San Diego Area Transit

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System consists of the San Diego Trolley, the San Diego Coast Express Rail also called Coaster, and a network of buses. Below are points of Interest serviced by San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) Routes.

San Diego Attraction	Serviced by
Balboa Park	routes 3, 7, and 120
Cabrillo National Monument	route 84.
Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center	route Nature Center Shuttle
Cruise Ship Terminal	routes 2 and 992
Gaslamp Quarter	routes 3, 5, 120, and the Trolley
Guajome Park	route 303
Horton Plaza	routes 2, 3, 7, 11, 15, 20, 30, 50, 120, 150, 210, 901, 923, 929, 992, and the Trolley
Legoland	routes 321, and 444
Lindbergh Field (San Diego Airport)	route 992.
Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade	the Trolley
Old Town	routes 8/9, 10, 14, 28, 30, 35, 44, 84, 105, 150, the Trolley, and the COASTER
Petco Park	the Trolley and bus routes 3, 4, 5, 11, 901, and 929
Qualcomm Stadium, Jack Murphy Field	route 14, and the Trolley
San Diego Convention Center	the Trolley
San Ysidro/Tijuana Border Crossing	routes 929, 932, and the Trolley
Santa Fe Depot (AMTRAK Station)	routes 2, 83, 210, 923, 992, the Trolley, and the COASTER
Seaport Village	the Trolley
Sea World	routes 8/9
Torrey Pines State Reserve	route 101
Wave Water Park	routes 302, 303, 306, 332, 333, 334, 335, 338, 339 and FAST
Wild Animal Park	route 386 (Mon-Sat ONLY)
San Diego Zoo	routes 7

Click here, select route number to view fares and schedule

Taxis are readily available at the airport’s Transportation Plazas. If you need a taxi at San Diego International Airport, simply follow the signs leading to the airport's Transportation Plaza. Lindbergh International Airport is conveniently located, approximately three and half miles from the heart of the downtown area. A typical taxi fare from the airport to downtown would range from $8.00 $10.00 dollars.

Most major hotels and some of the larger shopping centers in the area have taxi stands near the entrance, so you shouldn't have to arrange for them on your own or flag them down on the street. Cab rates can vary but generally start with a $2.20 flag-drop and an additional $2.30 per mile thereafter. Most cabs have a limit of four passengers.

Note: There are no car rental service counters at the San Diego International Airport. All car rental agencies are located off-site. You will need to use the courtesy phones located near the baggage claim areas in Terminals 1 and 2. Free shuttles also operate every few minutes from the San Diego Airport Transportation Plaza to off-site rental offices for most major companies (Avis, Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise, Thrifty, etc.).

You can easily get a shuttle from the San Diego Airport Transportation Plaza. Shuttles operate every few minutes and a Transportation Coordinator will place you with the first available shuttle, unless you specify a particular shuttle company.

The guide below lists shuttle companies frequently used by travelers. Call directly or use the Web links to find the shuttle that best suits your needs.

Shuttle Companies
Advanced Shuttle 1-800-719-3499	Access Shuttle 619-282-1515 800-690-9090
The Flyer 800.COMMUTE (266-6883)	Xpress Shuttle 800-900-RIDE (7433)
Airport Shuttle 619-234-4403	Cloud 9 Shuttle 800-9-SHUTTLE (800-974-8885)
Super Shuttle (800) 974-8885	EZ Ride 800-777-0585
PrimeTime Shuttle 1-800-RED-VANS	Sea Breeze Shuttle 619-297-7463

The bright Red San Diego Trolley is actually an above-ground rail line with three routes: the Blue Line (Qualcomm Stadium to San Ysidro Transit Center), the Orange Line (downtown to El Cajon), and the Green Line (Old Town to Santee via San Diego State University). Trolley Map

Trolley fares are $1.25 to $3 each way, based on trip distance. One-Way Trolley Tickets, available from ticket vending machines, are good for travel for two hours from the time of purchase on any MTS Trolley line and may be used to travel until the expiration time stamped on the ticket. Round trips are not allowed with a one-way ticket.

Note: Consider purchasing a $5.00 Regional Day Pass which is good for all trolley trips and most bus routes for one operating day.

Trolley Fares

San Diego Trolley Map & Schedule

The Coaster

The Coaster is a passenger train that runs from Oceanside to downtown San Diego. Fares cost $4 to $5.50 each way depending on the distance traveled.

North County Transit District BREEZE Routes, SPRINTER & FAST.
NCTD Day Pass, good on NCTD routes only, for $4.00

SPRINTER - Schedules & Maps

SPRINTER - Fares & Passes

COASTER - Fares & Passes

BREEZE - Fares & Passes

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

Amtrak services the southwest corridor and travel from the Santa Fe Depot (AMTRAK Station) in Downtown with stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles (Union Station), Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Visit www.amtrak.com for more information, fare and schedules.

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operate local buses throughout the county.
Buses run throughout the city and fares cost $1.75 to $2.25. Check the bus routes above to your favorite attraction.

Note: Exact fare, please. Drivers cannot make change. There are no upgrades or free transfers to or from the trolley or other buses. If your trip will involve more than one bus or the trolley and a bus, consider purchasing a Day Pass.

Bus Fares

San Diego Bus Map & Schedule

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to drive.

1) You must have valid driver's license and liability insurance to legally drive within the state of California.

2) Child seats are a requirement for children weighing under 60 pounds or for children under the age of 6 years old.

3) Driving while intoxicated is illegal and anyone caught driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% or greater will be immediately arrested.

4) Seat belts are mandatory when your vehicle is in motion.

5) Car pool lanes are for vehicles with two or more passengers. (Infants count, pets do not!) To enter or exit the carpool lane properly and legally you must wait until the broken white line appears. If you cross the double yellow line to get in or out of a carpool lane you will be given aticket and a stiff fine of $271.00.

6) Starting July 1, 2008 it will be against the law to drive on California roads while talking on your cell phone. All drivers must use a hands-free device.

7) If possible, avoid rush hour traffic, which is heaviest from 7am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm.

Additional Note: The San Diego Trolley and the Coaster commuter train do not stop at the Airport. The only public transit available is the Flyer Route No. 992, a Metropolitan Transit System bus that travels between the Airport and downtown San Diego, stopping between Terminals 1 & 2 and the Commuter Terminal. The 10-minute bus service to and from downtown connects with Trolley, Coaster and Amtrak stations and is wheelchair accessible.

Tip

The only public transit available from the San Diego International Airport is the Flyer Route No. 992, a Metropolitan Transit System bus that travels between the Airport and downtown San Diego, stopping between Terminals 1 & 2 and the Commuter Terminal. The 10-minute bus service to and from downtown connects with the popular Trolley, Coaster and Amtrak stations and is wheelchair accessible.

Directions to Transportation Plaza

From Terminal 1 you must cross the skybridge, and take either the escalators or the elevators to street level. From Terminal 2, cross the Terminal 2 skybridge and take either the escalators or the elevators to street level, or use the pedestrian crosswalk conveniently located outside the Terminal 2 Baggage Claim Area to access the Transportation Plaza

Note: Smoking is prohibited on all forms of public transport in California.