The 2026 World Fantasy Convention WFC 2026 is being held at the Oakland Convention Center, 550 10th Street, Oakland, CA. The convention hotel is the Oakland City Center Marriott. The two are physically attached, so if at all possible we recommend you stay at the convention hotel. This page contains information about how to get there on BART from nearby airports and other transit hubs. Unless you are planning a day trip while you are in Oakland, there is really no reason to rent a car. Downtown Oakland is very walkable, rideshare and cabs are readily accessible, and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) can take you to San Francisco, Berkeley, and points beyond. BART is remarkably efficient, clean, safe, and air-conditioned, and some of the above-ground lines even provide the occasional spectacular view.
If you do choose to drive, we may be able to offer discounts for nearby parking lots in downtown Oakland. Check back here for more information between now and the time of the convention.
ACCESSIBILITY
All three nearby airports and BART are accessible for people with physical mobility concerns. See the links below for information about mobility assistance services at the airports.
San Francisco Airport accessibility information: https://www.flysfo.com/passengers/services-amenities/accessibility
San Jose Airport accessibility information: https://www.flysanjose.com/accessible-services
Oakland Airport accessibility information: http://iflyoak.com/accessibility/
In BART stations, train platforms are either upstairs or downstairs from the entry point. Elevators are usually right by the entrance and are always prominently marked. Most of the time, station agents are in the snazzy silver-and-glass boxes at the entry gate. Don’t be shy about pushing the intercom button and asking a station agent for assistance; that’s what they’re there for. Rarely, there may be elevator outages; if this occurs, contact the station agent for guidance.
SENSORY CONCERNS
Keep in mind that BART trains can occasionally get very loud as they near the platform. If loud noises are a concern for you, you may want to bring earplugs or plug your ears
BART trains are air conditioned and usually do not feature the challenging array of smells you might find in some other urban transit systems.
RIDING BART
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the local rail system that can get you to Oakland from any of the three nearby airports, and can also get you to San Francisco or San Jose.
You will need a Clipper account to ride BART. Clipper is a regional transit card that can be used on all transit in the Bay Area. It can be installed on your mobile phone or obtain a plastic card at the station. However, supply chain issues have resulted in shortages of plastic cards, so you are strongly encouraged to install the app. You will also save the $3 card fee by using a digital card on your phone instead of a plastic card.
Clipper is available for mobile phones through either Apple Pay or Google Pay. Every rider needs their own digital card, but you can have more than one digital card on a single phone.
If you are taking BART, you may wish to download the BART app for up-to-date information on real time schedules and train arrivals. This will be especially helpful in the unlikely case of service interruptions.
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION ON GROUND TRANSIT
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION FROM BART:
Take BART to the 12th Street/Oakland Civic Center station. Exits are along Broadway, the main drag in downtown Oakland, You can edit anywhere from 11th to 14th Street. Walk down Broadway to 10th Street, take a right on 10th, and you’ll be at the Oakland Convention Center.
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER FROM AMTRAK:
Amtrak, the main intercity train service from outside the Bay Area (e.g, Sacramento, Reno and points East), iis a great way to get to the convention .There are two main ways to get to the convention on Amtrak — one direct to Jack London Square in Oakland, and the other on BART via Richmond station.
If you take Amtrak all the way to Oakland, the train will take you to the Jack London Square area. The station is at 245 – 2nd Street. From there, the convention center is about a 10-block (0.8 mile, 1.3 kilometer) walk on largely flat ground, or a very quick rideshare or cab ride.
To walk to the convention center from Amtrak, walk west up 2nd or 3rd Street to Broadway and turn right. Walk up Broadway to 10th Street and turn left; you’ll be at the Oakland Convention Center.
The alternate route is to disembark Amtrak at Richmond Amtrak Station, which is contiguous with the Richmond BART station. From there, take either the San Francisco/SFO/Daily City/Milbrae line or the Fremont/Milpitas/North San Jose line to 12th Street/Oakland Civic Center Station and follow the directions above to get from the BART station to the convention.
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION ON GROUND TRANSIT FROM LOCAL AIRPORTS
There are three main airports in the area: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJO). Oakland is by far the closest, but both Oakland and SFO are easily accessed by BART. San Jose is a little trickier.
RIDESHARE:
Typical rideshare (Lyft or Uber) costs for a ride to downtown Oakland from the airport to the convention center according to Google). PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE ONLY ESTIMATES.
SFO: $64-$90
OAK: $24-$40
SJO: $68-$70
TAXICAB:
SFO: $56-$60
OAK: $27-$30
SJO: $100-$130
PUBLIC TRANSIT
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION FROM SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT: You can take BART directly from SFO airport to the convention. At the time of this writing, the fare is $11.50 and it will take about 55 minutes. Get BART in the International Terminal at SFO airport. You can take either Pittsburg/Antioch or Richmond lines; DO NOT TAKE THE FREMONT/BERYESSA/NORTH SAN JOSE TRAIN. (It will not take you to 12th Street). Once you reach 12th Street/Oakland Civic Center BART, see the instructions above to get to the convention.
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION FROM OAKLAND AIRPORT:
You can take BART (almost) directly from OAK airport to the convention by taking the free AirBART shuttle from the terminal to the Oakland Airport BART station. The shuttle is located near the baggage claim areas of both Terminals 1 and 2. At the time of this writing, the BART fare to downtown Oakland is $2.40 and it will take about 30 minutes. Get BART at the Oakland Coliseum/Oakland Airport station and take the Richmond line; DO NOT TAKE THE DALY CITY OR MILBRAE TRAIN. Once you get to 12th Street/Oakland Civic Center station, follow the
instructions above to get to the convention.
GETTING TO THE CONVENTION FROM SAN JOSE AIRPORT: San Jose Airport has a less direct route, but you can still get to the convention from San Jose. You’ll need to take a bus (VTA Route 60, Airport Flyer) to the Milpitas BART Station. From there, board the Richmond BART train (DO NOT TAKE THE DALY CITY TRAIN). Exit BART at 12th Street/Oakland Civic Center station and follow the instructions above for the short walk to the convention.
BART CONTINGENCIES
If you get on the wrong BART train, don’t panic; there is an easy fix.
If you accidentally get on the Fremont/Beryessa/North San Jose train from San Francisco airport, simply get off the train at West Oakland and transfer to the Pittsburg/Antioch or Richmond train. You will not have to exit the station or pay a new fare. Feel free to ask a station agent for directions if you need them.
If you accidentally get on the Daly City or Milbrae train from Oakland airport, simply disembark at Lake Merritt Station and board the Richmond line. You will not need to exit the station or pay a new fare. Feel free to ask a station agent for directions if you need them.
If you accidentally board the Daly City train from San Jose/Milpitas, simply disembark at Lake Merritt and transfer to the Richmond line. You will not need to exit the station or pay a new fare. Feel free to ask a station agent for directions if you need them.
You can also download the BART App for real-time schedule updates and trip planning, which will be helpful in the unlikely event that there is a service outage or other delay.