Where to stay in San Diego to avoid/minimize rental car

[rnorwo1]

Hi,
We are planning our first trip to Disney Land and San Diego. We will have 3 days in one place and 4 in the other, haven't decided which way we'll go with that yet (suggestions for that are welcome also!)

We plan on taking the amtrack to Anaheim from SD, and I'd really like to avoid having a rental car in SD at all... doesn't look like we'll need one at DL?? It looks like it'll add several hundred dollars to our budget to get one, plus my DH despises driving in high traffic, unfamiliar places. The major sites we want to see are the USS Midway, the zoo, La Jolla (to see the seals), and then something like either Torrey Pines or Cabrillo. If we have additional time, we'd probably do some of the other museums in Balboa Park. I've studied maps and the trolley system, but it's so hard to get a sense of distances and time required if using the trolleys, etc.

So, what area in town would be the best to stay in, to be within walking distance or a short trolley ride away for most of these attractions, so we could just use a couple of cabs for the other things? Or should I just increase the budget (take it away from another trip the following year) and just get the rental? I don't want to waste precious time to save a few hundred dollars... and I'll just pray my DH doesn't blow a gasket when we get lost or stuck in traffic For ex, I picture La Jolla being out in the middle of nowhere... is it reasonable to think I can just call and get a cab to pick us up in a timely manner?

Any other ideas for what to do, etc would be great also (my kids will be 4, 8, and 12 when we go... we've done Sea World, Universal and Legoland in FL, so won't be doing those... and going next Feb/March). Thanks!!

 

[carebee21]

For the areas you want to visit, you are best off getting a rental car.

The USS midway is the only attraction that you can get to directly from the trolley. Depending on where you stay, you'd either have to take the bus or switch from trolley to bus to get to the zoo. And I'm not 100 percent positive, but I don't think you can get to Cabrillo or La Jolla using the bus. Depending on where you are staying, taking a taxi to Cabrillo Monument may not be too bad, but La Jolla is a decent ways out, so that would be an expensive taxi ride. And unfortunately, the attractions in San Diego are spaced out, so if you you are within walking distance of one attraction, you aren't within walking distance of any others.

If you want to be close to busses and trolleys, look for hotels on Hotel Circle or in Old Town. If you decide to rent a car, be aware that hotels in Old Town and Downtown charge pricey parking fees (I think we paid about $20 per night in Old Town and $30 per night Downtown) so keep that in mind for your budget. Some hotels in hotel circle have a minimal parking fee ($10ish per night) while many others have no fee.

 

[bumbershoot]

Midway, zoo, and Seaworld are easy by walking or cab from downtown. But La Jolla? No. (do they even allow public transport there? )

My brother and SIL (who live in Chula Vista and have a condo downtown as well) love love love Torrey Pines, but the day we thought about going there, by the time we all got up and ready, they had determined that it was too late to go, as you only want to go in the morning. (not sure if that's true...my brother has rules based on avoiding crowds, LOL)

 

[yupikgal]

You sound just like us! My husband is not fond of traffic, and prefers not to drive down there either. We are also going to DL & SD this summer, and are going to take Amtrak to SD also. We've done this before. Last time we stayed in the downtown area, and walked from the Santa Fe (Amtrak) station to our hotel, and then when we went to the zoo, we took a cab. I don't remember it being that expensive. In researching for this summer's trip, I found a very interesting sounding tour that goes to La Jolla that has high ratings on Trip Advisor! Here's the link: http://tourguidetim.com/la-jolla-tours/
I've reserved a place in Old Town, which I guess is within walking distance of the trolley. We can take the trolley to downtown and catch the tour from there. Watch the you tube videos that are linked from his website too, to get an idea of what they do and see! Lots of good reviews on his website. Oh and if you want, there is a hop on, hop off tour called Old Town trolley that is wonderful, it goes to Coronado, Old Town, Balboa Park (where the zoo is) and more!here's the link for that: http://www.trolleytours.com/san-diego/
Enjoy your trip!!

