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By Jennifer Coburn |
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When you ask most San Diegans the best way to get Downtown, you’re likely to get one of three answers: take Interstate 5, State Route 163, or State Route 94. But even in a car culture like Southern California, other
The most recent edition to San Diego’s mass transit system, the Coaster Express Rail, is named for its route along the coast. For $3.75, a passenger can ride from Oceanside to Downtown, enjoying magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean for almost the whole trip. The journey takes one hour, makes eight stops and lands passengers at the centrally located Santa Fe Depot. The Coaster makes nine round trips on weekdays, four on Saturdays and rests on Sundays.
Another coastal rail option is Amtrak. The train makes only three stops in San Diego County (Oceanside, Solana Beach, and the Santa Fe Depot Downtown) on its journey to and from Los Angeles, but runs more frequently than the Coaster — especially on weekends. Passengers have a choice of 12 departure and arrival times on weekdays and 14 on weekends. If you travel the entire coast, your train ride will last about 50 minutes. Fares vary, but the average one-way ticket from Oceanside to Downtown is around $10.
Whether you’re as far south as Tijuana, out east in Santee or deep in Mission Valley, the bright red trolley can get you Downtown, then shuttle you around the metropolitan area. Trolleys run every 15 minutes and tailor their rates to fit your needs. A short trip runs as little as $1, while a 1 to 4-day "Day Tripper" pass buys you unlimited access to all routes, anytime for $5 to $12. Monthly, multi-ride, senior and disabled discounts also are available.
Okay, admittedly buses have less cachet than the candy apple trolley, but they'll get you where you’re going for 25 cents to $2.25 and there are many stops.
This is what coastal life is all about — scooting around from place to place on a boat that can hold 27 passengers. Operated by San Diego Harbor Excursions, service runs from Fish Harbor Pier at Seaport Village (and other locations) and can take your party to a host of bay-side attractions for $5 per passenger.
The ferry is the perfect way to get from Coronado to Downtown’s Broadway pier and back. The ferry departs every half hour beginning at 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Fare for each passenger is $2. Go ahead and take your bike on board for another 50 cents. Getting Around Downtown You've made it to the cultural hub of San Diego. With so much to see and do (and eat!), you won’t want to spend all day in just one spot. Aside from the trolley and bus system, there are bike rentals, horse-drawn carriages, California-style rickshaws, walking tours and a historical trolley tour to get you around town.
If you’re new to town, or just want to brush up on your San Diego history, try the Old Town Trolley Tours. With a fully narrated historical tour of the city and Coronado, the trolley covers 32 miles and makes nine stops so passengers can get off to sightsee, and catch a later trolley if they wish. If you decide to stay on board for the entire ride, your tour should take two hours. Unlike the San Diego Trolley, the Old Town Trolley looks like an old-fashioned cable car (sans cable and with rubber wheels) that will remind you of Rice-a-Roni commercials. Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for children ages 6 to 12.
Why miss a moment of San Diego’s ideal climate when you can ride in San Diego’s funkiest outdoor ride — the bicycle rickshaw? Radio-dispatched, your humble rickshaw "driver" can pick you up after dinner and take you to a nightclub just blocks away.
Headquartered Downtown, Presidential Limousine is ready 24 hours a day to provide executive level service. Its wide range of vehicles runs from black sedans to six-, eight-, 10- and 12-passenger limos, to an executive coach that seats 14 and features two televisions, a wet bar, two ice chests and a premium sound system. Its classic collection includes a 1940 Packard limousine. Limo rates start at $55 per hour. Reservations are a must on Fridays and Saturdays.
Want to see the town and burn some calories at the same time? Walkabout International's Downtown Sam leads a free two-and-one-half-hour walking tour of Downtown every Saturday morning.
Lost your shoe and don’t want to walk? Don't call your fairy godmother; call for San Diego Cinderella Carriage Co. A charming horse-drawn carriage can accommodate up to four passengers and give you a tour highlighting San Diego’s hot spots. Your chariot can be found at the entrance to Seaport Village; outside Indochine restaurant; and at the new Carriage Stop Cafe in the Gaslamp Quarter. Carriages can pick up your party at almost any location in San Diego with just the wave of your magic telephone-dialing finger. Tours start at $45.
Want to get around town on self-powered wheels? Gaslamp Bike and Rollerblade Rentals has the ticket. Twenty-five beach cruisers for adults and kids are available for $5 per hour, $10 for a half day (four hours), or $15 for a full day (eight hours). Rollerblades are the same rate. |
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