Traveling to and around Berkeley
Berkeley is easy to explore without a car. For our visit, we flew into Oakland International Airport and hopped on BART, which took us to Downtown Berkeley (and our hotel).
AIRPORTS: There are three international airports you can fly to.
- Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the easiest and closest to fly to. You can hop on BART and get off at any of the three stations in Berkeley.
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – Another good option if flights are more accessible from your home. BART also takes you into the city.
- San Jose International Airport (SJC) – You can’t get to Berkeley via BART, but it’s another option if you rent a car.
BARTor the Bay Area Rapid Transit, has three stations in Berkeley: Downtown Berkeley, North Berkeley and Ashby Stations. If you’re flying into OAK or SFO, this is a great option because you can drive it into town. It’s also a great way to get to and from San Francisco, Oakland, Walnut Creek and Concord.
We didn’t use it when we arrived in the city, but it made transfers to and from the airport easy. PRO TIP – If you have an iPhone, add the Clipper card to your wallet to quickly top up your card.
TO REACH BERKELEY: Berkeley is a walkable city. Once we arrived, we explored the area mainly on foot and used ride-share for a few further afield places.