 

[rnorwo1]

Thanks so much for the info. I'll definitely look into the La Jolla tour... if we can do that, then perhaps everything else we can get to reasonably well if we stay in downtown, sounds like. I don't mind spending the equivalent in cab fares as a rental car, b/c it'll at least take away some of the stress of driving. Or maybe we can just rent a car for one day if we want to drive around La Jolla/Torrey Pines. I've only rented a car once and that was in Orlando, so it was no stress b/c we know that area. I'll start looking at the transportation boards to see the ins and outs of renting, maybe we can figure out how to get something very inexpensive so we'll still have the option of cabs sometimes. I know I do not want to use the busses at all, I've read terrible things about how slow they are. I don't want transportation issues to take away from the trip at all, we'll increase the budget somehow if so!

Thanks again for all the info!!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I grew up in SD and it is very difficult to get around without a car all over Southern California. The transit systems are pretty poor. I guess you could try and find a centrally located hotel and cab where you want to go.

It's really not hard to drive in this area, especially if you have a GPS. Just stay off the main freeways at rush hour.

I'm not sure I'd go all the way out to the La Jolla just to see some seals! There are plenty at the zoo! I would suggest that you insider visiting the Wild Animal Park and Old Town.

 

[rnorwo1]

I grew up in SD and it is very difficult to get around without a car all over Southern California. The transit systems are pretty poor. I guess you could try and find a centrally located hotel and cab where you want to go.

It's really not hard to drive in this area, especially if you have a GPS. Just stay off the main freeways at rush hour.

I'm not sure I'd go all the way out to the La Jolla just to see some seals! There are plenty at the zoo! I would suggest that you insider visiting the Wild Animal Park and Old Town.

Ha. I just thought it would be neat to see them in a natural habitat. I'll have to look more at what there is to do there and see. I glanced briefly at Old Town and it looked mostly like shops? My kids would be tortured with that. DH and I plan on returning years from now to spend lots of time, so trying to prioritize kid friendly, unique things during these few days. I'll look into the safari park too, but we have one here... I'm sure it's not nearly as big or nice. We love hiking and nature type activities, but not sure how cold it'll be in early March?

 

[bjscheel]

We are looking to do the same type of thing. DH loves to go to WDW because it is a vacation from driving. He drives for a living and doesn't want to navigate a strange and busy traffic place. But we want to go to DL and see the ocean too.

In my research, I looked at the Fairfield Inn Old Town. The website doesn't say as much, but they do have free shuttles. Airport, Amtrak, Sea World, and the Zoo. Though since it is not advertised as such, I would contact them directly and confirm what there is. It is about 7 blocks from the transit station too.

Holiday Inn on the Bay has some free shuttles and I think is right next to one of the ship museums.

If you are having trouble figuring out busses, I found that if you put your location and your destination in googlemaps, then click on the bus icon, it will tell you what busses to take.

However, at this point in my planning, I have decided to keep it simple in SD. Our two priorities are Sea World and the ocean. I decided we wouldn't want to stay downtown like at the FFI. So, my plan is to stay at The Dana at Mission Beach. They will pick you up at the airport for a small cost (we will fly from Iowa to SD). Once at the Dana, you can walk or take free shuttle to Sea World. You can walk or bike (rentals at the next door marina) to Mission Beach. Mission Bay is right behind it and you can rent jet skis, water trikes, etc. We will spend a couple of days doing those things, then they will take us to Amtrak for a small cost. Amtrak to Anaheim, taxi to a hotel on Harbor, walk to DL, get a shuttle to SNA airport.

DH and I were in SD in 1998 and saw Cabrillo, the zoo, Sea World, and a few other things. We showed the video to DDs and we decided for this trip we mainly want SW, beach, and Disneyland.

The Tripadvisor SD forum is full of these types of questions, and there are knowledgeable locals that give quick help.

 

[undertheradar]

Hi,
We are planning our first trip to Disney Land and San Diego. We will have 3 days in one place and 4 in the other, haven't decided which way we'll go with that yet (suggestions for that are welcome also!)

We plan on taking the amtrack to Anaheim from SD, and I'd really like to avoid having a rental car in SD at all... doesn't look like we'll need one at DL?? It looks like it'll add several hundred dollars to our budget to get one, plus my DH despises driving in high traffic, unfamiliar places. The major sites we want to see are the USS Midway, the zoo, La Jolla (to see the seals), and then something like either Torrey Pines or Cabrillo. If we have additional time, we'd probably do some of the other museums in Balboa Park. I've studied maps and the trolley system, but it's so hard to get a sense of distances and time required if using the trolleys, etc.

