Conference Logistics
We aim to make CUWiP accessible to everyone. All meals and accommodation during the conference are organized and the costs are met by CUWiP. You do not need to book or arrange accommodation on Friday or Saturday night.
General travel guidelines: Travel to the conference is usually paid for by your home department. In cases where your home department or other sources cannot cover the cost, you (the student) are responsible for written communication with USD, so that USD can financially support your travel to CUWiP. There are funds available to provide support for travel to CUWiP, but only after receiving confirmation that your home department is unable to support your travel. Please email usdcuwip2024@gmail.com with your written communication about your needs.
Flight travel guidelines: If you think you will need to book a flight to San Diego, you must first email the cost and itinerary to usdcuwip2024@gmail.com to receive advanced permission. USD will help you to book your travel. Significant costs which are not pre-approved will not be reimbursed. You may be responsible for the full cost of your airfare if you do not attend the conference.
Registration fee waiver guidelines: Registration requires a $45 fee, which helps offset the cost of the conferences. If your department is not covering the cost, and the $45 would cause financial hardship, you may request a fee waiver by following the procedure explained in your acceptance email. Please note, fee waiver requests must be submitted by December 11, two days before the registration deadline.
USD Campus
CUWiP at USD will take place on the main campus in the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (KIPJ), with several locations within KIPJ and on campus for talks, workshops, and social activities.
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA
92110
Downloadable PDF of USD Campus Map
Link to Campus Map Application
Lodging
Conference lodging will be provided at the Best Western Hacienda Hotel Old Town. Attendees will be housed two or three to a room, each with their own bed. We welcome roommate requests on the local registration form and will do our best to assign roommates accordingly; if requests are not made, we will group students by school where possible.
Best Western Hacienda Hotel Old Town
4041 Harney Street
San Diego, CA
92110
Friday Hotel Check-in
You may check in to Best Western Hacienda Hotel Old Town after 4:00 pm on Friday. Have your photo ID available. Your hotel and breakfast will be covered by the conference, however personal purchases must be made with a personal credit card. Parking at the hotel is included in your registration; you will receive instructions upon check-in. We will be providing a shuttle that runs from the hotel to the conference location in a 20-minute loop from 3:00-5:00 pm on Friday. You can also catch the USD Tram from the Old Town Transit Center (located a walkable 0.4 miles from the hotel) to the USD campus at 3:45, 4:15, 4:45, or 5:15.
Saturday and Sunday Breakfast Buffet
CUWiP attendees staying at the Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel can enjoy a delicious, all-you-can-eat, Hot American Breakfast Buffet served daily, high-atop the hotel at the Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant featuring indoor and patio seating. CUWiP attendees will not need to pay for the Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffet; it will be included in your registration. You will be designated a morning time slot for your breakfast buffet start time after you register.
Breakfast items include: Scrambled Eggs, Specialty Scrambles, Breakfast Meats, Yogurt, Oatmeal, Assorted Cereals, Pancakes, Muffins, Fresh Fruit, Coffee, Decaf, Hot Tea, Milk, Juices and Bottled Water.
Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant
2467 Juan Street
San Diego, CA
92110
Sunday Check-out
Please check-out before heading to the conference on Sunday and bring your vehicle and luggage. There will not be a return shuttle to the hotel on Sunday. You can park for free in the KIPJ underground parking garage and West Lot parking structures. At this time, we recommend taking an Uber or Lyft back to the Old Town Transit Center when are ready to depart.
Travel
Driving
The USD campus is centrally located at 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110, and the conference location is at 5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110. Carpooling is encouraged. If multiple students are attending from your home institution, your department may be able to facilitate carpooling arrangements.
Train & Bus
Train: Take an Amtrak to the closest train station, the Old Town Transit Center located at 4005 Taylor Street San Diego, CA 92110. The Old Town Transit Center is located 0.4 miles from the hotel (about an 8 minute walk) and 1.9 miles from campus.
