San Diego/Carlsbad Qs

[HenDuck]

We are planning on hitting Sea World and the SD Zoo as well as Legoland on our trip next year. I was wondering if there is any place in between SD and Carlsbad where we could stay that would be convenient to hit both areas? I would hate to have to move hotels just to go to Legoland, but my son may still need a nap next year and I don't want to have to drive all the way back to the Sea World area for that.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am willing to spend up to $150/night max.

 

[jordanyosh]

Check out the Del Mar area. It is about 1/2 way between Carlsbad and the Mission Bay area where Sea World is........depending on when u are there next summer Del Mar has a big fair during that time......

FYI Carlsbad is about 30 minutes north of the Mission Bay area. That is without traffic. Traffic towards Carlsbad is heavier in the late afternoon and heavier towards San Diego in the am...

Hope that helps.

 

[5infam]

jordanyosh is right, the traffic up and down the 5 freeway can be very tough. I travel from Orange County to San Diego once or twice per week and the traffic gets pretty ugly in the mornings but also in the mid afternoon. The real problem is the drive between Carlsbad and the San Diego parks is pretty far if you try and stay in the middle. You may want to pick one that you are close too and just know you will not return for a nap when you go to the other park. In this case I would chose to stay close to the Zoo and Sea World because you are closer to 2 parks, therefore only Legoland becomes a problem for nap return.

 

[Tink33]

When are you coming to visit? I would stay far away from Del Mar if it is in the summer. Del Mar hosts the fair and the racetrack during most of the summer months. Traffic is brutal.

If you are coming during the fall, winter or spring - Legoland hours are usually 10 - 5. And they are closed two days per week. Not much time to go back to a hotel and take a nap if it is not nearby.

I would suggest staying near Sea World and the Zoo also. If he needs a nap while in Carlsbad and is stroller age, just take him to the beach and walk the sea wall in Carlsbad. The sea air and ocean waves will lull him to sleep. (well it works on me )

 

[undertheradar]

Check out La Jolla. North of downtown and only about 45 minutes from Carlsbad in light traffic.

 

[c&m]

Another vote for La Jolla! We stayed in La Jolla during our visit to SD 2 months ago. We used priceline.com for our hotel and got the Hyatt La Jolla for $58/night. It was a ***beautiful*** hotel. Though it is a "business" hotel, the staff treated our 2 small DDs so well. We certainly felt very comfortable there.

This hotel was about a 30 min drive to the zoo and Sea World; and about a 20-25 min drive to Carlsbad where we visited friends who live there.

Traffic was OK while we were there (early to mid-week). No bad experiences there.

La Jolla is a great location as there are plenty of family restaurants nearby and a nice mall close by (UTC), plus it's just a great place to be situated when in San Diego.

 

[HenDuck]

Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate the help. It's hard to plan when you don't know the area too well.

Thanks again!

 

[year2late]

We got Hilton Delmar for $42 via priceline. For our Legoland visit for late June on a weekend. The SD county fair will be right next door. We plan on going to the fair and snagging our free child admission to Legoland while we are there. (the free child admission is also available through Lego Fan Club)

 

[NeedsNEscape]

Here is another vote for La Jolla. If you want to stay on the beach, we really liked the Sea Lodge. The food was really good at the Sea Lodge. We also stayed at the Hampton Inn is San Diego downtown near the water. It was nice, too. There are a lot of hotels in the San Diego area, but it is a bit of a drive to Legoland.

 

[BurleyGirl]

How far is Carlsbad from Disneyland? And where is Legoland in conjunction with these two? (We're planning a trip out next fall, and hitting Carlsbad Caverns might be a nice addition, if feasible.)
Thanks for your reply, and please pardon my jumping in the middle of your post, HenDuck!
Kimberly

 

[vellamint]

I don't think Carlsbad Caverns is in California????!!!!!

 

[iceskatejen]

Carlsbad Caverns is in Texas. Not too feasable from DL. But Carlsbad, CA is a nice little beach town.

 

[Donald-n-Daisy]

Even though "everthins bigger in Texas", Carlsbad Caverns is actually in New Mexico. Just wanted to clear that up.