CX828

I am off to San Diego soon.

Arriving at SAN at 7pm and I am staying at Hampton Inn San Diego. I have researched that bus number 992 operates nearby so I can take this.

Questions re: using buses:
Can I pay with exact change directly on the bus or is there somewhere at the airport I need to go?
the next day I'd like to buy a day pass, where can I buy one of those?

Im not in SAN for very long but this is what I plan to do:
Coronado + Beach (Access via bus from Broadway)
Downtown San Diego - Broadway
Gaslamp Quarter
Some of the Harbor/Marina Parks
USS Midway Museum
Maritime Museum of San Diego

Would love to get some advice on what else to do or if I should skip some of the above.

Thanks for any help!

EDIT: I appear to have posted in wrong forum, this subject is likely to be more appropriate for California forum. Pls could someone help me move it. Apologies

IceTrojan

You can pay the fare when you board the bus.

For the day pass, you can buy it at the central Transit Store in Downtown SD or at any of the trolley stops. For more info: http://www.sdmts.com/fares.asp#daypass

Among your list, the USS Midway and The Gaslamp are definitely high priority, followed by a looksee at Coronado. You may want to check out the Hotel del Coronado while you're there.

Some things to consider (IMO, in order of importance) adding to your list:
- Balboa Park in general
- San Diego Zoo, which is world class.
- Old Town San Diego
- The Hillcrest neighborhood, some funky shops and restaurants there (if you don't mind the prevalent "alternative" lifestyle)
- Little Italy, near the airport on (interestingly) India Street
- La Jolla (downtown and along the beach).
- If you're a maritime fan, you may want to chill at Point Loma... a lot of times you'll see a US Navy vessel come or go... if you're lucky, sometimes a submarine.

CX828

@LAXative thank you so much for your response. I will consider those things in order of importance. San Diego seems like quite a compact city, so hopefully I can get a lot done. I think I will definetly take a trip up to Balboa park/San Diego Zoo.

Good to know re the day pass, I assume there are many trolley shops around so it should be easy to get hold of.

SWCPHX

If your visit is over a weekend, I would recommend making some time to hit the Farmers' Markets in either Little Italy (Saturdays) or the DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles) office in the Hillcrest neighborhood. Both offer a lot of vendors selling fruit, vegetables, crafty type items, and are a very easy way to get a cup of coffee or other snack before taking on the bulk of the day.

Also check the Little Italy website, they quite often have fairs and festivals that are worth checking out, or avoiding I suppose if you don't like crowds!

IceTrojan

Trolley sTop The Trolley is SD's light rail system... only a couple of lines, but it does connect downtown SD to a lot of key places. The Transit store is also just a short walk from the Gaslamp. If you're staying anywhere downtown, you should have easy access to the store or a trolley stop.

Here's the trolley map: http://www.sdmts.com/trolley/trolley.asp

CX828

Ok that is great, yes I am staying downtown. I think in this case it is good to buy the day card as I will take the bus over to Coronado and perhaps use the trolley around town.

CX828

I might try get over to Little Italy but Im there during the week so won't be able to take advantage of the Farmer's Market. Thank you for the suggestion though.

Investor 11

For getting to Coronado I'd suggest taking the ferry. A little more expensive than the bus, but still reasonable at $4.25 each way.

http://www.sdhe.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.html

CX828

Thanks for advice, It is probably a much nicer/more scenic way of getting there. Do you know if it is generally faster/slower than the bus?

hawaiiansports

Check out a baseball game at Petco if the Padres are in town.

Investor 11

Living downtown I have never had any need for the bus. But the ferry takes 15 minutes, I can't imagine the bus being faster given it will be making stops on the way.

CX828

Ok thanks. Yup I think I will walk as much as I can.

Investor 11

From your location at the Hampton Inn, walking and the trolley would be your best bet. There is a trolley stop directly behind your hotel. The Midway and the ferry to Coronado are a short walk down Pacific Highway for you.

If you're into craft beer or quality spirits and cocktails I'd definitely suggest stopping by Craft & Commerce. It's a block up from your hotel on the corner of Beech and Kettner. I really enjoy their food too.

CX828

Ok, Thanks I might have a look at that!

Investor 11

I'm going to add one more suggestion for a place that I went to for the first time today. I was there for brunch but I'm assuming their lunch and dinner are of the same quality. It is also a very short walk from your hotel.

http://queenstownpublichouse.com/