Whether your budget is large or small, arranging transportation for your San Diego vacation is essential if you want to get as much out of your time in the city and its surrounding attractions as possible. Like most major metropolitan areas, San Diego offers several transportation opportunities, and a few of them are quite entertaining.
Renting a Car
If you're staying downtown, it's possible to get around town without a car, but families who want to visit sites like LEGOLAND California and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will probably want to rent a car, at least for a portion of the vacation.
When you buy your tickets or make your hotel or motel reservation, make sure you inquire about deals on rental cars. There are deep discounts for vehicles rented for at least four days or that are rented for an entire weekend.
Taking Public Transportation
The main mode of public transportation in San Diego is its bus line, which is run by the Metropolitan Transit System, which posts its schedule online. If your vacation will take you to the Gaslamp Quarter, historic downtown, and a Padres game, you can use the bus to get everywhere you want to go.
There's also another bus system north of the city, which may be valuable for travelers headed to the northern beaches or some of the outlying attractions. There is some waiting involved if you choose to take the bus to all destinations, but it might be the least expensive option for a few days of travel.
Hopping on the Trolley
Even if you don't need to get somewhere specific, or your schedule is open, you'll want to hop on the San Diego Trolley at least once. The Trolley even deposits passengers near Amtrak and bus routes, so it's easy to use more than one type of transportation to get around.
There are also some other, unique travel opportunities with horse-drawn carriages and bicycle-drawn cabs called "pedicabs," which tend to populate the waterfront area and the Gaslamp Quarter.
Taking a Taxi or Town Car
There are about a half dozen taxi companies that operate in the San Diego area. This mode of transportation isn't the least expensive; however, travelers coming into the airport may want to grab a taxi to downtown and spend the rest of the trip using buses, trolleys, and their feet.
One helpful feature for travelers is the 511 service for calling a taxi. All you have to do is dial "511" from any phone in the county and tell the automated system that you'd like a taxi. This service is available at any time of the day or night.
Seasonal Opportunities
During the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you can choose to hop on the Big Bay Shuttle, which will get you from several major hotels to different points around the Port of San Diego's Embarcadero. The shuttle costs just $3 for the entire day for each rider.
Getting into the Area
If you're traveling from within California, you might want to consider taking the train. Travelers from anywhere along the coast can get down to San Diego via Amtrak. The San Diego International Airport is also a convenient option for people traveling from out-of-state.
Just like any feature of your vacation, it's best to plan the transportation well in advance. You'll be able to experience much of what San Diego has to offer if you don't have to worry about how to get to your chosen destinations.
