Hi - we will be staying in the Newport Beach area next February. While there we would like to check out San Diego. How is this as a day trip? Time, traffic, etc. Thanks.

shouldn't be any more than an hour and a half down. no real traffic issues going south. potential probs leaving sd during afternoon commute, but nothing terrible.

i think it's closer to 2 hours or so on fwy 5. if you have time, take the coast road one way. languna beach is a nice place to stop for a meal.

Newport to San Diego should take about 2 hours. The traffic problems come around Mission Viejo and tend to thin out around San Clemente. You drive through Camp Pentleton after San Clemente and the view from the freeway is beautiful. You can get off at Oceanside and drive the coast hwy to San Diego if you want.The towns in that area are nice especially Del Mar and La Jolla. We make that trip down to La Jolla once a month to see my mother-in-law. The only problem with traffic is on the way back. It starts getting congested at Del Mar and you might get stuck at the border check. If you leave early in the morning a day trip is doable.

Take the Amtrack from San Juan Capastrano.....much easier!