Getting There
Air
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) ( +1 408 501 7600/ http://www.sjc.org ) is located only three miles north of downtown San Jose. Its two terminals accommodate over 11 million passengers a year.
The following major airlines touchdown and take-off from its runways:
Alaskan Airlines (+1 800 252 7522/ http://www.alaskaair.com) American Airline (+1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta.com) Frontier Airlines (+1 800 432 1359/ http://www.frontierairlines.com) Horizon Air (+1 800 547 9308/ http://www.horizonair.com) Mexicana (+1 800 531 7921/ http://www.mexicana.com) Northwest (+1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com) Southwest (+1 800 435 9792/ http://www.iflyswa.com) United (+1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com )
Airport Map & Information: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc.htm
Airport Services: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc2.htm
Airport Transportation: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc3.htm
From the Airport
Car Rental: Alamo (+1 800 327 9633/ http://www.alamo.com) Avis (+1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com) Dollar (+1 800 4000/ http://www.dollar.com ) Enterprise (+1 800 325 8007/ http://www.enterprise.com) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com) National (+1 800 227 7368/ http://www.nationalcar.com) Payless (+1 800 729 5377/ http://www.paylesscarrental.com) Thrifty (+1 800 367 2277/ http://www.thrifty.com)
Taxi: Yellow Cab (+1 408 293 1234) operates out of Terminal A United Cab (+1 408 971 1111) operates out of Terminal C. Yellowcab (+1 408-245-5222/ http://yellowcabca.tripod.com/index.html) Rides to downtown average USD13, while rides to San Francisco approximately cost USD100.
Ride Shares: Atlas Express (+1 888 467 0000) Bay Express Shuttle (+1 408 243 8205) San Jose Express (+1 800 773 0039) Silicon Valley Airporter (+1 800 400 2365) South and East Bay Airport Shuttle (+1 408 559 9477) Most fares average USD15.
Rail: The VTA Airport Flyer (+1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org) ushers passengers to the Santa Clara CalTrain Station (+1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com), which provides access to the Metro Light Rail Station, which services San Jose, as well as train service to San Francisco. The Flyer exits the airport every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. It operates 5:30AM-midnight daily. Rides are free.
Train
Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com) chugs into San Jose's train station at 65 Cahill Street on a daily basis. The Capitol Corridor Line makes 22 daily runs between San Jose and Sacramento, California's state capital. And the impossibly scenic Coast Starlight Line hums into San Jose daily while making runs between Seattle and Los Angeles. CalTrain (+1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com) is a local train line that connects San Jose with San Francisco. Rides last 90 minutes and cost USD5.25.
Bus
Greyhound (+1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com) operates out of San Jose's bus station at 70 South Almaden Avenue. Buses continually arrive from all points of the compass.
Highway
San Jose's crisscrossing network of Interstate highways makes it extremely car accessible. Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) streams into San Jose from Oakland to the north and turns into Route 17 as it continues south into Santa Cruz along the coast. Highway 101 (Bayshore Freeway) enters from San Francisco in a southeast direction before persisting south to Los Angeles. And Interstate 280 (Junipero Serra Freeway) also wanders down from San Francisco, bending along San Jose's southern edge before connecting with Interstate 680 (Sinclair Freeway) which drifts in from Concord and Walnut Creek from the northeast.
Getting Around
Car
Driving in San Jose can be a tedious process if unfamiliar with its mesh of one-way streets. Parking and then using the Downtown Area Shuttle to maneuver through San Jose is strongly recommended. The Interstates, especially the Bayshore Freeway, would frighten most NASCAR drivers during morning and afternoon rush hours. When not gummed with traffic most cars zoom along at terrific speeds and harbor no patience for out-of-town drivers cautiously seeking their mapped out exit.
Taxi
Taxi's are readily available and can be easily found at most major hotels. A small list of cab companies include: Checker Cab (+1 408 293 1199) Yellowcab (+1 408-245-5222/ http://yellowcabca.tripod.com/index.html) Deluxe Cab (+1 408 441 9600) Golden Star Cab (+1 408 573 7777) Rainbow Cab (+1 408 271 9900) Veterans Cab (+1 408 946 2227) Airport Car Service (+1 650 254 1230)
Train
The Metro Light Rail System (+1 408 321 2300) features almost 29 miles of track with 33 stops. Trains attend each station every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends, and every 30 minutes during evenings. Tickets cost USD1.25 and are good for two hours.