Bus: Depending on where you are coming from, there are different bus services to get you to San Diego. Be sure to check out which bus offerings are available near you.
Flixbus: Regular buses available for travel to San Diego. Purchase ticket to "San Diego (Old Town - Flixbus)." From here, it is an 8 minute walk (0.4 miles) to the hotel or 2 miles away from University of San Diego.
Greyhound: Your fastest route may be through the Greyhound bus. Purchase ticket to "San Diego." This will drop you off at the station downtown. From here, walk to the local trolley/train station at 12th & Imperial and take either the "Event" or the "Green" line north (to either "Balboa" or "Santee"). After ~15 minutes, get off at the Old Town Transit Center. From here, it is an 8 minute walk (0.4 miles) to the hotel or 1.9 miles away from University of San Diego.
Plane
Airport: The nearest airport is the San Diego International Airport (SAN) located at 3225 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, SAN and is about 6 miles from the USD campus and about 4 miles from the Best Western Hacienda Hotel. Before reserving a flight, you must email us to get approval for your flight.
Free Airport Shuttle: Upon arriving at the San Diego airport, you are encouraged to take the free electric shuttle bus, the "San Diego Flyer," from the airport to the Old Town Transit Center (located a walkable 0.4 miles from the hotel and 1.9 miles from campus). This shuttle operates seven days a week every 20-30 minutes, stopping at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 transportation islands before stopping at the Old Town Transit Center. These shuttles are recognizable through a branded light orange wrap with plane icons and the word "Flyer" across the sides. No reservation is required for this shuttle.
Meals
Meals, snacks, and coffee breaks will be provided by the University of San Diego. Any dietary restrictions should be noted upon registering for the conference and reasonable accommodations will be made. However, if you have additional concerns please email us at usdcuwip2024@gmail.com.
Saturday and Sunday Breakfast Buffet (for hotel guests)
CUWiP attendees staying at the Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel can enjoy a delicious, all-you-can-eat, Hot American Breakfast Buffet served daily, high-atop the hotel at the Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant featuring indoor and patio seating. CUWiP attendees will not need to pay for the Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffet; it will be included in your registration. You will be designated a morning time slot for your breakfast buffet start time after you register.
Breakfast items include: Scrambled Eggs, Specialty Scrambles, Breakfast Meats, Yogurt, Oatmeal, Assorted Cereals, Pancakes, Muffins, Fresh Fruit, Coffee, Decaf, Hot Tea, Milk, Juices and Bottled Water.
Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant
2467 Juan Street
San Diego, CA
92110
Saturday and Sunday Commuter Breakfast (for non-hotel guests)
Local CUWiP attendees or those not staying at the Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel can enjoy a delicious burrito breakfast from 8:00 - 8:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast will be served in the Rotunda or in the front outdoor area of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, if weather permits.
Dietary Requirements
We will request dietary restriction information on the registration form. If you have additional dietary needs, please contact us at usdcuwip2024@gmail.com and we will work to accommodate you.
Parking
Parking at the Hotel
Parking at the Best Western Hacienda Hotel is included in your registration; you will receive parking instructions upon checking in to the hotel.
Campus Parking Friday
If you are attending a Friday afternoon tour (GA tour, campus tour, lab tours): Limited parking is available on campus. See map for details.
If your are not attending a Friday afternoon tour and staying at the hotel: Check into the hotel officially starts at 4 pm, but you should be able to check in as early as 3 pm. Upon arrival to San Diego, check in, park at the hotel, and then take the provided conference shuttle from the hotel to the conference location. This shuttle will run approximately every 20 minutes from 3:00-5:00 pm on Friday.
If you miss this tram or you are arriving later, you can take the USD tram from the Old Town Transfer Center, located 0.4 miles from the hotel (about an 8 minute walk). The shuttle arrives at the Transfer Center on the :15 and :45 every hour until 6:15 pm is a 15 minute ride to the stop at Mother Rosalie Hill Hall near the conference location. The tram stops at Old Town from 3:15 - 6:15 pm on Friday (1/19). You can see where the tram (approximately) here: https://uofsandtram.passiogo.com/. The conference will provide a shuttle back to the hotel from 8-10 pm.
