

Rear tires for chains unless you are driving a front wheel drive, then the front tires get the chains.

I shouldn't laugh Larry but, I can see it happen

All good advice on driving in the snow. However, it is not the snow but the ice that is the problem. You are required by CA law to carry chains during the winter even if the roads are clear.

If the rental car agency won't rent them to you then find a local car parts store in LV before you leave and buy a set. They will be a lot cheaper in LV than any where else. Also you can find them in Target or Wal-Mart.

There are plenty of people "chain monkey's" who will install them for you at the chain control points if you get told to put them on. If you have never put them on before then use the experts.

Probably the best route from LV to LT is to go through Death Valley and then up Hwy 395. You can go north on Hwy 395 and take Hwy 89 north to South Lake Tahoe. Parts of 89 can close frequently due to snow. You can stay on Hwy 395 into Reno and over to north LT on Hwy 80. These roads are plowed almost it in the middle of blizzards.

You can stay on 395 to Minden NV and then take Hwy 207 over to south LT, but you have to double back a little.

If the weather is really bad then from LV go over to the central valley toward Bakersfield and then take Hwy 99 north to Sacramento and then Hwy 50 (SLT) or Hwy 80 (NLT).

Get a good map and check the CALTRANS www.dot.ca.gov or call the 800 # as you travel to check the status of roads. Main problem is once you leave LV you are pretty well committed to those roads as you can't really turn around and come back to Hwy 58 toward Bakersfield.

The drive along Hwy 395 on the east side of the Sierra Mountains is awesome. There are plenty of little towns and hotels where you can stop if the weather gets to bad.