Transportation* (Please see below for Parking/Bus Information to Campus)

In accordance with UC policy, please use the most economical method(s) of transportation.

You must book and pay for all your own travel expenses.

If traveling by air, please make your reservations as soon as possible to obtain the best rate. We strongly recommend flying into San Jose International Airport (SJC). Drive times from the airports to the UCSC area are as follows: San Jose airport ~45 minutes, San Francisco airport ~90 minutes, Oakland airport ~90 minutes.

If you choose another form of transportation (such your personal vehicle, car rental, Amtrak or Greyhound) to your destination rather than fly, your personal automobile must be insured.

Ground transportation to/from airport

We recommend using ride-sharing services (e.g., Uber, Lyft) from home to your local Airport, and the Airport to Santa Cruz.

Lodging

You can find local lodging options in Santa Cruz at https://www.santacruz.org/places-to-stay/. Most visitors should plan on staying from September 8th to 10th. You can also choose to stay an additional night (should you want to spend more time exploring Santa Cruz on your own, for instance).

Highlighted Hotel Option – Dream Inn

  • Rate: $279 + tax per room, per night
  • Booking deadline: August 7, 2025
  • To reserve:

Bus Transportation

If you choose to take the bus, you can use any of the following Metro routes: 10, 15, 18, 19, or 20. For the day events, please get off at the “Science Hill” bus stop.

For the mixer, you can use the following Metro routes to access the Coastal Science Campus: 20, or 22. Please get off at the “Seymour Center” bus stop

We will have signage to help direct you to the event.

The Metro System Map is available here. One-way bus fare is $2.00. A day pass is $6.00. Fare information is available here.

Parking

If you choose to drive to campus, you will need to purchase a UCSC parking permit to park in all non-ParkMobile parking spaces on campus.

For the day portion, it is recommended you park at either the Core West Parking Structure (UCSC parking permit) or the North Perimeter Lot (ParkMobile daily rate), as these are the closest to our event.

For the mixer, it is recommended that you park in Lot 201 at the Coastal Science Campus. You can use either your UCSC parking permit here, or use ParkMobile.

We will have signage to help direct you to the event.

The UCSC Parking Map is available here.


Where to Purchase Permits

Visitors may purchase a temporary 1-Day permit from the Main Entrance Kiosk located on Coolidge Drive, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A map of both locations is available here.

One-Day temporary permits cost $10.00. Both a picture ID and proof of registration are required at the time of permit purchases. If you know the campus location you plan to visit, send an email(tapssales@ucsc.edu) inquiry in advance of your visit to obtain more information on visitor parking availability for a specific area.


ParkMobile

Hourly and daily parking options are available in several locations via ParkMobile. Find out more about ParkMobile and which lots allow payment via ParkMobile.