If you are not attending a Friday afternoon tour and not staying at the hotel: you can park in the West Parking Lot (see map below). From there, you can either walk or take the free USD shuttle (West Campus Loop or Express West, < 5 minute ride) up the hill to KIPJ. The shuttle arrives approximately every 15 minutes and ends service at 10:30 pm. You can see where the tram is here: https://uofsandtram.passiogo.com/. You will need to register your car at one of the parking kiosks, so make sure to take a picture of your license plate before you head up the hill! More information on how to do this coming soon.
Campus Parking Saturday & Sunday
On campus parking is free on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and does not require a permit. The USD parking structures closest to the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice building where the conference is taking place, include:
Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Garage: an underground garage located directly under the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice building. To enter garage: Enter USD campus via the West Entrance off of Linda Vista Road onto Marian Way. Go past the parking kiosk and up the hill until you see an underground parking garage entrance to your right. Attendees may park in any available spaces that are not marked reserved.
West Parking Structure: a parking structure located near the West Entrance of campus down the hill. To enter West Parking Structure: Enter USD campus via the West Entrance off of Linda Vista Road onto Marian Way. Go past the parking kiosk and and take the second left into the structure. Attendees may park in any available spaces that are not marked reserved.
Shuttles
Airport Shuttle
Free Airport Shuttle: Upon arriving at the San Diego airport, you are encouraged to take the free electric shuttle bus, the "San Diego Flyer," from the airport to the Old Town Transit Center (located a walkable 0.4 miles from the hotel and 1.9 miles from campus). This shuttle operates seven days a week every 20-30 minutes, stopping at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 transportation islands before stopping at the Old Town Transit Center. These shuttles are recognizable through a branded light orange wrap with plane icons and the word "Flyer" across the sides. No reservation is required for this shuttle.
USD Shuttles
Complimentary USD shuttles to and from the USD campus and Best Western Hacienda Hotel will run at the following times:
There will be a conference provided shuttle on Friday afternoon from the hotel to the conference location from 3:00 - 5:00 pm that will run every ~20 minutes. USD also provides a free tram service that runs every 30 minutes from the Old Town Transit Center (located a walkable 0.4 miles from the hotel) to the USD campus 3:30 - 6:30pm on Friday (3:45, 4:15, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:15 from Old Town). Drop off location is the Mother Rosalie Hill Hall tram stop across from the conference location. See map below for more details.
Friday, January 19th
Afternoon Shuttle
3:00 - 5:00 PM
Shuttle from hotel to USD in a ~20 minute loop
Location: KIPJ
Friday, January 19th
Evening Shuttle
8:00 - 10:00 PM
Shuttle from USD to hotel
Location: KIPJ
Saturday, January 20th
Morning Shuttle
6:30 - 8:30 AM
Shuttle from hotel to USD
Location: Best Western Hacienda - Outside of lobby
Evening Shuttle
8:00 - 10:00 PM
Shuttle from USD to hotel
Location: USD location TBD
Sunday, January 21st
Morning Shuttle - Be sure to check out before heading to the conference
6:30 - 8:30 AM
Shuttle from hotel to USD
Location: Best Western Hacienda - Outside of lobby
There is not a scheduled shuttle on Sunday afternoon from USD to the hotel. The conference will provide a limited number of Lyft vouchers to students who need rides back to the Old Town Transfer Center to catch buses or trains.
Uber/Lyft
If you need to travel to and from the conference during non-shuttle hours, an Uber or Lyft ride from KIPJ to Best Western Hacienda Old Town is approximately $10. This is a non-refundable travel cost.
Conference Location
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice
Conference Hotel
Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel Old Town
Conference details are specific to CUWiP at USD. For general information please visit the American Physical Society's website. Contact us at usdcuwip2024@gmail.com.
