Wine Tour Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
No set time. Some winery experiences take longer than others.
The average is about 75 minutes at each winery. We’ll spend a little longer at whichever of the wineries we enjoy lunch or if there is a tour.
For private tours we can visit any winery that’s best suited for your group.
Whenever we’re selecting the wineries on your behalf, we take the following into consideration:
- Smaller, non-touristy locations
- Warm & friendly service
- Quality wines that represent what Paso Robles does best
- Extra perks and experiences whenever possible
We try our best not to visit wineries whose tasting fees exceed $30 per person, though this is not always possible.
Maybe! California has a strict DUI policy. After a day of wine tasting it is likely you will not legally be able to drive.
It takes the average person approximately 1 hour to metabolize one alcoholic beverage.
Even with tasting sizes being smaller than a glass, they add up quickly!
We advise people who drive in for the day to arrange other transportation home, or better yet, to stay at a local inn or B&B.
Check out our recommended Places to Stay.
Yes. Chilled, bottled water is served on the bus and also with the picnic lunch.
Yes, if enjoyed responsibly.
However, please keep in mind that tasting rooms can refuse to serve intoxicated guests (even if you do have a driver), and that wouldn’t be a lot of fun!
Additionally, if a guest does become too intoxicated, they may need to be removed from the tour early, at their own expense.
Ultimately, we want to ensure that each tour is successful, with all the guests having a great experience!
Yes. Most wineries will provide the option of purchasing wine by the bottle or glass to enjoy with your meal.
No taxes and no additional fees. The price you see is the price you pay.
No. You should expect to pay tasting fees at the wineries.
These fees are charged by the wineries, compensating them for the wines they pour for guests, and typically run about $20 – $35 per person, per winery.
Most wineries will waive these fees with wine purchase or wine club signup.
These are fees charged by the winery compensating them for the wine they pour guests.
Wineries are in the business of selling their wine, not tastings – so if you find a wine or winery you like, we strongly encourage you to buy some bottles or join their wine-club!
Not only will you be supporting a local business, but most of the wineries are small, boutique wineries that don’t distribute their wines and only offer them for sale directly through their tasting room. So this is your only chance to bring them home to enjoy later.
Yes. Most of the wineries on our tours will waive tasting fees for those guests who purchase their wine or join their wine club. It’s not always the case, so be sure and ask at each winery.
Yes. Almost any of the wineries we visit will allow our guests to share a tasting.
You are not required to taste at the wineries, and you will not be required to pay tasting fees for wineries at which you do not taste. There are a couple of wineries that are exceptions to this rule, so if this is your intention, be sure to ask your guide.
Yes! Our vehicle has plenty of safe storage space for holding your wine and other purchases.
Yes! We sell insulated, Styrofoam padded wine shipping boxes that hold a case (12 bottles) of wine and can be safely checked on the airplane as a checked bag.
*Please check with your airline for specific baggage requirements and restrictions.
Children of all ages are welcome on the tour, unless noted otherwise, though drinking alcohol is not permitted for those under the age of 21.
By California law, any children under the age of 8 years old, as well as any children shorter than 4’9” must be secured in a car seat or booster seat. Toast Tours DOES NOT provide a car seat or booster seat, and it is your responsibility to provide this yourself. Children under the age of 8 years old will not be allowed on the vehicle if you do not have a car seat or booster seat.
We love dogs, but unfortunately, can’t allow them on our shared group tours, unless it is a service animal.
We do welcome well-behaved dogs on our private tours, and are happy to work with you to build your perfect dog-friendly wine country day.
Please keep in mind that dogs are not permitted to sit on the seats in the vehicle and must remain with their owners throughout the day and can not stay on the vehicle unattended. Any accidents or damage by the dog will be charged an additional fee.
Toast Tours is not responsible for any items lost or stolen on our tour or in the wineries.
Please take care to collect all of your belongings when you leave, including any wine or merchandise purchased throughout the day.
Any items left behind which are found can be returned to the guests at their request and expense.
