Travel and Accommodations
Getting to UCI
By plane
UC Irvine is located in Orange County, California, about 4 miles from John Wayne Airport (SNA). SNA also connects to Canada and Mexico. Taxis are available at a taxi stand across the street from the main terminal. A taxi from SNA to the conference hotel costs about $30. Rideshare fares will generally be less.
The conference is located about 50 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). International airfares to SNA and LAX are often similar, though there are no direct transcontinental flights to SNA.
A direct car ride from LAX to UC Irvine and nearby hotels can, depending on the traffic, take from 45 minutes to about 2 hours. Licensed taxis are available at clearly labeled taxi stands. Rideshare fares are generally more affordable than taxi fares, though both will depend on traffic conditions and rideshare fares also depend on demand pricing.
The most affordable (and predictable) option for a transfer from LAX is to book a seat on a shuttle in advance. Two popular shuttle services are super shuttle and prime time shuttle. Plan on more than two hours in total, including airport waiting time, for a shuttle service transfer.
Visitors staying in the conference hotel (below) will have access to a bus service to and from the conference venue. Rideshare and taxi services are also available. Renting a car is unnecessary, unless you also plan to visit other destinations in Southern California.
By car
If you prefer to travel by car, you can find driving directions and freeway maps at the UCI campus maps page. Parking on campus costs $16 – $20 per day. Please write to Jim Weatherall if you plan to park a private vehicle on campus so he can work with UCI's parking and transportation services to ensure adequate spaces are available.
If you are driving or taking a taxi or rideshare service, we recommend print an UCI map and bring it with you.
Accommodations
Conference Hotel
The conference will take place on UC Irvine's campus. Rooms at the Ayres Hotel Costa Mesa / Newport Beach has been set aside at a reduced rate for the dates of the conference. To book the rooms, please user the group booking page. Information about benefits of using the group rate can be found on this flyer. Note that the link on the flyer works to take you to a specialized group booking page, but the group code apparently is not recognized by the online system.
Parking at the hotel is complimentary for anyone who books at the group rate. Please note that the website will show a parking charge, but it will be waived for group members on arrival.
To receive the discounted rate, and maximize the availability of these rooms for all participants, please book as soon as possible. Due to high demand for these dates, the Ayres is holding a limited number of rooms, and will increase the size of the room block only if it fills.
A bus service between the conference hotel will operate in the morning and evening of each day.
Other Hotels
There are several other hotels located near UCI. Some convenient options include:
Please note that the conference will coincide with commencement exercises for some UC Irvine students, and so we recommend booking hotel rooms early.
Our Sponsors
For questions about submissions or the conference program, please write to the program committee chairs at foundationsphysics2026@gmail.com. For questions concerning conference registration or other administrative and organizational matter, please write to the local organizing committee chair at weatherj@uci.edu