Stanford Graduation in June- Transportation and Hotel questions!
 

Sorry for some really dumb questions...I haven't stayed in the San Francisco area in years!

It's a very last minute plan, but I'd like to see my "almost" daughter's graduation from Stanford in June. I'd arrive on very early on Friday the 14th and attend the ceremonies on both Saturday and Sunday. I might play tourist for a day or two afterwards.

I see lots of hotels just south of SFO, at very reasonable prices for those days. There is nothing showing up around Palo Alto. Would It make sense to stay there and commute?

Google indicates about a 30 minute drive to Stanford, tho I'm guessing more like an hour with traffic.

Or is there a relatively direct form of mass transit to Palo Alto? Her family has rented a house near campus, so parking a car there or being picked up at a transit stop by family are both options.

Thanks for any ideas!

There's very easy transport to Stanford - Cal-Train runs along the Peninsula and there is a stop across the street from the northeast corner of campus. Not every train stops there but even if they don't there's a stop a little farther south but still in Palo Alto. To use Cal-Train, you could stay in Millbrae, San Francisco, etc.

Are you sure the "activities" are Saturday and Sunday? When my son graduated, both the university commencement and the individual department ceremonies were on Sunday - one in the morning and one that same afternoon - there was nothing formal on Saturday (that's the day we hosted all the out of town families for a barbecue at our house).

30 minutes drive from SFO to Stanford is accurate - and there shouldn't be a lot of traffic until you get near campus, of course. You'd have to leave yourself plenty of time to park (on campus).

Yes, the two graduation ceremonies are on Sunday, but there is a baccalaureate service and a luncheon/dinner? with the family on Saturday.
I'll look up Ca-Train's schedules. That would be much easier than driving, and I won't have to be my own designated driver.

If you rent a car, the Best Western Plus in Sunnyvale might work, $99 per night "getaway rate" that includes full breakfast.

I think anyone of the bayfront hotels in Burlingame (aka SF Airport south) would be a good fit.

Except you'd have to get to Cal-Train (if the hotel has a shuttle, or you don't mind taking a taxi, it's certainly doable and a lot of choices).

Virtually all of the hotels have shuttle and I think a cab ride to CalTrain is less than $10.

http://www.caltrain.com/schedules/weekendtimetable.html

Be sure you are okay with the return train times being late enough.