Yes. We are registered, regulated, and licensed by the State of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The CPUC requires insurance and vehicle inspections as a condition of licensing.
Our license # is TCP38039A.
Unfortunately, no.
We really wish we could! But there is no way to provide sufficient insurance in this scenario – and believe us, we’ve tried.
Your personal car insurance will not provide coverage if your car is being driven commercially by one of our drivers. (It is considered commercial the moment money is exchanged for services).
There also isn’t any commercial insurance policy that will cover someone else driving your car commercially.
We do have a general liability policy which covers operations outside of your vehicle, however we feel this is insufficient since there would be no additional coverage, including comprehensive or collision coverage, since your personal policy becomes invalid.
Given this, we don’t feel comfortable putting you or our drivers at risk.
However, we provide tours & transportation in our own fleet of comfortable, spacious & fully-insured private vehicles for all group sizes – so get in touch today to get more information!
Please feel free to ask!
Each situation is different, and we will try to pick you up at your preferred location whenever possible. However, in some cases we may not be able to confirm this until the evening before your tour.
Absolutely! With our Private Tours, we’re completely flexible on where the tour goes and what you do.
We can organize a number of itineraries that incorporate not only great local wineries, but also distilleries, breweries, olive oil, farm tours and more!
We can also combine some tasting with a fun activity – such as Zip-Lining in Santa Margarita, a private Hearst Castle experience, kayaking in Morro Bay, horseback riding and so much more!
Get in touch with us to discuss what you’re looking for, and we’ll help build your customized itinerary and perfect day.
All private tours include an itinerary consultation at no extra cost.
During the consultation, we offer guidance on wineries that will be a great fit specifically for your group. We can recommend wineries that will accommodate your group size, offer certain wine styles, have full-kitchens or allow picnics, are dog-friendly, offer tours or any other criteria you might be interested in.
We can also provide recommendations for timing & logistics.
After our consultation you can plan your itinerary and make all the reservations yourself, or I can plan the itinerary and make the reservations on your behalf for an additional $15 per person.
For groups of 6 guests or fewer we will make all winery reservations & plan your itinerary at no extra cost.
Read more about the difference between full itinerary planning and itinerary consultation here.
This can depend on many factors, such as the number of stops visited, your pickup and drop-off location, the drive times between wineries, the number of guests in your group, if there is an experience such as a tour that takes longer than a typical tasting, etc.
Larger groups need more time than smaller groups, and on average you need more time at the wineries on busy days, such as Saturdays or special events.
Typically to visit three stops for smaller groups tours start around 5 to 5.5 hours and for larger groups 6 to 6.5 hours.
Please submit a Private Tour Quote Request. We’ll check and confirm availability and provide a price quote promptly.
There is no set length of time. Saturdays and holiday weekends tend to fill up faster. Fall is our busiest season, followed closely by Summer.
Get your Private Tour Quote now, then book your tour as soon as you decide to go for it.
We are happy to pick you up from your hotel or accommodation anywhere within a 100 mile radius of Paso Robles.
There is an additional fee for pickups over 15 miles from downtown Paso Robles.
If you have a request for pickup outside of San Luis Obispo County, please submit a Private Tour Quote Request to determine what is possible.
Your tour cost will be determined by such factors as the pick-up and drop-off location, tour length, distance traveled, vehicle size, included activities (i.e. Hearst Castle entry, etc.), itinerary planning and the day and season of your tour.
Lunch is an additional expense, as are wine tasting or activity fees.
Gratuity is not included in the tour rate, but an 18% gratuity is recommended and added by default.
You can adjust this on the day of the tour, and may be added to the card on file or paid in cash.
Please note: For a charter or private tour a $200.00 or 20% deposit, whichever is greater, will be charged upon confirmation of the booking. As long as we have not received the deposit, the charter or tour is not confirmed and your requested date will not be held.
Lunch is not automatically included in your private tour, but we can provide you with a variety of lunch options to best suit your group.
When wine tasting, some of our favorite options include enjoying one of the high-quality winery restaurants, or enjoying a picnic lunch at a winery after your tasting.
