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Tenth Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium ANTS-X
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Travel and transport
The workshop takes place at the University of California, San Diego (known locally by the acronym UCSD). The university is located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of downtown. (Do not confuse UCSD with the University of San Diego or San Diego State University, which are located elsewhere in the city.)
Getting to San Diego
The closest airport to UCSD is the San Diego International Airport (airport code SAN). It receives nonstop flights from most large US airports, a few Canadian and Mexican cities, and London. For instructions on getting around from the airport, see below.
Since SAN receives few international flights, some travelers may be tempted to fly to the much larger Los Angeles International Airport (airport code LAX), about 115 miles (185 km) northwest of La Jolla. If you do this, however, take note of the following.
- It is difficult to get from LAX to San Diego without renting a car.
- Renting a car at LAX and returning it in San Diego may incur a hefty one-way rental fee.
- The drive from LAX to San Diego takes 2 hours without traffic but can stretch to over 3 hours during rush hour. If you drive with a passenger, you can bypass most traffic using a dedicated carpool lane.
San Diego is also served by moderately frequent Amtrak train service from downtown Los Angeles (but not from LAX). The closest station to UCSD is Solana Beach, from which one can continue by bus (route number 101) or taxi.
Travel from the airport
If you are arriving by yourself, we recommend getting from the airport to your final destination using SuperShuttle. They provide a shared-ride service (i.e., you will share a van with several other passengers going to similar destinations) for about $30. Advance bookings are not required for trips leaving the airport, but are obligatory for trips back to the airport.If you are arriving in a small group, you may prefer to take a taxi. The ride to UCSD or nearby hotels (such as La Jolla Shores) should cost around $50; the trip to the Hilton Del Mar will run closer to $75.
Public transportation options do exist (at least to UCSD) but are extremely indirect, and thus not recommended. If you insist, see this trip planner for more information, but don't say I didn't warn you.
No transportation is being provided from the airport to the hotels. However, we have created a ride board to help participants coordinate transportation. See this spreadsheet for the responses so far and this form to add your information. (If you fill out the form, you will receive a link for the editable version of the spreadsheet; this will allow you to edit your response or sort all responses by arrival date/time.) We will make similar arrangements during the conference for return trips to the airport.
Getting around the area
As the birthplace of American car culture, southern California is most easily navigated by automobile. Numerous rental car agencies (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty) have locations near the airport to help you go native; from the terminal, follow the signs for rental car shuttles. Advance reservations are strongly recommended: prices are often better in advance, and cars are sometimes in short supply. Note that UCSD has special rates with several companies: see here. It is legal to rent and drive a car with a non-US driver's license; however, driving a rental car into Mexico is ordinarily not permitted without extra insurance. Drivers under the age of 25 may be subject to extra charges.
That said, San Diego does have a fair bit of bus service in the UCSD area, though limited frequencies make it important to plan ahead. Useful routes to campus include 30 (La Jolla beach area), 150 (express to downtown), and 101 (Del Mar and other points north). See transit.511sd.com for more information about transit in the San Diego area.
UCSD also operates some shuttles serving the campus and adjacent areas. Supposedly a campus ID is required, but this does not seem to be enforced.
Taxis are plentiful, but don't expect to hail one on the street; except at locations with taxi stands (airport, hotels, shopping centers), you will need to call for a pickup. Some reputable companies include Yellow Cab (619-444-4444) and Orange Cab (619-291-3333); more phone numbers can be found here. Since California distances can be longer than expected, check a map first to avoid a surprise on the meter!
For funded participants, we will provide shuttle service between the Hilton San Diego/Del Mar and the conference site. Beware that no shuttle service back to the hotel will be provided Wednesday or Friday, as those afternoons have been left free.
Parking on campus
For those driving to campus, it is recommended to park in the Hopkins parking structure; the Pangea parking structure is equally close to the conference venue but has somewhat fewer spaces. You must display a valid daily visitor permit on your dashboard. Permits cost $8/day; one can obtain a current day's permit from the machine in the parking structure (which accepts cash and credit cards), or one can buy permits for the whole week at the visitor information center at the North Point entrance to campus (which you pass on the way to Hopkins). Make sure to follow any instructions on the permit; in particular, do not park in any space labeled "A" (in red) or "reserved". Parking enforcement is quite rigorous, and any parking tickets will be your own responsibility.
Visa requirements
Travelers from many countries do not need a visa to enter the US for a short trip; however, such travelers need to complete an electronic preauthorization at least 72 hours prior to arrival. See this web site for details. Those travelers who do need visas should contact their local US embassy or consulate; if you need a letter of invitation, please contact the organizers immediately.
Other notes
When traveling to the US, you must clear immigration and customs at your point of arrival in the US (which will most likely not be San Diego). If you have checked baggage, you will have to claim it before customs and recheck it immediately afterwards. (Exception: if you enter the US via a flight from Canada, you will clear US immigration and customs at your departure airport in Canada.)
All of California is in the Pacific time zone. During summer, this is 7 hours behind GMT.
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