San Jose's historic trolley car service operates from early April through early October. It features nine popular downtown stops such as the Civic Center, the San Jose Convention Center, and Japantown.
Bus
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or locally known as VTA (+1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org), stands as San Jose's main source for public transit. Its fleet of 520 buses services all of downtown and the surrounding area with connections to other bus lines that link with Santa Cruz and San Francisco. One-way fares start at USD1.50.
DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) is a free service that wanders through downtown M-F 6:15a-7p. Stops include the San Jose Convention Center, San Jose State University, and the Children's Discovery Museum.
Foot
San Jose's downtown is refreshingly compact making it extremely conducive for walking. San Pedro Square, the Center for Performing Arts, the San Jose Museum of Art, the convention center and many other prime attractions are all within several blocks of each other.
Plenty of bike routes and bike trails make San Jose extremely bike happy.
Getting There
Air
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) ( +1 408 501 7600/ http://www.sjc.org ) is located only three miles north of downtown San Jose. Its two terminals accommodate over 11 million passengers a year.
The following major airlines touchdown and take-off from its runways:
Alaskan Airlines (+1 800 252 7522/ http://www.alaskaair.com) American Airline (+1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta.com) Frontier Airlines (+1 800 432 1359/ http://www.frontierairlines.com) Horizon Air (+1 800 547 9308/ http://www.horizonair.com) Mexicana (+1 800 531 7921/ http://www.mexicana.com) Northwest (+1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com) Southwest (+1 800 435 9792/ http://www.iflyswa.com) United (+1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com )
Airport Map & Information: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc.htm
Airport Services: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc2.htm
Airport Transportation: http://www.airguideonline.com/airports/airport_sjc3.htm
From the Airport
Car Rental: Alamo (+1 800 327 9633/ http://www.alamo.com) Avis (+1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com) Dollar (+1 800 4000/ http://www.dollar.com ) Enterprise (+1 800 325 8007/ http://www.enterprise.com) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com) National (+1 800 227 7368/ http://www.nationalcar.com) Payless (+1 800 729 5377/ http://www.paylesscarrental.com) Thrifty (+1 800 367 2277/ http://www.thrifty.com)
Taxi: Yellow Cab (+1 408 293 1234) operates out of Terminal A United Cab (+1 408 971 1111) operates out of Terminal C. Yellowcab (+1 408-245-5222/ http://yellowcabca.tripod.com/index.html) Rides to downtown average USD13, while rides to San Francisco approximately cost USD100.
Ride Shares: Atlas Express (+1 888 467 0000) Bay Express Shuttle (+1 408 243 8205) San Jose Express (+1 800 773 0039) Silicon Valley Airporter (+1 800 400 2365) South and East Bay Airport Shuttle (+1 408 559 9477) Most fares average USD15.
Rail: The VTA Airport Flyer (+1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org) ushers passengers to the Santa Clara CalTrain Station (+1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com), which provides access to the Metro Light Rail Station, which services San Jose, as well as train service to San Francisco. The Flyer exits the airport every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. It operates 5:30AM-midnight daily. Rides are free.
Train
Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com) chugs into San Jose's train station at 65 Cahill Street on a daily basis. The Capitol Corridor Line makes 22 daily runs between San Jose and Sacramento, California's state capital. And the impossibly scenic Coast Starlight Line hums into San Jose daily while making runs between Seattle and Los Angeles. CalTrain (+1 800 660 4287/ http://www.caltrain.com) is a local train line that connects San Jose with San Francisco. Rides last 90 minutes and cost USD5.25.
Bus
Greyhound (+1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com) operates out of San Jose's bus station at 70 South Almaden Avenue. Buses continually arrive from all points of the compass.
Highway
San Jose's crisscrossing network of Interstate highways makes it extremely car accessible. Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) streams into San Jose from Oakland to the north and turns into Route 17 as it continues south into Santa Cruz along the coast. Highway 101 (Bayshore Freeway) enters from San Francisco in a southeast direction before persisting south to Los Angeles. And Interstate 280 (Junipero Serra Freeway) also wanders down from San Francisco, bending along San Jose's southern edge before connecting with Interstate 680 (Sinclair Freeway) which drifts in from Concord and Walnut Creek from the northeast.
