The nearest major airport is San Jose Mineta International Airport, 30 miles/48 km northeast of Santa Cruz. San Francisco International Airport is approximately 60 miles/96 km north of Santa Cruz, and Oakland International Airport is approximately 65 miles/104 km north of Santa Cruz. From those airports, there are trains that can take you as far as Diridion Station in San Jose. Getting from San Jose to Santa Cruz requires either a rental car, ride share, car service, or taking the Highway 17 express bus along Highway 17. For more information, check resources on the Santa Cruz County website.
We offer to coordinate your arrivals and departures, setting you in contact with each other for sharing car services. We will reach out with a google forms closer to the date.
The conference will be head at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, with an opening night event at the UC Santa Cruz Haybarn on campus. The Dream Inn is located right on the beach in Santa Cruz, next to the wharf and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk area.
The Dream Inn also serves as the primary conference hotel, with a block of rooms at a special conference rate from 20/10/2024 to 24/10/2024.Â
$279 Sunday – Thursday with waived parking (The attached link is for Monday through Thursday but if you’re planning on arriving Sunday you are able to change the date)Â
There are many other hotels at varying price points within walking distance of the event hotel, as well. Examples include: Seaway Inn,  Beach Street Inn and Suites.
Santa Cruz METRO app to buy tickets. Alternatively, there is a transit center at 603 Front St, Santa Cruz. Please note: you can buy tickets on the bus directly, but you will need cash and, ideally, the exact change as you won’t get money back.
On Monday there will be a shuttle from the Dream Inn to the Hay Barn on UCSC’s campus which is the recommended method of transportation to the Opening Session.Â
The Bcyclce e-bikes provide an easy and cheap way to get around the city. However, be aware to switch bicycles every 30min to avoid extra pay. There is no bcyclce stand at the Hay Barn, but there is one close to the hotel.
There are multiple car rental spots in town. Next to europcar, smart, etc., you can also try turo or zipcar.
Most parking around the city uses Park Mobile. If you plan on using a car during this trip, we recommend downloading the app to your smartphone ahead of time. There are privately owned lots that offer hourly parking and feature pay stations.Â
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Other activities can be found here: https://www.santacruz.org/things-to-do/
