San Diego

Introduction

Museum Of Man,San Diego

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San Diego is Southern California's southernmost city, located along the coast just north of the Mexican border and along the Pacific coast. Weatherwise, it's one of the most perfect climates in the world, with few really hot or cold days, plenty of sunshine and the occasional rainshower to keep things green.

Neighbourhoods

• Downtown - located near the ocean, also includes the Embarcadero and the Gaslamp Quarter
• Balboa Park-Hillcrest - Balboa Park, Botanical Gardens, San Diego Zoo
• Old Town-Mission Valley - Old town ambiance and some good restaurants
• Point Loma-Ocean Beach
• Mission Beach-Pacific Beach
• La Jolla
• Mid-City
• Northeastern
• San Ysidro

Sights and Activities

• Balboa Park is America’s largest urban cultural park. It contains diversified museums ranging from horticultural to astronomical. The place is home to Botanical Building's sublime lily pond, El Prado etc. Balboa Park is also home to the Children's Museum, and the Fleet Science Center. Located at 1549 El Prado. Phone: (619) 239-0512.
• Sea World is home to the famous killer whale named Shamu and several other stunning marine animals. Watch the acrobatic skills of Shamu and her buddies. There are various exciting and spine-tingling rides too like Journey to Atlantis, Shipwreck Rapids, and many more. Located at 500 Sea World Drive. Phone: (619) 226-3900.
• The world-famous San Diego Zoo is divided into two parks; one located in Balboa Park is a traditional Zoo, and the other is a Wild Animal Park located north of the city. Expect to spend a full day exploring the zoo. The entire San Diego zoo accommodates more than 4,000 creatures ranging from giant pandas, kangaroos, and gorillas all housed in natural environments. Located at 2920 Zoo Drive. Phone: (619) 231-1515.‎
• If you are a history lover then head to Old Town. This is considered the birthplace of California and was the site of the state's first permanent Spanish settlement. It is now home to a selection of historic buildings and a lot of Mexican restaurants and shops. It may feel a little gimmicky at times, but it is a fun outing and an enjoyable part of the city. Great place to have some lunch while enjoying the mariachi players strumming the sounds of Mexican music.
• The charming seaside town of La Jolla has lots to offer. The town is expensive and filled with stunning mansions. Shopping malls and dining restaurants are situated along Prospect Street. Stroll along Coast Boulevard for the most scenic views and stop at La Jolla Cove to look at the colony of seals that has made it their home.
• Enjoy San Diego nightlife at The Gaslamp Quarter. It is lively and always buzzing. Enjoy live music after dinner at restaurants which are mainly housed within restored Victorian commercial buildings.
• The Cabrillo National Monument is a restored lighthouse featuring the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first Portuguese explorer to land in San Diego rest here. It is an amazing vantage point to see migrating gray whales or enjoy magnificent views of San Diego's harbor and skyline. During winters you can also spot Mexico in the distance.
• Check out Belmont Park, an amusement park at the Mission Beach boardwalk. It features two major landmarks: the Plunge and the Giant Dipper.
• Take a leisurely walk along Coronado Beach and enjoy the sunset.
• Roam around the Embarcadero, home to watercrafts, aircraft carrier, Seaport village, and a maritime-themed shopping area.
• Their rollercoaster rides.

Events and Festivals

Weather

San Diego must have some of the world's most perfect climates. It rarely gets really hot or cold here. Average daytime temperatures vary from 19 °C during the December to March period to 25 °C in August and September. Nights vary between 10 °C and 19/20 °C respectively. The summer from May to September is dry and just a few days see rain at all. Average rainfall throughout the year is just around 275 mm (11 inches). Most of the rain falls from November to April with around 5-10 days of rain a month and precipitation averaging around 30 mm a month in November and December to around 60 mm from January to March, which are by far the wettest months, accounting for around two thirds of the annual amount.

Getting There

By Plane

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is just about 5 kilometres from downtown San Diego. Around 20 airlines serve San Diego, with the main destinations being Mexico City, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Portland, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Houston, Detroit, Honolulu, Memphis, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Salt Lake City, Denver, Maui, Boston, Albuquerque, Austin, Boston, Baltimore, El Paso, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Philadelphia.

It's the second largest single-runway airport in the world, after London Gatwick Airport and is the largest metropolitan area in the USA without an airport being a hub or secondary hub for any airline.

If you are planning on flying to destinations in Mexico, it might be a good idea to check the Tijuana article.

By Train

The Pacific Surfliner operated by Amtrak travels between San Diego and Paso Robles stopping en route in places like Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Trains are reasonably frequent, running every two hours or so and very comfortable. Just north of San Diego, the tracks travel right alongside the ocean providing really great views.

If you are coming from Los Angeles Airport, you can catch a Flyaway shuttle bus to Union Station (roughly 40 minutes, $7 one way). From there you can take Amtrak to San Diego.

By Car

3 main Interstates start in or near San Diego. The I-5 runs north through California and Oregon and Washington, the I-8 runs east towards Arizona and the I-15 goes northeast towards Nevada.

By Bus

Greyhound has buses to other places in California. LuxBus serves Anaheim, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

By Boat

Check the Port of San Diego for options of organized trips or cruises. There is no regular passenger service.

Getting Around

By Car

Although San Diego is not a difficult city to get around by car, the traffic can be slow going during rush hours and parking can be expensive as well.

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

The Metropolitan Transit System provides buses in the wider metropolitan area of San Diego County. It also operates the San Diego Trolley which is of importance for both travellers as well as people commuting between Downtown and the eastern and southern suburbs. Standard one-way fares run from $1.25 to $3 depending on how far you go, and if you are planning to use them quite a few times, there are also publci transport passes (which include bus service) starting at $5. There is the choice between 2, 3 and 4-day passes, which give you unlimited excess on the metro and bus.

Trains travel between 5:00am-12:00am every day with varying frequencies: every 15 minutes, with service reduced to every 30 minutes for late-night, weekend, and holidays. It has 3 lines:

• The Blue Line travels from the US-Mexico border at San Ysidro and runs to Old Town, via Chula Vista, National City, and Downtown.
• The Green Line goes from Old Town east towards Santee, via Mission Valley and San Diego State University
• The Orange Line connects El Cajon and La Mesa cities with Downtown San Diego.

There are also boats travelling between various parts within San Diego. The most useful connection is between downtown San Diego or the Embarcadero and Coronado.

By Foot

For a US city, San Diego is surprisingly walkable, and if you don't mind a bit of walking even the old town and the San Diego Zoo are within reach. At least it saves the hassle of finding out about public transport or car issues like parking. No matter what, downtown (including the Gaslamp Quarter) and the Embarcadero are easy for walking and you can walk from north to south or east to west within 10-15 minutes. Northeast from downtown, the Balboa Park connects the city to the zoo and botanical gardens, while more to the north/northwest, the old town is reachable by walking through Little Italy.

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of San Diego
• University of California, San Diego
• San Diego State University
• San Diego City College
• Point Loma Nazarene University

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in San Diego. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website