Getting Around
Car
Driving in San Jose can be a tedious process if unfamiliar with its mesh of one-way streets. Parking and then using the Downtown Area Shuttle to maneuver through San Jose is strongly recommended. The Interstates, especially the Bayshore Freeway, would frighten most NASCAR drivers during morning and afternoon rush hours. When not gummed with traffic most cars zoom along at terrific speeds and harbor no patience for out-of-town drivers cautiously seeking their mapped out exit.
Taxi
Taxi's are readily available and can be easily found at most major hotels. A small list of cab companies include: Checker Cab (+1 408 293 1199) Yellowcab (+1 408-245-5222/ http://yellowcabca.tripod.com/index.html) Deluxe Cab (+1 408 441 9600) Golden Star Cab (+1 408 573 7777) Rainbow Cab (+1 408 271 9900) Veterans Cab (+1 408 946 2227) Airport Car Service (+1 650 254 1230)
Train
The Metro Light Rail System (+1 408 321 2300) features almost 29 miles of track with 33 stops. Trains attend each station every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends, and every 30 minutes during evenings. Tickets cost USD1.25 and are good for two hours.
San Jose's historic trolley car service operates from early April through early October. It features nine popular downtown stops such as the Civic Center, the San Jose Convention Center, and Japantown.
Bus
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or locally known as VTA (+1 800 894 9908/ http://www.vta.org), stands as San Jose's main source for public transit. Its fleet of 520 buses services all of downtown and the surrounding area with connections to other bus lines that link with Santa Cruz and San Francisco. One-way fares start at USD1.50.
DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) is a free service that wanders through downtown M-F 6:15a-7p. Stops include the San Jose Convention Center, San Jose State University, and the Children's Discovery Museum.
Foot
San Jose's downtown is refreshingly compact making it extremely conducive for walking. San Pedro Square, the Center for Performing Arts, the San Jose Museum of Art, the convention center and many other prime attractions are all within several blocks of each other.
Plenty of bike routes and bike trails make San Jose extremely bike happy.
Planning a Trip
Getting There
BART (tel. 510/465-2278; www.bart.gov) travels from San Francisco to Fremont in 1 1/4 hours; you can take a bus from there. Caltrain (tel. 800/660-4287; www.caltrain.com) operates frequently from San Francisco and takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Visitor Information
Free visitors guides, published by the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, 408 Almaden Blvd. (tel. 800/SAN-JOSE or 408/295-9600), are available at kiosks within the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 W. San Carlos St., San Jose, CA 95113 (tel. 408/277-5277). You can request information live at the visitors bureau, or log onto www.sanjose.org to receive a free visitors guide by mail.
Getting Around
Light Rail (tel. 408/321-2300) is the best transportation option in town. A ticket is good for 2 hours, and stops include the Great America theme park, the convention center, and downtown museums. Fares are $1.75 for adults, $1.50 for children ages 5 to 17, 75¢ for seniors and travelers with disabilities, and children age 4 and under ride for free. Day passes are $5.25 for adults, $4.50 for children, $2.25 for seniors.
Planning a Trip
Getting There
BART (tel. 510/465-2278; www.bart.gov) travels from San Francisco to Fremont in 1 1/4 hours; you can take a bus from there. Caltrain (tel. 800/660-4287; www.caltrain.com) operates frequently from San Francisco and takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Visitor Information
Free visitors guides, published by the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, 408 Almaden Blvd. (tel. 800/SAN-JOSE or 408/295-9600), are available at kiosks within the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 W. San Carlos St., San Jose, CA 95113 (tel. 408/277-5277). You can request information live at the visitors bureau, or log onto www.sanjose.org to receive a free visitors guide by mail.
Getting Around
Light Rail (tel. 408/321-2300) is the best transportation option in town. A ticket is good for 2 hours, and stops include the Great America theme park, the convention center, and downtown museums. Fares are $1.75 for adults, $1.50 for children ages 5 to 17, 75¢ for seniors and travelers with disabilities, and children age 4 and under ride for free. Day passes are $5.25 for adults, $4.50 for children, $2.25 for seniors.
