<p>Is it true that it would be unwise to bring a car? If I live on campus will there be a place I can park my car? What about off campus parking options?</p>
<p>If you live on campus, no, I'm pretty sure you won't be given on campus parking. I know that to get a parking permit you have to live more than 3 miles from campus and write an essay explaining why you should get one (gotta love Berkeley).
I'm not sure about off campus parking options... I think I heard someone once mention that you can do it at the YMCA, but it'll likely cost you and be inconvenient.
The thing about Berkeley is that you really don't need a car... just about everything you need is in walking distance, and when you do need to get from point A to point be the bus system does the job.
My GF has her car there and the only thing she uses it for is groceries and to come home on occasion (which she could take BART and Amtrak to do).
I'm living in an apartment near campus and a parking spot runs $100/month. I don't have a problem leaving my car at home. I'll finally finish paying it off just two weeks before I head off to school, and as much as it sucks to leave it behind, I have no problem being car-less in the city of Berkeley.</p>
<p>For your first year (living in the dorms) I would advise against bringing a car: you wont have a place to park (without substantial fees) and you simply wont need it. You will get a free bus pas for the AC transit buses that last throughout your first year of college which run all around the perimeter and throughout the city, even as far as San Francisco. Also, there is BART for convenient and fast trips (not free, but only a couple dollars) to San Francisco, the Oakland Airport, and whatever else you need.</p>
<p>I too will be living in an apartment this coming year, but parking is $50 a month for reserved parking in the parking lot or I hear you can just pay a one time $20 fee to the City of Berkeley to register your car so you can park along the street (they do have 2 hour time limits during peak hours of the day, in addition to finding an open spot IIRC).</p>