Getting to Westercon 60
If you are coming to Gnomeward Bound (and if you're reading this, we certainly hope you are!), you have lots of choices. Because many of you are coming from outside of the Bay Area, you may need to make that choice now so you can book travel reservations. This article covers the basics of where the hotel is and what your transportation options are. We plan to post a more detailed version of these instructions on our web site, but this article should tell you what you need to know to decide how you're going to get here.
Where It's Happening
The San Mateo Marriott is in San Mateo, California, approximately mid-way between San Francisco and San Jose.
By Car
The Marriott is located on the Peninsula near the junction of US-101 with CA-92, off CA-92 at the Delaware Street Exit. From the East Bay and other points east of the Bay Area, take the San Mateo Bridge (CA-92; $4 toll); Delaware Street is the first exit west of US-101. From San Francisco and points north or San Jose and points south, take US-101 to CA-92 west, then exit at Delaware Street. The exit ramp from US-101 west leads onto Concar Drive; turn right on Concar Drive and continue straight past Delaware Street. Concar turns left and becomes Amphlett Blvd, and the hotel will be on your left as you make this turn. The hotel is visible from the freeway when approaching from the north on US-101.
Free Parking
Gnomeward Bound has arranged for Free Parking at the San Mateo Marriott.
By Air
The San Francisco Bay Area has three major airports: San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), and Oakland (OAK). By far the most convenient airport for Gnomeward Bound is SFO, which is only 8 miles (13 km) north of the hotel. The Marriott offers a free shuttle bus from and to SFO; however, you may need to call the hotel (1-650-653-6000). Gnomeward Bound does not have an official airline.
If your travel plans require you to fly to one of the other two airports (for example, Southwest Airlines does not serve SFO), you can still get to the hotel, but it will cost money. Your major options are to take a taxi (which will cost $75-$100), use a shared-ride shuttle service ($30-$60 and up), rent a car, or take public transit (less expensive, but also less convenient).
Taking transit from Oakland involves riding an AirBART bus to the BART (http://www.bart.gov) station (one-way fare $3), riding a BART train to SFO station ($5.80), and calling the hotel (1-650-653-6000) for their free shuttle. (You can change from BART to Caltrain at Millbrae station, but we don't recommend it, because it will cost more overall and probably take longer, because trains that stop at both Millbrae and Hayward Park only run once an hour and the BART and Caltrain schedules do not always connect that well.) From San Jose, ride the free VTA "Airport Flyer" (bus #10) to Santa Clara and take Caltrain to Hayward Park, for a one-way cost of $5.75. (Fares subject to change) See more about trains below.
By Train
It's easy to get to the hotel using the Caltrain (http://www.caltrain.com/) commuter rail system; however, the train station (Hayward Park) is about 2/3 of a mile (about 1 km) from the hotel. It's an straightforward walk with no hills. For a full description including a map, see http://community.livejournal.com/westercons/759.html. Caltrain runs from around 5 AM to last trains departing at Midnight (from San Francisco) and 10:30 PM (from San Jose), with stops at Hayward Park approximately once an hour each direction during most of the day (less often in the evening).
If you're coming from the Sacramento area, you can take the Amtrak Capitol Corridor (http://www.amtrakcapitols.com/) service, which runs 16 trains each way daily between Sacramento and the Bay Area, seven of which serve San Jose. We recommend riding the Capitol to San Jose and changing to Caltrain there, because they share a station; however, this is the "long way around," and you can also ride the Capitol to Richmond, change to BART and ride it to SFO, then call the hotel (1-650-653-6000) for their free shuttle.
You can also take one of the Amtrak long-distance trains (http://www.amtrak.com/) that serve the Bay Area. The California Zephyr runs daily to Emeryville (near Oakland) from Chicago. (From Emeryville, you'll need to take a taxi to the nearest BART station and use the BART directions above.) The Coast Starlight runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, with a stop in San Jose where you can transfer to Caltrain (see above). Both of these trips can be highly scenic and enjoyable; however, do keep in mind that Amtrak long-distance trains are subject to unpredictable and sometimes substantial delays, so leave lots of slack in your travel plans if you travel by train.
Should I Rent A Car?
If you're flying or taking the train from out of the area, you may want to consider renting a car if you plan to do a lot of off-site excursions. There are many restaurants within relatively short driving distance of the hotel, but almost none within convenient walking distance (under 2/3 mile or 1 km). Particularly if you're flying to OAK or SJC, a rental car may be not too much more expensive than paying for taxis or shuttles. Party hosts may want a car to drive to stores for supplies. (There is a Costco, for example, about 2 miles from the hotel.) On the other hand, there is a Trader Joe's grocery store, a Rite-Aid 24-hour pharmacy, a 7-Eleven, and a Big K-Mart store within short to medium walking distance (as close as diagonally opposite one corner of the hotel's parking lot).
