We are glad you will join us for the 2016 S-USIH Conference on October 13-15, 2016 at Stanford! Below is some travel and logistical information to help you plan your trip. See the conference program and hotels and accommodations for more information.
Airport Ground Transportation (rental cars, shuttles & taxis):
San Jose and San Francisco airports are equidistant to Stanford; flights into San Jose can be more reliable, but schedules are more limited. The Oakland airport can be an option, but it is much farther than the other two. Ground transportation information, including shared shuttle information, is located here:
Popular choices include:
- Uber and Lyft are available to/from San Francisco or San Jose for about $60-80.
- Super Shuttle – You can book a shared shuttle ride from either airport with this discount offered to the Stanford Community (save $6 with Stanford discount code T9X58).
- 101 Limo and Young’s Limo are useful car services, and charge about $85/$95 each way, respectively. 101 Limo can be contacted for reservations at 1-877-475-5466 and Young’s Limo can be contacted at 415-452-9800.
- We do not recommend taking a taxi because you will be charged 150 percent of the metered rate for distances of 15 miles or farther outside the city limits.
- There is a BART stop in SFO, and at the Millbrae station you can connect to CalTrain which will take you right to downtown Palo Alto, walking distance to most conference hotels. http://www.flysfo.com/to-from/public-transit
Getting Around Stanford:
For most attendees, a combination of S-USIH chartered shuttles and Stanford’s Marguerite Shuttle will be the best transportation option. The Marguerite shuttle is free, open to the public (no ID required), and provides access to/from the Palo Alto/University Caltrain station (close to all conference hotels) as well as service throughout the Stanford campus, Palo Alto, and the Stanford Shopping Center. There is no Marguerite Service on Saturday or Sunday, except for very limited evening hours.
NOTE: There will be dedicated S-USIH shuttles running from the Cardinal Hotel and Stanford Guest House on Friday at 8:00am and Saturday 8:00am (Guest House and Cardinal Hotel) and 8:30am (from Cardinal Hotel only). There are two Cardinal Hotel shuttles on Saturday morning because there is no Marguerite service from downtown Palo Alto on that day. Shuttles will also be available in the evenings after the last conference sessions, but will only run to downtown Palo Alto. Marguerite service in the evenings from Tresidder is fairly consistent until 7:50pm.
Monday – Friday:
The Line Y Limited a.m. shuttle provides supplemental service during the morning peak commute from the CalTrain Station to Tresidder (conference site), operating between 7:20 a.m. and 9:56 a.m.
Line P Express a.m. offers nonstop service between the Palo Alto Caltrain Station and the Stanford Oval (about 10 minute walk to conference site). It runs Monday through Friday (excluding university holidays), from 6:08 a.m. to 9:50 a.m, with departures every 10 minutes.
Line P Express p.m. offers nonstop service between the Palo Alto Caltrain Station and the Stanford Oval. It runs Monday through Friday (excluding university holidays), from 3:40 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with departures every 10 minutes from 3:50 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. and every 20 minutes from 6:50 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.
There is no Marguerite Service on Saturday or Sunday, except for very limited evening hours.
Additional options include:
- The campus area is well serviced by Uber, Lyft, and traditional taxis.
- Biking is a common form of transportation around campus and the local area. It is also a great way to explore Stanford’s sprawling campus if you will arrive before or stay after the conference. Bikes can be rented from Campus Bike Shop, located in Tresidder Memorial Union
- Walking is an option, but be aware Stanford’s campus is very spread out; it would be a 30-45 minute walk from most downtown hotels to the conference location.
Parking on campus
If you drive or rent your own car, note that parking on campus can be very challenging, particularly after 9am on a weekday. Parking is enforced M-F between 8am-4pm. Visitors have several parking and payment options:
- $1.50/hour coin-metered spaces (2 hour limit) located throughout campus; most convenient for the conference is the Tresidder Union lot. For a complete list and links to maps, see:
- http://transportation.stanford.edu/parking_info/VisitorParking.shtml#options
- Parkmobile
- Some visitor spaces, including the lot closest to Tresidder, are equipped to accept Parkmobile payments, so look for the green Parkmobile sticker posted on the parking meter or pay machine.
- The Parkmobile app or mobile website accepts payment using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) at metered, pay-and-display and pay-by-space parking locations. In addition to the visitor parking fee, Parkmobile charges 35 cents for each transaction.
- Using Parkmobile, you can opt to receive a mobile phone notification 15 minutes before your parking session is set to expire. If you haven’t exceeded the maximum time limit of the space where you are parked, you have the option to extend your parking through the app or by calling 877.727.5718. The toll-free number is posted on the meter or pay machine.
- One-day Visitor “scratcher” permits (which allow parking in Visitor Pay Parking lots and at meters), available for $12 each at the Parking and Transportation office located at 340 Bonair Siding; accessible via Campus Dr. and open weekdays 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. One-day “scratcher” permits must be prominently displayed (hung from the rear view mirror) with the date of use properly scratched off.
- Parking permit/ pay and display machines
You may purchase up to 8 hours of parking at any machine ($12.00 maximum/day). The machines accept Visa or MasterCard, bills, or coins; if you do not use your credit card, please bring cash in smaller denominations because these machines do not issue change.