San Diego City Guide - Getting Around

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (tel: (619) 233 3004 or 1 800 266 6883; website: www.sdcommute.com) operates three types of public transport within the County of San Diego. Public buses and the trolley operate daily throughout the city every 10 to 20 minutes, with buses generally operating between 0600-2400 and trolleys around 0400-0100 (times vary depending on the route).

The Coaster train service provides increased transport to outlying areas, linking seven coastal communities as far north as Oceanside. Six Coaster trains serve the morning rush hour and six run during the afternoon rush hour, with two extra midday services. There are also four services throughout the day (approximately 0930-1930) on Saturday.

Day Tripper Passes give unlimited access to buses and the trolley for one, two, three or four consecutive days. Available from The Transit Store, 102 Broadway (tel: (619) 234 1060).

The San Diego-Coronado Ferry (tel: (619) 234 4111; website: www.sdhe.com) shuttles commuters and visitors between the Broadway Pier at the intersection of Broadway and Harbor Streets and the Coronado Shopping Centre on Coronado Island. The ferry leaves the Broadway Pier every hour on the hour and leaves the Coronado Ferry Dock every hour on the half-hour.

Yellow Cab (tel: (619) 234 6161; website: www.driveu.com) operates throughout San Diego County. It is best for visitors to request a taxi by telephone, although it is possible to hail them in the street. Waiting times for taxis can be anywhere up to one hour. A 10-15% tip is appropriate for good service.

San Diego is well laid out with several well-maintained highways that serve as major arteries to outlying districts. Highways are generally easy to follow, although California’s Interstate highways maintain high speeds and can be unnerving for first-time visitors. As in most Southern California cities, early morning (0630-0900) and late afternoon (1500-1900) are peak rush-hour times and driving during these periods should be avoided. Areas such as Downtown, Mission Bay, Coronado Bridge and the major beach areas are high congestion areas during rush hour – highways and major streets leading into these areas are usually heavily congested. The high occupant vehicle lanes (HOV) are designed for vehicles carrying two-three passengers or more (highways differ in their minimum limit of passengers). There are stiff fines for vehicles carrying less than the stated minimum number of passengers. Left lanes that are not HOV lanes are reserved for passing vehicles.

Public parking in the Mission Beach and Pacific Beach areas is usually at a premium on weekends and holidays. Residential areas often have signage indicating the days and hours that visitors are allowed to park on the street. Vehicles that do not obey the regulations may be towed away. Most hotels provide complimentary parking to guests, with the exception of some downtown hotel and resort properties. These often charge guests an overnight fee. It is best to use the bus, trolley or train to reach most areas, although there are a few more remote attractions best reached by car or tour bus.

Car hire agencies in the United States require a credit card or cash deposit when hiring out a car. The minimum age to hire a car is usually 25 years and the driver must be in possession of a valid driving licence – an international driver’s permit is not required but is accepted. Some agencies (Budget and National specifically) will allow drivers aged 21-24 years to drive but will charge an extra fee of US$20-25 per day. Insurance is mandatory when driving and car hire companies normally carry their own optional insurance. Customers who have their own US car insurance are normally covered while driving a hired vehicle.

There are several major agencies located in the city. These include Avis (tel: (619) 688 5000 or 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and National (tel: (619) 497 6777 or 1 800 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com).

Cycling is a popular past-time in San Diego and the city has no shortage of bicycle shops to accommodate this. Bike Tours San Diego, 509 Fifth Avenue (tel: (619) 238 2444; website: www.bike-tours.com), provides both bike hire and guided bike tours and is centrally located in the Downtown area. They also offer both standard scenic tours and trail bike tours within the San Diego County.

Cheap Rentals, at 3221 and 3689 Mission Boulevard (tel: (858) 488 9070 or 1 800 941 7761; website: www.cheap-rentals.com), has all kinds of bikes (as well skating and surfing equipment) for hire from their shops in Mission Beach, close to the boardwalk and parks.