To help you get started, here is an overview of transportation options from the airport, directions to Berkeley Law, parking availability, and a list of hotels and motels, as well as maps of the Bay Area and the Berkeley campus. You may also visit UC Berkeley’s Visitor Services website for more information about group tours of the campus: http://visitors.berkeley.edu/. Another website you may find useful is the Berkeley Visitors Guide. It offers tips for the traveler, things to do during your visit, a taste of art and culture of Berkeley, and much more.
Transportation from Bay Area Airports
If you intend to arrive in the San Francisco Bay Area by air, consider flying into Oakland rather than San Francisco. The Oakland International Airport (OAK) is smaller and easier to manage than San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — and it is closer to Berkeley.
Both airports have information desks and extensive websites: Oakland International: http://www.flyoakland.com/ San Francisco International: http://www.flysfo.com/
Oakland Airport to Berkeley
A simple, but expensive, way to travel from the Oakland Airport to Berkeley is by taxi, which will cost approximately $40.00-$50.00. Mass transit via the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system is less expensive. For under $6 you can take the AirBART shuttle from the Oakland Airport to the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART station, then board a Richmond-bound train to the Downtown Berkeley station. It is a good twenty minute walk or a short bus ride from the station to Boalt Hall.
San Francisco Airport to Berkeley
If you arrive at the San Francisco International Airport, the least expensive means of transportation to Berkeley is via BART. The hour train ride will cost $9.25 compared to $55.00-$65.00 for a taxi ride. For domestic flights, take the AirTrain Red Line to the SFO BART station. From the station, you can take a Pittsburg/Bay Point-bound train, then transfer at the MacArthur BART station to a Richmond-bound train and exit at the Downtown Berkeley BART station. For detailed information about public transportation, visit the Bay Area Transit Information website.
Airport Shuttles
If you have a lot of luggage, you may prefer to take a door-to-door shuttle van, which will pick you up at the airport and drop you off wherever you want in Berkeley. There are several shuttle companies (i.e., BayPorter Express) available.
Public Transportation
Take BART to the Downtown Berkeley station and/or take the bus: AC Transit lines 49, 51B, 52, 604, 605, 851, and F all stop in front of Boalt Hall. For more information, visit the BART website. Transit.511.org provides comprehensive information about mass transit in the Bay Area, including a public transit trip planning, routes, schedules, and fare information for all transit services including train, bus, and ferry.
Driving to Boalt
Directions
From I-80, take the University Avenue exit, travel east on University to Oxford Street. Turn right on Oxford, left on Durant Avenue, left on Piedmont Avenue, then left on Bancroft Way. Boalt Hall entrances are on Bancroft Avenue
From Hwy 24, take the 51st Street exit to Telegraph Avenue, turn left on Telegraph, right on Durant Avenue, left on Piedmont Avenue and left on Bancroft Way. Or, using the Claremont Avenue exit, turn left on Claremont, left on College Avenue, right on Durant Avenue, left on Piedmont Avenue, then left on Bancroft Way. Boalt Hall entrances are on Bancroft Avenue
Parking
Public lots are located on Bowditch Street between Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue, on Channing Way/Durant Avenue between Ellsworth Street and Dana Street, on Channing Way below Telegraph Avenue, and on Bancroft Way above Telegraph Avenue.
Map of Campus
Here are links to a campus mapas well as an interactive map of the U.C. Berkeley campus.
Accommodations
There are a number of hotels and motels in Berkeley with reasonable rates, and within walking distance or a short drive away. The Bancroft Hotel, The Faculty Club, and Hotel Durant are located within a short distance from Berkeley Law.