You’re welcome to bring your own picnic items, or we can provide a delicious deli boxed lunch for $25pp. You can view the menu here .
Tour group sizes often fluctuate. Give us your best guess. We are happy to work with you as best we can to establish a range of likely attendees and price the tour with that range in mind.
Depending on the day of the week and group size the hourly rate may change.
Also, keep in mind that vehicles have a maximum number of seats and wineries often have a maximum group size they allow.
Yes, if enjoyed responsibly.
However, please keep in mind that tasting rooms can refuse to serve intoxicated guests (even if you do have a driver), and that wouldn’t be a lot of fun!
Additionally, if a guest does become too intoxicated, they may need to be removed from the tour early, at their own expense.
Ultimately, we want to ensure that each tour is successful, with all the guests having a great experience!
Children of all ages are welcome on the tour though drinking alcohol is not permitted for those under the age of 21.
By California law, any children under the age of 8 years old, as well as any children shorter than 4’9” must be secured in a car seat or booster seat. Toast Tours DOES NOT provide a car seat or booster seat, and it is your responsibility to provide this yourself. Children under the age of 8 years old will not be allowed on the vehicle if you do not have a car seat or booster seat.
Please make sure you count all children in the total guest count, since we need to make sure there is space in the vehicle and at the wineries.
Yes, we love dogs and welcome well-behaved dogs on our private tours, and are happy to work with you to build your perfect dog-friendly wine country day.
Please keep in mind that dogs are not permitted to sit on the seats in the vehicle and must remain with their owners throughout the day and can not stay on the vehicle unattended. Any accidents or damage by the dog will be charged an additional fee.
Unfortunately, we can’t allow dogs on our shared group tours, unless it is a service animal.
Lunch will be offered family style and will include a selection on pasta, paninis and salads.
We will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences, but since the lunch is family style this may not be possible.
Water will be included with lunch. If you wish to enjoy other beverages such as wine, beer, soda, coffee etc, you can purchase this at your own expense.
If you want to pick the specific wineries we visit then we recommend booking a private tour.
Venues that showcase the history and spirit of Tin City and that have a variety of wine styles and experiences.
Tin City has a lot to offer in a small space, so sometimes parking can be an issue.
However given the hour at which our tour begins you shouldn’t have any problem finding free and convenient parking.
Often there is parking available in the area called The Row.
Please keep in mind that California has a strict DUI policy. After a tour it is likely you will not legally be able to drive.
It takes the average person approximately 1 hour to metabolize one alcoholic beverage.
Even with tasting sizes being smaller than a glass, they add up quickly!
We recommend using a rideshare service to enjoy your day to the fullest.
No, this tour is meant to provide an introductory taste at each stop visited during the tour.
Most stops will pour 3 tastes.
Absolutely, this tour is a great way to start your day and familiarize yourself with Tin City.
Your guide is more than happy to give you recommendations based on your personal preferences.
It’s a good idea to bring layers, since the coastal weather at San Simeon and Cambria can be much cooler than Paso Robles and there may be some fog in the mornings.
By the time we return to Paso Robles it can be very sunny and hot, with extreme temperature swings. So it’s also a good idea to bring sunscreen.
Wear comfortable shoes, as The Grand Rooms Tour is 60 minutes long and includes approximately 160 steps, both up and down, and a 2/3-mile walk.
Absolutely, you will have the flexibility to choose which Hearst Castle tour you’d like to experience!
Our tours are completely private and tailored to your group’s preferences.
The Grand Rooms tour of Hearst Castle is the recommended option for first-time visitors and provides a great introduction to Hearst Castle and its creator, William Randolph Hearst. This tour highlights the magnificent Casa Grande, including the Assembly Room, Refectory, Morning Room, Billiard Room, and Theater, as well as the beautiful grounds.
If you’re interested in exploring other tours or even combining multiple tours, we can certainly accommodate that. Feel free to visit Hearst Castle’s website to explore their various tour options, or reach out to our Toast Tours concierge for personalized recommendations based on your interests and group needs.
