Are you looking for a casino hotel, a motel, a lakefront resort? What is your budget for lodging?

Two nights will give you a nice taste of Tahoe. The lake is only 22 miles in length, so easy to drive around in a half day, or longer if you stop for hikes, etc. Boat ride is fun, there is the MS Dixie out of Zephyr Cove, and others.

Emerald Bay and Sand Harbor are musts.

Hi, we are easy on accommodation style but would prefer not to pay parking fees, so presume motel or resort, but then again it might be an opportunity to stay at a casino. We are travelling thru USA for 1 month so are open to different experiences as regards accommodation. Pricing would be middle of the road average for the area we are in (so no real budget on $$).We like to have at least coffee making facilities in the accommodation. Is it the high season in July?? We need to be in Chicago by 20 July, so cannot change time of travel.

Definitely high season in July. Since you don't provide a price range I simply don't know want would work for you. Should it be under $100 per night or can it be $350 or more per night?

If you are interested in a casino stay, Harrah's and Harvey's have the nicest accommodations (my opinion). You can get rooms in many different price ranges. They have free parking and coffee makers.

About $150 - $300 per night, but main enquiry is what area/township should we look at staying at and then I can google , . Also is there rental cars within walking distance of Reno Amtrak station. Thanks for all help.

With your budget you might consider staying at the Hyatt - Incline Village. It is a wonderful property and it also has a small casino.

http://www.hyattregencylaketahoe.com/

I would recommend you post on the Reno forum to get an answer on your question about car rentals near the train station.

The Reno Amtrak is located right on the corner of Center & Commercial across from the Harrah's parking garage. There is a Hertz car rental inside Harrah's Casino.

Once you pick up your rental car make your way to north lake Tahoe I personally would consider staying at the lovely Hyatt Incline Village. They have a private beach with lounge chairs and lakeside food and beverage service which you will find almost no where else at the lake. They also have hammocks around the property's grassy area. At night they have lakeside fires where you can warm yourself and look at the lights/moon on the lake. We also made s'mores.

During the day you can easily visit beautiful Sand Harbor nearby.

We stay at the Hyatt every July. It's an easy 45 minute drive over the Mt. Rose Hwy. #431 from Reno to Incline Village, where the Hyatt is located at the lake.

So many restaurants to choose from, and a number of them across the street from the hotel. There is a casino on site, as the hotel is on the NV side of the lake.

Be aware if your stay is during the July 4th Holiday, the hotel price is higher, as it is all around the lake. They have a Fireworks display from barges in the lake.