LEI Location | Problems | Before You Leave Home | Which Airport? | Transportation from Airport to Housing

LEI in California

Travel and Transportation Information

(Updated December 2008)

LEI Location:
LEI is approximately 15 miles (24 km) Northeast of downtown San Francisco, the famous city in the state of California on the West Coast of the U.S.A. 
Next to San Francisco is the Golden Gate, where the waters of San Francisco Bay flow into the Pacific Ocean. 
All the towns and cities surrounding this bay are collectively called “the Bay Area,” and the communities located on the east side of it are called “the East Bay.” 

The LEI classroom is in the East Bay, in a private home in El Cerrito, California (zip code 94530), approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. 
It is near a bus stop for AC Transit Bus no. 7 (direction Del Norte) which comes through central Berkeley.  (www.actransit.org)
The housing options recommended by LEI are located in the town of Berkeley.  For information about housing click here . 

Problems:
If you encounter unexpected problems when you arrive in California, you may call LEI at 510-215-0102 and we will try to assist you.  The private mobile phone number of LEI Director Irene Kiebert will also be given to you after you have registered for your LEI program.

Before you leave home you might want to:

  • Learn something about public transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • For information about BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains go to www.bart.gov
    • For information about bus and tram service in San Francisco go to www.sfmta.com
    • For information about bus service in the East Bay go to www.actransit.org
    • For overall public transit in the Bay Area and a transit travel planner go to www.511.org
  • Ask the staff at your housing accommodation for advice:
    • Is there convenient public transportation near the place?  Can you walk to public transportation or will you need to rent a car?
    • What is the closest Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train station?
    • What is the closest bus?  Does it go to a BART station?
    • If the staff recommends a taxi from the BART station, what is the approximate fare (cost of trip)?
  • Make reservations for airport taxi, shuttle, or limousine service for arrival and departure.
    • You may be able to get a discount if you book a roundtrip.

Which Airport?

  • LEI recommends:      
    San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
    Oakland International Airport (OAK)
  • Less convenient options:       
    Sacramento International Airport  (SMF)
    San Jose International Airport (SJC)
  • Avoid:  Los Angeles International  Airport (this is about 650 km from LEI and there is no convenient public ground transportation to the San Francisco Bay Area.)

Transportation from San Francisco and Oakland Airports:

  • Rental car – you can rent a car at any airport.
    • The lowest rental rates are usually at Budget, Alamo, or Enterprise.   The most expensive are Hertz and Avis.  All of these companies provide good service and good cars.
    • California is a “car culture.”  Public transportation from the East Bay to the city of San Francisco, and within San Francisco, is adequate, but to go outside the immediate area, you will need a car. 
    • You may also want to have a rental car if your housing is not near a bus stop for AC Transit bus no. 7, which is the bus that is near the LEI classroom.
  • Private driver – You can go online to choose any car or limousine service you prefer.
    • Commercial limousine service -- LEI recommends Airport Connection Limousine Service – For a cost of about U.S. $109 the driver will meet you at the pick-up area outside the terminal at the airport and drive you to your destination in the Berkeley area.  For about U.S. $144 the driver will meet you inside the terminal just outside Customs at International Arrivals in the International Terminal, or for about U.S. $129 at Baggage Claim for Domestic Arrivals.  These prices were current as of 1 December 2008 and include tip and all other charges.   To see exact price and other details go to:  http://www.airportcommuter.com/booking.htm.
    • SFO only – for a private car smaller than a limousine, LEI recommends SuperShuttle and its ExecuCar service.  For about $90 the driver will meet you This price does not include a tip, which you should add.  To see exact price and other details go to www.supershuttle.com
    • We know they have been in business many years and have a good reputation, but LEI cannot guarantee services or prices. 
  • Shuttle Van Service – Available at San Francisco and Oakland airports.
    • You  may be able to get a discount on the price if you book a round-trip.
    • You can go online and search any airport shuttle service you prefer.
    • LEI recommends SuperShuttle – For about $17 from SFO or $37 from OAK, you will share a van with a few other passengers.  The van will wait at the curbside pick-up area outside the terminal at the airport.  For details and exact cost, go to www.supershuttle.com.
    • We know they have been in business many years and have a good reputation, but LEI cannot guarantee services or prices.
  • Public Transportation
    • BART – Bay Area Rapid Transit trains
    • For details including schedules, train choices, and fares, go to http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/index.aspx
    • From San Francisco – There is a BART station outside the International Terminal  in the airport.  To enter the BART system you must buy a ticket from a machine.  You will need to transfer trains once or twice, depending on the time of day you travel. 
    • From Oakland --  There is a special bus-to-BART bus stop called AirBART outside the terminal.  You will need to pay exactly $3.00 cash on the bus which will take you to the closest BART station, where you must buy a ticket from a machine.  Take a Richmond direction train directly to the station closest to your housing. 
    • BUS – When you arrive at your destination BART station, you may be able to take an AC Transit local bus to your housing accommodation.  (www.actransit.org)  There is no convenient bus transportation from the airports to Berkeley/El Cerrito.
    • TAXI – You may take a taxi (also called a “cab”) to Berkeley/El Cerrito for a fare (cost) of about U.S. $75 from SFO, or about U.S. $40 from OAK.  (This amount could be more in heavy traffic.
      • If there is no convenient bus service from your destination BART station, you will need to take a taxi (also called a “cab”).
      • In the USA, the fare (cost of trip) is not negotiated with the driver; it is based on the amount shown on the taxi meter next to the driver.
      • As soon as the taxi begins to move the driver will turn on a meter which will show a base fare to begin the trip.  The meter will calculate the fare based on the distance traveled plus the amount of time your trip takes, so your fare will increase even when the taxi is stopped.  Heavy traffic will make the trip more expensive.
      • At the end of the trip it is customary to tip the driver, usually 15-20% of the fare. 
  • Transportation from San Jose and Sacramento:
    • Private driver – Commercial limousine service is likely to cost approximately U.S. $250.
    • Shuttle service – There is no shuttle service between the East Bay and the San Jose or Sacramento airports. 
    • Public transportation – No convenient public ground transportation extends from the East Bay to these airports.  It is possible to find bus service, but connections are inconvenient and the trip from the airport to the East Bay would take several hours.

Questions?  Contact Legal English International Director Irene Kiebert