Transportation to Visit Days
Travel Tip: Be sure to have luggage tags with YOUR NAME on them on all your luggage. Some visitors borrow luggage for Visit Days and leave the nametags of the lenders on. We advise against this. Borrowed pieces of luggage should have the name of the visitor on them, not the name of the lender. It is difficult to return lost luggage if the visitor’s name is not on their luggage. Also, luggage lost in the airline system with no name or someone else’s name might be permanently lost.
How to Reach Berkeley
The U.C. Berkeley campus is located 30 minutes from the Oakland International Airport and 60 minutes from theSan Francisco International Airport. Shuttle services, buses, and the electric train system Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) are available from the airports to Berkeley.
Public Transportation
From San Francisco International Airport: The easiest way to get from the San Francisco Airport to Berkeley is Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). A Richmond train will take you directly to the Downtown Berkeley station, which is one block from the campus and a 10 minute walk from Cory and Soda Halls. Please note that some BART lines run on different schedules for nights and weekends, and you may need to take a Pittsburg/Baypoint train and transfer to a Richmond train at the 12th Street station in Oakland. You can use BART’s QuickPlanner to help with your trip planning. The cost of a one-way BART ticket from SFO is about $9.55.
From Oakland International Airport: The Oakland Airport Connector costs $8.60 and departs every 5-20 minutes to the Coliseum BART station. Take a Richmond train to the Downtown Berkeley station, which is one block from campus. Southwest Airlines and Jetblue are the main carriers for Oakland.
Shuttles from Stanford
For those who are also participating in Stanford’s EE or CS Visit Days, a shuttle will pick you up at Stanford and drop you off either at the Graduate Berkeley Hotel or at the U.C. Berkeley campus. Graduate student hosts will be at each location to meet you and help you get settled. More details on this to come.
Taxis, Rideshares, and Rental Cars
Cabfare from the Oakland Airport to downtown Berkeley is approximately $52, and ridesheares cost approximately $35. Cabfare from the San Francisco Airport to downtown Berkeley is approximately $95, and rideshares cost approxiamtely $50. Keep in mind that rideshare pricing is subject to increases, particularly during surge/prime hours. For rideshares that cost more than $75, please find information on our reimbursement page. Most major car rental agencies, including Hertz and Avis, are located at both airports.
Arriving by Car
Parking
Parking is very limited in the city of Berkeley so, if possible, we highly recommend that you take public transportation. Although street parking is free on Sundays, it is limited and there are 1-hour parking restrictions during the weekdays. There is, however, the Stadium Parking Garage and many private garages near the campus. A campus parking permit may also be reserved in advance by contacting Patrick Hernan.