There are three international airports serving the bay area: The San Jose International Airport (SJC), the closest airport to Santa Cruz; the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), a United hub with many direct connections to Asia and Europe; and the Oakland International Airport (OAK).
From the airports there are various options to reach Santa Cruz:
- Rental car. From SJC it is approximately a 40 min drive, from SFO it
is a 1 hour 15 min drive and from OAK it is a 1 hour 30 min drive.
One-way rentals from the airports to Santa Cruz are possible for example
with Avis and Enterprise, which have locations in town. - Rideshare providers like Uber or Lyft are a reliable option. Rates
are typically around USD 70 between Santa Cruz and SJC and around USD 100
between Santa Cruz and SFO. - There are shuttle services that can be booked between the airports
and Santa Cruz. Shuttle rates are typically $100+ one-way.
https://www.abcairporter.com/
https://www.earlybirdairportshuttle.com/
https://www.paradisetransportationsantacruz.com/
https://www.santacruzshuttles.com/ - Public transportation is in principle available. The highway 17
express bus runs from downtown San Jose to Santa Cruz every hour and
takes approximately 1 hour.
https://www.scmtd.com/en/routes/202521/17/wd_ib
The University campus is connected to downtown Santa Cruz by Metro buses.
https://www.scmtd.com/en/routes/schedule
Uber or Lyft are reasonable alternatives for transportation in Santa Cruz.
A parking permit is necessary to park on campus. Parking permits are included in the price of the on-campus housing. Participants who stay off-campus can purchase parking permits (USD 10 per day) through the registration portal.
More info about transportation can be found here.
