There are 5 ways to get from Palo Alto to Berkeley by train, subway, bus, car, taxi, or bus (Amtrak)
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Caltrain, BART
best- Take the train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northboundtrain Local Weekday / ...
- Take the subway from Millbrae to Downtown Berkeleysubway Red-N
1h 49m$17–21Drive 38.4 mi
cheapest- Drive from Palo Alto to Berkeleycar 38.4 mi
49 min$7–11Bus, BART
- Take the bus from Palo Alto Transit Ctr-Bay 9 to El Camino Real & Linden Avebus Ecr / ...
- Take the subway from Millbrae to Downtown Berkeleysubway Red-N
2h 31m$13–17Taxi
- Take the taxi from Palo Alto to Berkeleytaxi 38.4 mi
49 min$140–170Bus
- Take the bus from E Bayshore Rd & Donohoe St to Salesforce Transit Center- Bay 37bus Epx
- Take the bus from San Francisco to Emeryvillebus Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service
2h 54m
Palo Alto to Berkeley by train and subway
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Palo Alto to Berkeley is to drive which costs $7 - $11 and takes 49 min.
The fastest way to get from Palo Alto to Berkeley is to drive which takes 49 min and costs $7 - $11.
No, there is no direct bus from Palo Alto to Berkeley. However, there are services departing from E Bayshore Rd & Donohoe St and arriving at Emeryville via San Francisco. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2h 54m.
No, there is no direct train from Palo Alto to Berkeley. However, there are services departing from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound and arriving at Downtown Berkeley via Millbrae. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 1h 49m.
The distance between Palo Alto and Berkeley is 49 miles. The road distance is 38.6 miles.
The best way to get from Palo Alto to Berkeley without a car is to Caltrain and BART which takes 1h 49m and costs $16 - $21.
It takes approximately 1h 49m to get from Palo Alto to Berkeley, including transfers.
Palo Alto to Berkeley bus services, operated by SamTrans, depart from E Bayshore Rd & Donohoe St station.
Palo Alto to Berkeley train services, operated by Caltrain, depart from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound station.
Palo Alto to Berkeley bus services, operated by SamTrans, arrive at Salesforce Transit Center- Bay 37 station.
What companies run services between Palo Alto, CA, USA and Berkeley, CA, USA?
You can take a bus from E Bayshore Rd & Donohoe St to Emeryville via Salesforce Transit Center- Bay 37 and San Francisco in around 2h 54m.
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- caltrain.com
Train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 32 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $5–7
- Phone
- +1-510-464-6000
- Website
- bart.gov
Subway from Millbrae to Downtown Berkeley
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $11–14
- Website
- https://www.bart.gov
- Website
- samtrans.com
Bus from Palo Alto Transit Ctr-Bay 9 to El Camino Real & Linden Ave
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 14m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Website
- http://www.samtrans.com
- Schedules at
- http://www.samtrans.com
Bus from E Bayshore Rd & Donohoe St to Salesforce Transit Center- Bay 37
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 36m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Website
- http://www.samtrans.com
- Schedules at
- http://www.samtrans.com
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Bus from San Francisco to Emeryville
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Estimated price
- $140–170
Yellow Checker Cab
- Phone
- +1 408-777-7777
- Website
- yellowcheckercab.com
Taxi San Jose
- Phone
- +1 408-459-8010
- Website
- taxisanjose.com
AJ Taxi Services
- Phone
- +1 408-759-9654
- Website
- ajtaxiservices.com
Want to know more about travelling around United States
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Palo Alto to Berkeley train services, operated by Caltrain, arrive at Millbrae Caltrain Northbound station.
Yes, the driving distance between Palo Alto to Berkeley is 39 miles. It takes approximately 49 min to drive from Palo Alto to Berkeley.
There are 782+ hotels available in Berkeley.