The tours at Hearst Castle are not private for your group, so you will be with other guests.
Your tour with Toast Tours will be in a private vehicle with a guide/driver.
Get in touch with us here for more details and to plan your perfect Hearst Castle visit!
If you want! The tour will be private for your group so we can include time to watch the Building the Dream video, if you want.
“Hearst Castle – Building the Dream” is a movie that was produced exclusively for the Hearst Castle Theater. Breathtaking original cinematography combined with vintage clips and stills from the 1920s and 30s allows the construction and history of the Castle to come to life on a five-story screen.
This movie lasts 40-minutes and is screened every 45 minutes starting at 9:00 am.
This is the companion film to daytime Castle Tours and is included in the ticket price.
If you want to include time to watch this film, be sure to let your tour concierge know, since it will add about an hour to your overall itinerary.
That’s up to you!
Once your tour is confirmed, your Toast Tours concierge will discuss the various options with you.
Some favorites include dining at a seaside location while sipping wine and enjoying a delicious deli lunch or visiting the local charming town of Cambria, where you can choose to eat lunch at a local restaurant suited to your taste.
We can also head back over to Paso Robles Wine Country and dine at one of the many excellent winery restaurants located there.
So many great options!
Each Hearst Castle tour is approximately 70 minutes in length, but once you factor in the time to get up to the castle and come back down the mountain, visitors are typically at the castle about 2 hours total.
If you add the Building the Dream movie, you’ll be there closer to 3 hours.
The length of the tour depends on many factors, including your specific pickup/dropoff location and how many stops you choose to include in addition to the visit to Hearst Castle.
Here are some popular sample itineraries, but these can be customized to your preferences:
Shorter Itinerary –Hearst Castle visit & one winery (approx. 6.5 hours)
- Approx. 8:45a pickup
- 10:10a – 12:10p Hearst Castle tour
- 12:25p – 12:40 Visit Elephant Seals (this is optional, but cool to see!)
- 1p – 2:30p Multiple options for lunch stop!
- Approx. 3:15p/3:30p drop-off
Longer Itinerary –Hearst Castle visit & multiple wineries/stops (approx. 7 – 9 hours)
- Approx. 8:45a pickup
- 10:10a – 12:10p Hearst Castle tour
- 12:25p – 12:40 Visit Elephant Seals (this is optional, but cool to see!)
- 1p – 2:30p Multiple options for lunch stop!
- 3:15p – 4:30p Tasting at Winery in Paso Robles
- Approx. 4:45p/5p drop-off
OR
- 4:45p – 5:45p visit brewery or additional winery in Tin City
- Approx. 6p drop-off
We have a 5 hour minimum for all our tours.
Since the tour is private and customized for your group, we can visit whatever additional stops you want.
We can include other scenic highlights along the coast, visit local farms, olive oil tastings, breweries, distilleries, etc. We don’t have to visit any wineries at all if you don’t want to!
Reach out to our Toast Tours concierge for personalized recommendations based on your interests and group needs, and let us craft your perfect day.
- Round-Trip LA:
- Day 1: Depart 10:10 from Los Angeles
- Day 1: Arrive 4:37pm in Paso Robles
- Day 3: Depart 1:38pm from Paso Robles
- Day 3: Arrive 9:00pm in Los Angeles
- Round-Trip SF:
- Day 1: Depart 8:50am from Oakland, Jack London Square
- Day 1: Arrive 1:38pm in Paso Robles
- Day 3: Depart 4:37pm from Paso Robles
- Day 3: Arrive 9:24pm in Oakland, Jack London Square
- San Francisco to Paso Robles to Los Angeles:
- Day 1: Depart 8:50am from Oakland, Jack London Square
- Day 1: Arrive 1:38pm in Paso Robles
- Day 3: Depart 1:38pm from Paso Robles
- Day 3: Arrive 9:00pm in Los Angeles
- Los Angeles to Paso Robles to San Francisco:
- Day 1: Depart 10:10 from Los Angeles
- Day 1: Arrive 4:37pm in Paso Robles
- Day 3: Depart 4:37pm from Paso Robles
- Day 3: Arrive 9:24pm in Oakland, Jack London Square
We recommend arriving to the train station 30 minutes to 1 hour before your scheduled departure time.
