Parking & Transportation

There are various transportation options available to you as a visiting student at Stanford University:

Parking & Transportation on Campus

  • Parking:  Visit Stanford Transportation to access parking permit information
  • Bicycles: Vist the campus bike shop if interested in renting a bike
  • Marguerite:  Stanford's free public shuttle system - no ID required. The main shuttle lines traverse the campus Mon - Fri all year (except University holidays). Evening and weekend service runs from Sept - June with the Midnight Express and Shopping Express lines. All buses are wheelchair-accessible and have bike racks. 
  • Stanford Map:  Use the Parking Map to find desired locations

Transportation in the Bay Area

  • Airports: Go to the San Francisco International Airport website or call the Bay Area Transit Information Hotline by dialing 511 from within the San Francisco Bay Area or (510) 817-1717 from outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Also check information about the San Jose International or Oakland International airports.
  • Caltrain:  commuter rail service that runs between Gilroy and San Francisco. The two closest stops to Stanford are the California Avenue and Palo Alto stations. The Marguerite service meets trains at both stations between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays. Marguerite also provides late-night and weekend service to the Palo Alto station during the academic year. 
  • SamTrans: Connects the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) to all of San Mateo County (north of campus), including service to the San Francisco International Airport. Go to the SamTrans website for more information.
  • Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA): Buses connect the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) to Santa Clara County (south of campus). VTA also provides light rail service in the South Bay. All VTA buses have 2-bike front-mounted racks. Go to the VTA website for more information.