Getting around in San Diego

San Diego Transportation

 Sometimes, getting around in America can be difficult. Compared with European cities public transportation is often an afterthought for a society built around the car. Although you can still find many ways of getting around and seeing the things you need to see!
San Diego's public transportation is centred on a rail and trolley line running through the city, for those staying or living in San Diego the public transportation system is an excellent way of getting about town or going further to the Mexican border for a trip into Tijuana.

The Compass Card


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This card! oh my goodness this is the best! Getting around by the bus and trolley can be made much easier with the help of the compass card. Rather than being issued a ticket for every ride, you can save yourself the hassle of fumbling for ticket strips or counting exact change by loading this card with a simple $5.00 day pass. To get a compass card just use one of the machines located at the trolley stations and pay $2.00 for a new card.
To use the card press it against the compass symbol when boarding the bus or topping your card up, for the trolley just present your card when asked by an inspector and they'll scan it for you.
https://www.sdmts.com/fares-passes/compass-card

The Trolley


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If you're making a trip downtown, chances are you'll be finding yourself aboard one of the many trolleys that coast through the streets of San Diego. Boarding is easy, simply wait on the platform for your trolley to arrive and hop on board!

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The trolley runs every 15 minutes throughout most of the day and in intervals of 30 minutes in the evening depending on the line, to buy tickets you can use the ticket machines on the platform but make sure you buy a ticket before boarding as the inspectors check on the train and do not allow you to buy a ticket on board.
https://www.sdmts.com/schedules-real-time-maps-and-routes/trolley

Bus


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If the trolley can't take you where you need to go then it's down to the bus routes to get you there! Tickets are around $2.50 each way which is why I so recommend getting a compass card for your journey, all bus routes are shown on their website as well as Google maps. For planning any journey I recommended using Google's excellent public transport service for the latest information and bus times.

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Just tap your loaded compass card on the scanner (the yellow square on top of the metal box there) when boarding and make sure to thank the driver when you get off!
https://www.sdmts.com/schedules-real-time-maps-and-routes/bus-routes

Train


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San Diego passenger trains begin at the Santa Fe Depot in downtown and runs along the surf liner track up the coast and through LA. The path of the train follows the coastline giving you spectacular views as it winds through the county.

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The train is a good way of getting north to Anaheim in LA for a day in Disney land or to union station closer to downtown LA for a trip to Hollywood.

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Not as reliable or fast as European trains the Amtrack service is still a good way to travel if you haven't rented a car for a far flung journey
www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train

Taxis


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Just like phones with cables, fax machines and the yellow pages, taxis are becoming a thing of the past. They simply can't compare to other services most of the time and for the prices they charge they just can't compete with ride sharing apps.
The only time I would honestly recommend a taxi is when you have no better alternative such as a last minute dash to the airport or you just have no data to use a ride sharing app, ect. 99% of the time it's cheaper and faster to call an Uber or a Lyft ride.
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But! if you are stuck here are details of local taxi services in San Diego, check out this link for prices and phone numbers, be sure to write some down just in case. Don't forget to tip!
http://www.sandiego.org/articles/transportation/san-diego-taxi-rates.aspx#Qiw9p0CA6bIDLJvs.97

Ride Sharing Apps

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Uber and Lyft are the two biggest ride sharing apps that have good coverage in California and they are an amazing revolution for getting around! If you've never experienced an Uber or Lyft ride before, don't worry it's really easy to use!

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Just download the app for which ever service you want to use and sign up for an account. Then once you're ready to ride just press the button to call a cab and wait for your driver to turn up! you'll be able to see them arriving on the map along with the drivers information. The car model and license plate are displayed and the driver will ask for your name before you get in, the experience has always felt very safe for me, with the drivers usually being polite and interesting to talk to.

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Look out for the glowing pink moustache for Lyft and the circle sticker for Uber.
These apps require a data connection or Wi-Fi and if you're a tourist from outside the US then you should be able to find Wi-Fi at Starbucks, fast food places and even some parks that offer it for free. Some of my friends have even managed to get around on just Wi-Fi for months before buying their American phone plans.

I hope this has given you a good idea of how you'll be getting around in San Diego!

 Are you planning on visiting San Diego?
Do you have any favourite ways to explore the city?

Let me know in the comments!

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