Please keep in mind, the Coast Starlight is a grand West Coast Train Adventure, en route daily between Los Angeles and Seattle and is frequently subject to delays. If your train is delayed, you will leave or arrive later, but it should not affect your guided Hearst Castle & Wine tour which is on Day 2 of the trip.
Paso Robles is halfway in between San Francisco and Los Angeles, but depending on the direction and the leg travel time is different.
You can expect the following travel times:
- The travel time between Oakland (San Francisco) and Paso Robles by train is about 5 hours (Coast Starlight Train 11).
- The travel time between Paso Robles and Los Angeles is about 7.5 hours (Coast Starlight Train 11).
- The travel time between Los Angeles and Paso Robles is about 6.5 hours (Coast Starlight Train 14).
- The travel time between Paso Robles and Oakland (San Francisco) is about 5 hours (Coast Starlight Train 14).
All connections are direct.
On the Amtrak Train luggage is limited to 2 personal items, 14x11x7 inches (35 x 28 x 18 cm) / 25lbs (11 kg) per item, and 2 bags, 28x22x14 inches (71 x 56 x 36 cm) / 50lbs (23 kg) per bag, per passenger.
You may be charged a baggage fee or denied boarding if your items exceed these limitations.
The Amtrak website has specific carry-on baggage information.
Please note: There is no checked bag service at the Paso Robles train station, so you must carry your bags onto the train with you.
The Coast Starlight is a grand West Coast Train Adventure, en route daily between Los Angeles and Seattle and is frequently subject to delays.
If your train is delayed, you will arrive later at your destination, but it should not affect your tour which is on Day 2 of the trip.
Be sure to check updated train information and plan accordingly. You can check the train status at: traintracker.toasttours.com.
For the most accurate time, you may also download the Amtrak App.
In the event of a severe delay or train cancellation, please contact us immediately and we will work to find an alternative solution.
No. Seats are not assigned and you will be able to choose your seat upon boarding the train. Amtrak cannot guarantee that you will be able to sit with other members in your party, unless you are traveling with a child.
You will have a seat reserved in Coach Class, unless you choose to upgrade to the Business Class seat option.
With business class seats you will be seated in a dedicated Business Class train car, with more spacious legroom.
Upon boarding, you will receive a complimentary bottle of water and an on-board credit which may be redeemed in the dining or lounge cars.
In Los Angeles, you will have access to the Metropolitan Lounge (Hours of Operation: 5:00am – 10:00pm) located on the second floor, above the ticket office.
Amenities in the lounge include comfortable, quiet lounge seating, complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and free WiFi.
Yes. The café car is always available for to enjoy a snack or to grab items for takeaway.
Seated dining is also a fun and memorable option on the train and is available by reservation for lunch or dinner. You can make reservations ON THE TRAIN only for seated dining in the dining car.
Breakfast is available without a reservation.
You can check the Amtrak Website for more information and hours offered.
No, there is no WiFi available in the train or our mini-bus. There is free WiFi in your hotel room.
Hotel check-in time is at 4:00 pm. Your luggage can be stored prior to 4:00pm. Hotel check-out time is 11:00 am. Arrangements may be made for late check-out, depending on availability.
Breakfast is included with your hotel stay and is available in the hotel starting at 6:00am Monday – Friday and 7:00am on Saturday & Sunday.
It is a good idea to bring layers and sunscreen. The coastal weather at San Simeon and Cambria can be very cool and foggy, and Paso Robles can be much warmer with sunny hot weather in the summer.
There are extreme temperature swings from day to night, so mornings and evenings can be much colder as well, with a possible 40F degree temperature swing between day and night.
Wear comfortable shoes, as The Grand Rooms Tour is 60 minutes long and includes approximately 160 steps, both up and down, and a 2/3 mile walk.
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We can’t wait to hear from you and welcome you on a Toast Tour soon!
