Picture by Griffin Wooldridge
Transportations in San Diego
Written/Edited by: Northern Latitudes Editorial Team
Updated: 7/5/2026
San Diego is one of the beloved cities of the state of California. It offers plenty to do, and great places to see. But as you go there you might wonder about the logistics? How will you get around San Diego? Let’s get over that.
Do you need a car to visit San Diego?
For most part, it is better to have a car when visiting San Diego. Yet, it is possible to visit it without one. The city has a fairly good transit system that will allow you to move around and get to the major destinations. Following is a breakdown of the transportation options in San Diego.
PRONTO
To pay for MTS operated buses and trolleys, the agency uses the PRONTO card. Like many other tap systems, the PRONTO card can be loaded with money and passes to pay for riding fares. When a rider boards a vehicle, he simply needs to tap the card on the vehicle’s reader to pay. The PRONTO card is not mandatory, but makes fare payment much easier.
A new pronto card can be obtained at ticket machines found in trolley stations and transit centers. You can order a physical card online or simply get a virtual card on your phone. A physical card costs $2.
Trolley
The trolley system of San Diego includes 4 lines (blue, green, orange and copper) for a total of 62 stations. These cover the main points of the city in downtown and around San Diego. All lines (except for the copper) connect at 12th & Imperial Transit Center. In addition, a fifth “historic” line, the silver line, operates during holidays.
$ Fares:
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Adult Regular - $2.50 ($6.00 for a day)
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Rapid Express - $5.00 ($12.00)
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Reduced Fare - $1.25 ($3.00)
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Adult Month Pass (Regular) - $72
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FREE for Children under 5 years old.
Tips: On weekends (Saturday & Sunday), up to two children 12 and under may ride for free with a fare-paying adult (18+).
​With the fare capping system, you will never pay more than the day pass. Once you have paid the amount of the pass, you will not be charged anymore for the day.
The Vintage Trolley (Silver Line)
Open only during specific holidays, the silver line of the San Diego trolley uses three vintage vehicles, one from 1981 and two from the 1940s. These go through a small loop within downtown San Diego. The loop begins at 12th & Imperial Station and takes about 30min to complete. Fares are the same as for the regular trolley, except for the youth 18 and under who can ride for FREE. Find more information here.
MTS Bus
Like most large cities, San Diego has buses. Those are operated by the MTS and separated mainly into the regular and rapid types. Regular buses stop regularly while rapid ones have fewer stops and thus faster travel times.
$ Fares:
-
Adult Regular - $2.50 ($6.00 for a day)
-
Rapid Express - $5.00 ($12.00)
-
Reduced Fare - $1.25 ($3.00)
-
Adult Month Pass (Regular) - $72
-
FREE for Children under 5 years old.
Tips: On weekends (Saturday & Sunday), up to two children 12 and under may ride for free with a fare-paying adult (18+).
​With the fare capping system, you will never pay more than the day pass. Once you have paid the amount of the pass, you will not be charged anymore for the day.
Rail
Coaster is a commuter train taking people to the cities lining the northern coast of San Diego. The two termini of the train are Sam Diego to the south and Oceanside to the north. Oceanside is located about halfway through Los Angeles and San Diego.
Amtrak also operates the surfliner between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, with several stops along the way including in Los Angeles. If your goal is to travel between the two cities of southern California, the surfliner can be a good option with several trains operating daily.
$ Fares:
For COASTER, the fare is determined by how many zones you travel during your trip. Fares usually range between $5.75 and $13.00 for a one-way trip. Yet we encourage you to check the fares on your own (see the button bellow).​
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​See the website of Amtrak for the Surfliner's information.
Going To/From the Airport
The main airport in San Diego is the San Diego International airport. It features two terminals connected by a shuttle.
The airport is located on the northwest of the city, approximately 10min away from downtown San Diego via the road.
For public transportation, the city bus (Route 992) and trolleys (Green or Blue line) are located near the airport. Note that the bus goes directly to San Diego International Airport while the trolley does not. The San Diego Flyer — a separate shuttle — offers free service between the transportation islands of the airport and the Old Town Transit Center in San Diego.
To reach the Middletown Station of the Trolley (nearest station), you can ride the San Diego flyer and ask the driver to get down at Palm St. Stop. When going up W Palm Street (towards east), the Middletown Station is on the left. When going to the airport from the trolley station, you will need to go the opposite way and walk to the rental car area. From there you can get the free shuttle to the terminal. Note that this requires some walking though.
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