Travel and Transportation
There are lots of options for getting around Southern California, but many of them may be very different than what our international students are used to back at home. Our office is here to help provide resources for international students as they navigate living in the Riverside area. Be it free shuttle rides from and to LAX every academic year, getting a driver's license, or information on how to use the local bus system we are here to provide assistance.
Read through the content below for more information on each topic.
ISSS offers low-cost shuttles from and to Los Angeles International Airport twice a year. Details of these shuttles, along with the Reservation Request Form (when open), are listed below.
Shuttle Dates
LAX Shuttles are offered at the start of the school year (in Fall) and the end of the school year (in Spring). For the upcoming school year our shuttle dates are:
LAX Pick Up: Sunday, August 31
- Shuttle 1 - Will arrive at LAX at approximately 2:00 pm
- Shuttle 2 - Will arrive at LAX at approximately 6:00 pm
- The Reservation Request Form for these shuttles will open on August 1.
LAX Drop Off: Sunday, April 26
- Shuttle 1 - Will depart from CBU at 8:30 am
- Shuttle 2 - Will depart from CBU at 2:00 pm
- The Reservation Request Form for these shuttles will open on August 1.
Shuttle Availability
For the LAX Pick Up in Fall we will be sending two shuttles to pick up students. Each shuttle can carry 8 passengers with maximum three pieces of luggage. Seats on the shuttle will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis according to students who fill out the Reservation Request Form first.
Shuttle Deposit
A deposit will be due prior to boarding any of the LAX Shuttles. The deposit will be $10 USD, cash only, and is non-refundable. Details about when the deposit is due will be sent to passengers via email before their shuttle departure.
If you have questions related to LAX Shuttles please send our office an email and we'll be happy to assist you.
Riverside Transit Agency (the local city bus)
The Riverside Transit Agency provides public transportation for Western Riverside
County, operating 38 fixed routes, 5 commuter routes and 15 demand response services.
RTA’s service area spans 2,500 square miles, the second-largest in the nation. Read
more in this helpful guide as well.
For bus route and schedule information contact RTA at +(951) 565-5002 or log on to their website at www.RiversideTransit.com.
CBU students are allowed to ride the bus for free! To do so, you will need to get a digital bus pass through RTA. To access your RTA Buss Pass please check the email sent to your LancerMail from University Card Services (cardservices@calbaptist.edu) which should contain the instructions for accessing your RTA Buss Pass.
Metrolink (trains that run through Southern California)
Metrolink is a premier regional rail system, including commuter and other passenger
services, linking Riverside Country to the surrounding counties. Los Angeles, Orange,
Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties are all accessible via Metrolink
trains.
For Metrolink information, call the Customer Service Center at +1 (800) 371-5465 or
log on to their website at MetrolinkTrains.com.
Once you have been in the U.S for at least 30 days you may then apply for a CA driver’s license. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website is dmv.ca.gov and has the latest California Driver Handbook, instructions on applying for a driver's license as well as frequently asked questions.
To Apply for the California Driver’s License
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Make an appointment to apply for the license. Call (800) 777-0133, or make an appointment on the DMV’s website. The closest DMV offices to CBU are: 6280 Brockton Ave. Riverside, CA 92506 and 6425 Sycamore Canyon Blvd. Riverside, CA 92507
In order to verify your identity, you must provide the following to the DMV:
- Social Security Number (SSN). If you do not have a SSN, please tell the DMV employee that you are not eligible for a SSN.
- A valid passport
- A current valid and Active I-20
- A copy of your I-94 record
- Proof of California residency
- Any other documentation as requested by the DMV
If you leave the U.S. at any time during your studies and intend to re-enter, you must be in possession of a valid I-20 form to present to immigration officials upon return to the U.S.
For travel outside the U.S., you need:
- A valid I-20 that has a Travel Endorsement Signature on page 2. This signature must be from an authorized ISSS staff member, and it notifies Department of Homeland Security that you are a full-time enrolled student at California Baptist University. Click here to see a sample Travel Signature on an I-20. You can request a Travel Signature via your Terra Dotta profile.
- A valid passport, that expires at least six months into the future.
- A valid visa.
For additional information about how to apply for or renew your F-1 visa, please visit the Department of State website.
Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (F-1 & J-1 visa holders):
- Travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean (and contiguous islands) requires different documentation than travel to anywhere else in the world. In order to enter these countries, you must make sure that your I-94 form is valid for longer than the period you expect to stay in that country. If your I-94 reads D/S, this is sufficient as long as you are not near your academic completion date (the completion date is indicated on your Form I-20 or DS-2019).
- In addition to a valid I-94, F-1 students need to take along a valid passport and a valid I-20 form. It is advisable to take evidence of financial support, which could include a bank statement or scholarship letter from sponsor.
- The requirement that a valid U.S. visa be stamped into your passport for your return to the U.S. is waived for a visit of fewer than 30 days to Canada as long as you are in possession of a valid I-94. The immigration officials will look at your I-94 when you enter Canada and when you enter the U.S., but they should not take it from you.
Note: Depending upon your country of citizenship, you may need a visa to enter Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. If you travel to these areas, you will need to contact the appropriate embassy in the U.S.
Please contact your DSO prior to departing the U.S. so we may help ensure you have proper documentation and status needed to return.