So, what area in town would be the best to stay in, to be within walking distance or a short trolley ride away for most of these attractions, so we could just use a couple of cabs for the other things? Or should I just increase the budget (take it away from another trip the following year) and just get the rental? I don't want to waste precious time to save a few hundred dollars... and I'll just pray my DH doesn't blow a gasket when we get lost or stuck in traffic For ex, I picture La Jolla being out in the middle of nowhere... is it reasonable to think I can just call and get a cab to pick us up in a timely manner?

Any other ideas for what to do, etc would be great also (my kids will be 4, 8, and 12 when we go... we've done Sea World, Universal and Legoland in FL, so won't be doing those... and going next Feb/March). Thanks!!

Have you posted this on the SoCal boards? Lot of experienced folks over there. La Jolla is far from downtown, the Wild Animal Park is near Carlsbad, the Zoo is in Balboa Park. Very hard to get to all of those areas without a car.

 

[rnorwo1]

Have you posted this on the SoCal boards? Lot of experienced folks over there. La Jolla is far from downtown, the Wild Animal Park is near Carlsbad, the Zoo is in Balboa Park. Very hard to get to all of those areas without a car.

I didn't pst over there but I've been lurking for weeks... they don't seem to be as budget minded so that's why I wanted to start here! I think that we'll just suck it up and get a car, so I'll start researching the cheapest ways to do that. Since we're 5 also, I really want a suite, so I'm looking at Homewood Suites in Liberty Station. Looks like we can drive to our destinations and then in the afternoons come back to the hotel, park the car, and then walk to restaurants and the park/playground. And it seems reasonable given how expensive some hotels are in SD.

Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[bamor]

We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Liberty Station and visited all of the places on your list. USS Midway and Cabrillo National Monument one day, San Diego Zoo and Old Town another, La Jolla (Children's pool) and Torry Pines on the way to Disneyland. Driving was not bad at all. You will get a free breakfast everyday at the HS plus evening meals certain nights of the week. There is a Subway, Starbucks and pizza place plus more all within Liberty Station. Trader Joe's, Vons and Panera were in a plaza just down the road.
Try renting with Thrifty (keep checking), we got a great deal on a minivan.

 

[rnorwo1]

We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Liberty Station and visited all of the places on your list. USS Midway and Cabrillo National Monument one day, San Diego Zoo and Old Town another, La Jolla (Children's pool) and Torry Pines on the way to Disneyland. Driving was not bad at all. You will get a free breakfast everyday at the HS plus evening meals certain nights of the week. There is a Subway, Starbucks and pizza place plus more all within Liberty Station. Trader Joe's, Vons and Panera were in a plaza just down the road.
Try renting with Thrifty (keep checking), we got a great deal on a minivan.

Thanks! I've been trying to get an itinerary together so I can plan how many days in SD vs DL, so this helps a lot! I was thinking day 1: Midway and perhaps one of the tours, either Seal tour or Trolley tour. Then Torrey Pines and La Jolla on the next day. I want to see most of the zoo, so was planning on one day there and if there's still time/energy, maybe checking out the model train museum in Balboa park, or just walk around Balboa for a bit. That's where I get stuck... should we just go on and go to DL and add a day there, or take another day to see Cabrillo and maybe something else?

Also, do you mind telling me a ballpark amount on the minivan? I've just no clue what to budget. We will return it before leaving SD since we're taking the Amtrak to DL.

ETA: I just oriented myself on a map and see why you did Midway and Cabrillo in the same day, will update my itinerary to do the same! Thanks!

 

[huntforjulia]

I visited my son in the marine corps before he deployed twice and was able to go all over using the trolley and the bus, no hassles, pretty easy to figure out which route to use to get where I wanted to go and I didn't have to drive, I got a multi day pass, it was cheaper that way.
One thing that is unique, fun and cheap is the ferry ride over to Coronado Island. Ride over explore a little and ride back. The zoo is also nice, but we like Animal Kingdom better.
There is a Southern California City Pass(includes Disney) and a Go San Diego card (has like 49 diffrent things) that offer entry into multiple places for 1 price. You may want to look into that, even if you don't want the card it may give you idea's of places you might like to go.
Have a Great trip!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The zoo is also nice, but we like Animal Kingdom better.

