Survival Guide
2.1 Airports
There are two major airports in the north-bay area: the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Oakland international Airport (OAK). SFO is located on the west side of the bay, twenty-five miles from downtown Berkeley. OAK is in the East Bay, fifteen miles from downtown Berkeley. Hence, OAK is closer to Berkeley. But there are not many international flights going there. Just keep in mind that when planning to travel by air, OAK airport is a possibility.
The easiest way to go and from both of these airports is to use "call a friend" service. Try to ask somebody, who has a car of course, in Berkeley, San Francisco, or anywhere in the Bay Area to pick you up. Most of them should be willing to help the newcomers to UC Berkeley. However, pick-up service takes time, including the fees for parking and at the Bay bridge toll. So please be sure those you asked are cool with picking you up at the airport because some of them may be busy and thus do not have time. It is a good idea to pay for the parking, the Bay bridge toll, and other expenses.
2.1.1 Traveling to and from SFO (http://www.flysfo.com)
- Ask a friend
- Taxi: This is expensive due to the distance and they will charge 150% of the meter rate for any destination longer than fifteen miles away starting from the airport.
- Shuttle (Door-to-door van): This is a good means of transportation to the destination in San Francisco since the cost is around $10-12. However, it is about $20-30 to the East Bay. From SFO, you can find door-to-door van services right outside every terminal (You need to go out the terminal and cross the street to the middle island). There is not a need to make a reservation for the service during the daytime. At SFO, pick up your luggage and go to the upper level (Departure level). Get out of the international terminal and go the area indicated in red. Look for the pedestrian crosswalk and you will see red directional signs pointing to BayPorter Express service. Cross the street to the center traffic island, a small island designed for people to wait for buses and shuttles. There will be a person in a red coat and a hat. Tell him that you are going to Berkeley. The shuttle (usually a green van) should arrive within a couple of minutes. Tell the driver the exact location that you want to be dropped you-the actual address or the street names that meet each other. Sometimes, the names of the cross-streets are easier for the driver. For example, Bancroft and Piedmont. One-way trip from SFO to Berkeley is around $19. It is also possible to take door-to-door van to SFO. Below is a list of some door-to-door van/shuttle services:
- Bayporter Express (1-877-467-1800)
- M&M Luxury Shuttle (1-415-552-3200)
- Advanced Airport Shuttle (1-415-550-1112)
- BART: This stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit (http://www.bart.gov). BART now runs from SFO to Downtown Berkeley station.
- Driving: If you are renting a car at the airport, the driving directions are described below.
1. Exit the airport.
2. Take the US-101 north ramp towards San Francisco.
3. Merge onto US-101 north
4. Take I-80 east towards Bay Bridge/Oakland.
5. Cross the Bay Bridge to the East Bay.
6. Take the University Ave. exit.
7. Turn right into University Ave. towards University of California, Berkeley.
Note on driving from SFO to UC Berkeley:
1. Go to www.mapquest.com for exact driving directions to your destination.
2. Driving from SFO to UC Berkeley will take approximately forty minutes when the traffic is not heavy and over one hour otherwise.
2.1.2 Traveling to and from OAK (www.oaklandairport.com/index.cfm)
- Ask a friend
- Taxi: Again, this is rather expensive.
- Shuttle (Door-to-door van): For more information, you can contact some of these numbers:
- Bayporter Express (1-877-467-1800)
- A-1 Express Shuttle Service (1-888-698-2663)
- Air Transit Shuttle (1-510-568-3434)
- BART: Take AirBART bus from OAK to Coliseum/Oakland International Airport BART station. Then, take the BART. AirBART cost two dollars, in which ticket can be purchased before boarding the AirBART.
