Does anyone know how to get to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from San Francisco using public transportation?

Question

Does anyone know how to get to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from San Francisco using public transportation?

Answer 1

There are several ways to get from Santa Cruz to San Francisco (or vice-versa) by public transportation: (1) Greyhound bus, (2) Combination of Caltrain and public bus, and (3) Combination of BART, Caltrain, and public bus.

(1) Greyhound. You can take Greyhound Bus between downtown Santa Cruz and downtown San Francisco. There are two advantages. First, you do not have to switch from one mode of transportation to another. Second, there is an on-board toilet (the ride is long). The cost is slightly less than other methods, and the total time is about the same or less, depending on other factors. It is best to get your tickets in advance, since students traveling to or from UC Santa Cruz may fill the bus at certain times. You cannot (easily) take a bicycle. Most routes stop at San Jose, Hayward, and Oakland in between.

(2) Caltrain and Highway 17 public bus. From Santa Cruz, take the Metro/Amtrak Highway 17 bus to San Jose Diridon train station, then take Caltrain to San Francisco.

(3) BART, Caltrain, and Highway 17 public bus. As above, take the Highway 17 bus from Santa Cruz to San Jose Diridon, then take Caltrain to the Millbrae station. At Millbrae, transfer to BART and take it to San Francisco.

Note to Caltrain riders. If you are going from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, particularly on weekends, be aware that some trains are scheduled to arrive at San Jose Diridon shortly before the bus leaves; but the train will probably be late, and the bus will have left.

It is also possible to take the Highway 17 bus from Santa Cruz to San Jose Diridon, then take the VTA route 180 bus to Fremont BART station, then BART to San Francisco. This method is not recommended, unless your actual destination is some east bay location served by BART. If you are affiliated with UCSC, there is an occasional university van between campus and Fremont BART; however, it is not open to the public.

Local transportation in Santa Cruz. If you are traveling to Santa Cruz by any of the above methods, you will arrive at the Metro local bus terminal, which serves Santa Cruz (including the university) and other parts of the county. The bus arrives in the downtown area, between Pacific Avenue and Front Street. Actually, the Greyhound station is immediately adjacent to the Metro station, not part of it. Currently, Metro charges $1.50 for a single ride (no transfers), or $4.50 for a day pass. If your ultimate destination is Watsonville, you can get there by Metro bus; however, if you are arriving via Greyhound, I believe that most routes continue to Watsonville.

Answer 2

Take Greyhound to Front Street, then catch a city bus to the Boardwalk.  Or you could walk about 15 minutes.  

Or you could take Caltrain to the San Jose Diridon station and catch the Highway 17 bus.