You don't seriously mean this, do you? Animal Kingdom is an amusement park; the San Diego Zoo is one of the greatest zoos in the world! It is an absolute must not miss when visiting SD.

OP, depending on the ages of your kids, you might want to consider
Legoland. And Old Town does have fun things for kids to do:

http://www.sandiego.org/articles/travel-guides/just-for-kids.aspx

http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/California/San_Diego/san_diegooldtown.htm

Cabrillo National Monument will take an hour to visit, at most.

 

[bamor]

I wish we had enough time to Visit Coronado and Balboa Park. Have you purchased your Amtrak tickets already? I think it would be more a pain dealing with taxis, luggage, waiting around, etc. On the drive from San Diego you can plan it so you can stop at The Children's Pool in La Jolla then onto Torrey Pines.They are both along the way and it was such a beautiful ride! There is a Roberto's rolled tacos just down the street from Torrey Pines, stop and have a quick lunch and watch them surfing. The drive was really nothing, just avoid rush hour and you would be OK, I think. The minivan was less than $300 but we had to pay a drop charge as we flew into San Diego and out of Santa Ana (closer to Disneyland). Normally, the longer you keep a rental, the cheaper it is. Check out mousesavers.com for any discounts and also the transporation board. We loved the Homewood Suites, would def stay there again if we were to visit San Diego. Check out Tio Carlos for a good Mexican dinner.

 

[candy0730]

OP if you decide to rent a car I suggest you consider Midway Car Rental. We rented from them at LAX nd they also have a location in San Diego. I had never heard of them before and was skeptical but they were great. Here is a link to the discussion:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2873209

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

We stayed at the Homewood Suites @ Liberty Station in 2011. I liked it quite a bit ... great for a budget minded family trip. Lots of restuarants there, a Trader Joes, etc.

We took a trip up to La Jolla to see the seals at the Children's Pool ... honestly, it was a highlight for our family. We just don't see seals here in the midwest! It was really cool to watch them in the wild.

 

[Redwitch]

I did a San Diego and Disneyland trip last May. I found the car rental was too high to pick up in one city and drop off in another, so I bit the bullet and drove from LAX to San Diego for the first part of our vacation. I really lucked out - I found a "we are remodeling our lobby" extreme discount at the Loews Hotel in Coronado. It was less then a Holiday Inn! We did the Hop On Hop Off Trolly one day, Sea World one day and the Zoo one day. We stopped at La Jolla on our way back to LA. We also did the Hollywood bus tour that is an option on the Disneyland packages. (We booked everything separately.)
As for the drive. Yes, it amazing for someone not used to high traffic areas. I spent three years in North Jersey, but have been living in a much more laid back area for years. It is pretty much a straight shot from LA to San Diego. I found once I was out of Metro LA that the drivers were actually nicer and more courteous then they are here in PA. Driving around San Diego was not bad at all - I did take my GPS with me. I will admit I was extremely apprehensive about the whole driving thing (I'm gonna die" was my exact quote) but it was not as bad as I expected.
I'd really like to go back - I loved San Diego and did not get to see everything. Have fun!

 

[DisneyMissy318]

Subbing - as my DD and I are considering a trip very similar to this in June!

 

[mousiemom]

one of the best things we did on our DL/San Diego was get an unlimited ticket with grayline bus tours. we did DL for 3 days, san diego zoo & seaworld, universal studios hollywood, LA night tour and we didn't have to drive anywhere, no gas money, didn't get lost, and we loved riding the buses cause all the drivers were like tour guides. it was awesome!
the bus picked us up in front of our hotel and they took us to a a bus depot and it was so easy. i wil always do that! our trip was perfect, we did the southern california city pass that i bought online from cosco which was a great deal. we were out there for 8 nights and we stayed @ hojos across the street from DL, we had the best room, our balcony overlooking wishes fireworks everynight, it was very convient and we walked to DL! can't wait to go back!