Directions to Santa Cruz


From San Jose:


The closest major airport is Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). To get from SJC to Santa Cruz by car, take Route 880 south to Highway 17 south to Route 1 north to Santa Cruz [Yahoo! or Google map].

To get from SJC to Santa Cruz via public transportation, three options are available:

1.) The Highway 17 Express runs between San Jose Diridon Station and Santa Cruz Metro Center and costs $4 for a one-way ticket. To get to Diridon Station, you have two options:
  • Take a taxi (~$15-20).
  • Take the VTA Airport Flyer (Route 10) Westbound to Santa Clara Transit Center (free). Then take Caltrain Southbound 2 stops to San Jose Diridon Station ($2 for a one-way ticket).

2.) Greyhound runs from the San Jose Greyhound Station to the Santa Cruz Metro Center and costs $6 for a one-way ticket. To get to the Greyhound Station, you have two options:
  • Take a taxi (~$15-20).
  • Take the VTA Airport Flyer (Route 10) Eastbound to the Metro/Airport Light Rail Station (free). Then take the Light Rail (Route 901 or 902) Southbound 5 stops to the Santa Clara Light Rail Station ($1.75 for a one-way ticket). Finally, walk 4 blocks west on Santa Clara Street, turn left on Almaden Ave, and walk one block to the Greyhound Station [Yahoo! or Google map].

3.) Take a direct shuttle. The prices of these vary greatly but can be as much as $50 each way. Be sure to make reservations in advance.

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From San Francisco:


San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the primary international airport that serves the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are flying internationally, you will most likely find much greater availability and cheaper tickets by flying into SFO. Although SFO is farther from Santa Cruz than San Jose, it is still very easy to get from SFO to Santa Cruz. If you will be travelling by car, take Route 101 south to Route 85 south to Highway 17 south to Route 1 north to Santa Cruz [Yahoo! or Google map].

To get from SFO to Santa Cruz via public transportation, take BART from the SFO BART Station to the Millbrae BART Station ($1.50 for a one-way ticket). Transfer to Caltrain, and go Southbound to San Jose Diridon Station ($5 for a one-way ticket). Take the Highway 17 Express from Diridon Station to the Santa Cruz Metro Center ($4 for a one-way ticket).

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From Northern California:


If you are travelling by car, take Route 5 south to Route 80 west to Route 680 south to Route 280 north, and then take Highway 17 south to Route 1 north to Santa Cruz. If you prefer to travel by public transportation, take Greyhound or the Amtrak Capitol Corridor service.

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From Southern or Central California:


If you are travelling by car, take Route 101 north to Route 156 west to Route 1 north, and then follow Route 1 north to Santa Cruz. If you prefer to travel by public transportation, take Greyhound.

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