Travel to Reno

If you are flying into the Reno-Tahoe region, the main airport is the Reno-Tahoe International Airport which is only a few minutes from where the relay begins and ends in Downtown Reno. Many airlines fly in and out of this airport. Southwest Airlines has the most flights.

Interstate 80 is the main east-west interstate highway that bisects Reno. It runs from San Francisco to Salt Lake City and beyond. Highway 395 is the main north-south interstate highway that bisects Reno.

You also can get to Reno by train. Amtrak rail service is available to Downtown Reno. Come to Reno by train and experience first hand the new Train Trench and restored historic railway station.

Lodging in Reno

The Sands Regency Casino Hotel is offering the following rates: $35 for Sunday through Thursday nights, and $55 for Friday and Saturday nights. These rates do not include taxes. To reserve a room, please call 800 648-3553. Refer to group code TAHOE11. Cutoff date for reservations is May 20, 2011. This hotel is in downtown Reno just a few blocks from where the relay begins and finishes. For more information about the Sands Regency, check out www.sandsregency.com.

For another hotel casino option, the Eldorado Hotel Casino is offering the following rates. $74.99 per night (not including taxes). To reserve a room, please click on www.eldoradoreno.com/group/odyssey or call 800-648-5966. Refer to group code HRTOD11. Cutoff date for reservations is May 1, 2011. This hotel is in downtown Reno just a few blocks from where the relay begins and finishes. It is part of a 3 hotel-casino property complex including the Silver Legacy and the Circus Circus. For more information about the Eldorado, click on www.eldoradoreno.com.

Lastly for a non hotel-casino option, the Hyatt Place Reno-Tahoe is offering the following rates. $89 per night (not including taxes). Complementary continental breakfast is included. To reserve a room, please call 888 HYATTHP or go through their central website at www.hyatt.com. Refer to group code G-RNO. Cutoff date for reservations is May 23, 2011. This hotel is next to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and only about a 12 minute drive from where the relay begins and finishes. For more information about the Hyatt Place, click on www.hyattplacerenotahoeairport.com.

Vehicle rental

To explore rates and rent a van or SUV with Enterprise, please click on the following link: http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?bid=002&cust=54CB086

Use the code 54CB086 where it says "optional coupon or customer number." The next screen will ask for a pin number which will be the first 3 letters of the event "REN".

To explore rates and rent a van or SUV with Hertz, call 775 785-2650 and mention you are with the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey. Anyone on the staff there will be ready to help you. If there are any issues, ask for Ashley.

We were only able to set up discounts on a percentage basis. We understand that the rates are lower if you reserve the vans sooner than later, so go to it.

Gas stations

There are plenty of gas stations located along the course. But it probably will be less expensive to fill up in Reno at the start and in Carson City at the two-thirds mark of the relay.

Grocery and convenience stores

There are many grocery and convenience stores in the Reno area where you can purchase your supplies before you start the relay. There are many along the course if you need to re-stock.

There is plenty to do and see while in the Reno – Tahoe region. To do and see everything, plan to make many trips.

In Downtown Reno alone, there are plenty of choices, including:

Watch the Triple A Reno Aces play baseball at the new, first class ballpark that backs up to Truckee River and see a home run to right field splash in the water. Hang out at the West Street Market, Reno's smaller version of Seattle's Pike Place Market. View art at the Nevada Museum of Art or the Stremmel Gallery or the Sierra Arts Gallery. Visit the shops in the Truckee River Arts District centered around The Riverwalk and West First Street or California Avenue. Check out vintage cars at Harrah’s Automobile Museum. Learn about science at the Planetarium. Worship at Trinity Episcopal Church or St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church or First United Methodist Church. Watch the trains pass by in the "Train Trench." Study the railroad history exhibit at the restored Amtrak Station. Kayak or tube or jump in the river at the Whitewater Park. Swim at the pool at Idlewild Park. Bicycle along the river on the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway. Stroll along Riverside Drive or on the Quad an the University of Nevada campus. Go to the spa at the Siena. Get a facial or pedicure at Soak.  Watch the circus acts at Circus Circus Reno. Listen to an organ concert at Trinity Episcopal Church. Take a cooking class at Back of the House Cooking School.  Enjoy a coffee drink at Java Jungle or Bibo Coffee Company or Dreamers or one of the Starbucks. Grab a bagel or muffin at My Favorite Muffin. Get a freshly baked snickerdoodle at Great Harvest Bakery. Enjoy ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. Have a milkshake at Mel’s Diner. Have breakfast at Peg’s or PJ & Co. or the Stonehouse. Have brunch at Rapscallion or Café Musee.

Try lunch or soup at Rose’s or the Cheese Board or Sup or Daughters Café or the Dish Cafe or Voila Cafe or Truckee River Bar & Grill. Pick up a sandwich at Newman’s Deli or Rubican Deli or the Downtown Marketplace or the Record Street Café or Port of Subs or Jimmy John’s. Enjoy a gourmet hot dog or sausage at Freeman’s Natural Hot Dogs.  Have a vegetarian meal at the Pneumatic Diner. Eat Greek dishes at the Blue Plate. Try a Basque dinner and Pecon Punch at Louis’ Basque Corner or the Santa Fe. Eat Thai dishes at Bangkok Cuisine or the Siamese Hut, or Indian food at India Garden Restaurant or India Kabab & Curry, or Vietnamese dishes at Saigon Pearl or Pho 777 or Pho Golden Flower, or Chinese at Dynasty China Bistro. Have an entertaining meal at Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse. Enjoy a Mexican food meal and a margarita at Bertha Miranda’s or El Adobe Cafe or Buenos Grill. Pick up a pizza from JJ’s Pie Company or Pierino’s or Eclipse Pizza or Blue Moon Pizza. Have a great casual meal and a micro-brew at the Silver Peak Grill and Taproom or Brew Brothers or Wild River Grille right on the Truckee River. Or just enjoy a cold beer at the Sierra Taphouse right on the river or the Imperial Lounge or Red Rock Studio. Experience fine dining at Bistro Roxi or Lexie’s or Fourth Street Bistro or LuLou’s or Bricks or Sezmu. Savor a sumptuous steak at Harrah’s Steakhouse or Washoe. Have a delicious Italian dinner at La Famiglia or La Strada or Luciano’s or Johnny’s Ristorante Italiano or Fuzio. Eat an exquisite French meal at Beaujolais Bistro. Enjoy Bavarian dishes at Bavarian World. Eat a lot of everything at a buffet. Sip a glass of wine at Jungle Vino or the Siena’s Enoteca Wine Bar or the West Street Market Wine Bar. Have a cocktail and listen to live music at Amendment 21 or Tonic or Chapel Tavern or Ceol Irish Pub or Foxy Olive or Divine or St. James Infirmary.  Splurge on a decadent dessert and chocolate martini at Chocolate Bar. See a movie at the Century Theaters. Watch a play at the Bruka Theater or the Pioneer Theater. Oh yes, and you could go gaming too at any of the hotel-casino.  

For another perspective about what to see and do in Downtown Reno's Truckee River Arts District, see www.viamagazine.com/weekenders/renoart_district06.asp.

To learn about things to do and see at and around Lake Tahoe, start with www.tahoechamber.com. For South Lake Tahoe only, go to www.bluelaketahoe.com. For Truckee, visit www.truckee.com.

For Genoa, see www.genoanevada.org. And www.visitcarsonvalley.org for the rest of the Carson Valley. For Carson City, visit www.carson-city.org. And for Virginia City, don’t miss www.virginiacity-nv.org.

For much more information on the Reno-Lake Tahoe area, please see www.VisitRenoTahoe.com.