I have booked two budget hotels in San Diego and need your help to choose the better location for my 5 day stay. The problem is that I will have to rely on public transportation ( trolley, busses etc) and my own feet.

So which location is closer and more convenient to get from to major city attractions, the one on Hotel Circle or Little Italy/ downtown area?

And one more question. What is the best way to get from San Diego to LA other than by car? Is it Amtrak or Coaster ? Does the Coaster go all the way to LA? Is it more reliable than the Amtrak? Thank you

Whichever hotel is closer to a Trolley station would be best. You will need to use the bus to get to the Zoo and Sea World, but the Trolley will take you to lots of places.

You need Amtrak to get to LA. The Coaster stops at Oceanside.

I would go with the Little Italy location.
You board the train in the L.A. Union Station and the last stop is in the center of San Diego about 8 long blocks to Little Italy.
Hotel Circle is several miles away .
Where is your hotel located? The freeway is located close by and some hotel/motels back right on the freeway. It could be noisy.
Since you won't have a car you can get around by bus or ,as Barbara pointed out, the trolley.

Hotel Circle is too isolated. If you can stay downtown near the waterfront you can catch trolly and easily walk to shops, malls etc.

Little Italy is certainly a more attractive neighborhood than Hotel Circle. But since Hotel Circle is a major place for tourist there are lots of buses around there and a major bus hub. Hotel Circle is limited in things to do and places to eat. Really, there's not much there if you don't have a car- it seems most of the hotels (although set back) face the freeway.
I priced the Amtrak to L.A. once and it was cheaper for us to just rent a car.

Thank you to all who responded. I booked Super 8 motel on Columbia St. It offered good rate at $79 a night and has shuttles to Seaworld, Zoo and Amtrak. According to the city map it is about 1 mile from Balboa park and within walking distance to the Seaport village and Gaslamp quarter. Most reviews in travel sites were pretty good too.Though some reviews mentioned that it is quite noisy there since it is in the airport plane path. Another hotel that I booked is travelodge in the Hotel Circle. I was told that the trolley stops right outside of it.Since my main concern is central location to attractions and safe area I would probably go with Super 8. Does anyone know how far is this motel from the closest trolley stop or city bus route?

One more thing. My 11 year old wants to spend couple days on the beach. I do not know if it's worth doing in June. I"ve heard of the June gloom there. Should I book a hotel close to the beach ( they are pretty pricy in the beach area) or do you think that we can take day trips there?

I just stayed in that hotel last week! The noise factor was a concern but you can hear the train and planes in the distance (as opposed to other hotels that can really hear it close up). It is literally just steps away from Little Italy, which meant I could get a late night meal at Filippi's.

Also, if you have the time and are in fair enough shape -- I found the walk down to the harbor and along the water to be very nice. I walked to Seaport Village, shopped, had lunch, then walked to Horton Plaza to shop and eventually walked back to the hotel.

needsun
You will probably need a cab to travel the few blocks to your motel as you will have luggage.
From Columbia Street you can walk up nearby Laurel Street which leads directly into Balboa Park.
With an 11 year old you may decide to take a bus as you will soon get tired walking about the zoo.
You should opt to take a bus to the roller coaster and amusement center in Mission Bay, a few miles away, as this should interest an 11 year old. Seaworld has a waterslide that he/she would like.
There are a number of restaurants around Little italy.
Don

You did the right thing. Hotel Circle just has hotels and motels. You will enjoy your stay in Little Italy and will be able to grab a bus here or there. However, keep in mind that San Diego is a place that is very spread out. You will be somewhat limited in your sightseeing by using only public transportation (buses) and the municipal trolley doesn't really cater to tourists so the stations are not really close to many spots that you might want to take in. With a 5 day stay, you might think about renting a car for one day so that you can make you way to some of the outlying points such as the Mission San Diego De Alcala, La Jolla's Simon Birch Aqaurium, the Cabrillo Momunment at the end of Point Loma. A ticket on Trolley Tours allows you to get off and re-board at places such as Old Town, Balboa Park (close to the Zoo), Coronado, Seaport Village and the Gaslamp District but it will cost you $30 per person (the quality of the info provided on the "tour" is iffy and depends entirely on the driver ... not really worth the price) and for that much money you can rent a car and cover a lot more or different territory.

Carlascarma, Don and Melissa,
Thank you for your suggestions. The idea of renting a car does not appeal much to me since I am a little scared of driving in a city where I have never been before with a traffic that must be bad in comparison with one in my little city. Besides, I will need a really good road map for this with marked places of interest on it. Do you have any idea where I could get one in case I decide to drive?
Thank you,San Diegans.

needsun:

Do you know about www.sandiego.org? So much information here, the official travel resouce for San Diego. You can get money off coupons, suggestions etc. Be sure and send for one of their free brochures.

You and your family will love San Diego. Have fun.

Sandy

Actually, the San Diego Trolley goes to quite a few places that tourists like. For instance, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, Mission San Diego de Alcala, the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, Qualcomm Stadium, Fashion Valley(a great shopping mall in Mission Valley)and Old Town. Mission Valley is also not isolated, but is central and very close to most of the things you'll want to see.

You will have to use the bus, a cab or rent a car to go to the Zoo, Sea World, the Cabrillo National Monument and La Jolla.

I took the Coaster to San Diego (Old town) from Oceanside 2 years ago. It was great, and I forget how long it took (maybe 35 to 40 minutes?).

Can you give me any ideas on parking in tourist places that you mentioned? is there any free parking? If not how much is that then?

Also with the syrocketing gas prices what it would be to get a cab in SD?

Parking is free at the Zoo, Mission San Diego and Fashion Valley. Everywhere else you either pay a meter or a parking lot and the cost varies.

Sorry, I have no idea how much cabs are, but I heard last night that San Diego now has the most expensive gas in the country. ($3.41 today for regular)

Barbara,
What's Mission San Diego? Is that a part of an Old Town?
On another note, does it get cold in SD in June? Do we need to bring any warm sweatshirts, pants and windbreakers? Thank you

Mission San Diego de Alcala was the first Mission to be established in California. It's in Mission Valley, east of Qualcomm Stadium, not in Old Town.

It can be chilly in the morning and the evening in June. Sweatshirts or light jackets would be good, and long pants.

Thank you Barbara and all who responded for your great ideas and advice. I am looking forward to seeing San Diego and I am sure we will have a wonderful time there.