Bicycle
While in San Diego, mostly flat Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay and Coronado are all great places to ride a bike. Visit iCommute (www.icommutesd.com) for maps and information about biking in the region. Public buses are equipped with bike racks.
A few outfits rent bicycles, from mountain and road bikes to kids bikes and cruisers. In general, expect to pay about $8 per hour, $15–$22 per half-day (four hours) and $25–$30 per day.
Boat
Flagship Cruises operates the hourly Coronado Ferry shuttling between San Diego’s Broadway Pier on the Embarcadero and the ferry landing at the foot of B Ave in Coronado, two blocks south of Orange Ave. Bikes are permitted on board at no extra charge. Flagship also operates a water taxi, serving mostly Downtown and Coronado.
Bus
MTS covers most of San Diego’s metropolitan area, North County, La Jolla and the beaches. It’s most convenient if you’re based Downtown and not staying out late.
Car
All the big-name car-rental companies have desks at the San Diego airport; lesser-known companies may be cheaper. Shop around – prices vary widely, even from day to day within the same company. The airport has free direct phones to a number of car-rental companies. Rental rates tend to be comparable to LA ($30 to $80 per day plus insurance fees). Smaller agencies include West Coast Rent a Car, in Little Italy.
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
The Metropolitan Transit System runs buses and trolleys throughout central San Diego and beyond. For route and fare information, call 619-233-3004 or 800-266-6883; operators are available 5:30am to 8:30pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday (note that the 800 number works only within San Diego). For 24-hour automated information, call 619-685-4900. Visit www.sdmts.com/schedules-real-time to plan your route online.
Taxi & Ride Share
Taxi fares vary, but plan on about $12 for a 3-mile journey. Established companies include Orange Cab and Yellow Cab. Recently app-based ride-share companies such as Uber (www.uber.com) and Lyft (www.lyft.com) have entered the market with lower fares.
Trolley
Municipal trolleys, not to be confused with Old Town Trolley tourist buses, operate on three main lines in San Diego. From the transit center across from the Santa Fe Depot, Blue Line trolleys go south to San Ysidro (on the Mexico border) and north to Old Town Transit Center. The Green Line runs from Gas Lamp to Old Town east through Mission Valley. The Orange Line connects the Convention Center and Seaport Village with Downtown, but otherwise it’s less useful for visitors. Trolleys run between about 4:15am and 1am daily at 15-minute intervals during the day, and every 30 minutes in the evening. Fares are $2.50 per ride, valid for two hours from the time of purchase at vending machines on the station platforms.
