jborden11

I am entering my senior year of college and would like to take my girlfriend on a nice trip for spring break (1 week vacation in March 2006). However, because both of us will be under age 25 when we go on the trip, we will be unable to rent a car. Both of us really want to see San Diego, but I am wondering if a week-long trip to the area is feasible without a car and only public transportation/cabs. We would like to visit the traditional San Diego tourist destinations, i.e. the Zoo, Gaslamp Qtr., Old Town, etc.

Also, if we do decide to go to San Diego, considering our dependence on public transportation, in what area of the city should I book a hotel?

Finally, if not San Diego, are there any other CA locations that would be better for someone in my situation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

J_Correa

In San Diego, you can get around reasonably well without a car. There is the Red Trolley, which is a lightrail system that goes quite a few places. If you stay downtown, you will be very convinient to the trolley. Plus, you will be close to the Gaslamp and lots of nightlife. There is also a tour called the Old Town Trolley that you can get a day pass and hop on and off of. And there is a water taxi out to Coronado Island.

For other California destinations that are easy to do without a car, SF definitely tops the list - it's actually better without a car.

Gekko

I agree, you might want to consider San Francisco. You don't need a car, and you can take a ferry over to Sausalito or Tiburon for a day (or two). You could also take a guided tour of wine country one day.

sunbum1944

San Diego also has a train/bus system
that is good- you can take the Coaster from downtown SD to Old Town, Solano Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside-
and the from the train you can transfer to bus using a transfer- I use the bus/train to go to the airport from Carlsbad and its works great- in fact the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has a trip planner - you enter your starting point and destination point - and it will tell you exactly what buses to take - how long it will take you etc - and I believe you can buy a day pass - I think you would do fine without a car - you also might call the San Diego Visitors center for recommomendations on hotels close to the bus lines

paula1470

You shouldn't have a problem renting a car if you are over 21. Many companies allow rentals for ages 21-24. Some charge a surcharge of $10-$25 more a day but my daughter rented from Enterprise when she was 21 and did not get charged a surcharge. Do a search on this forum about it also, I think others have addressed this issue and said they have rented from Alamo, Dollar. Just give a call to a few of the car rental companies.

FainaAgain

In San Diego we went everywhere by public transportation with the exception of Wild Animal Park (not sure if this is what it's called), not the Zoo - this is accessible. I remember even taking a bus out of the airport!

lisatravels

I relied on public transportation, taxis and hotel shuttles to get me to San Diego's tourist attractions without any problems. I did discover when staying in the Gaslamp District that there was no easily accessible public transportation to Balboa Park/zoo from where I was (Hilton), but a taxi ride over only cost a few books. A colleague did one of the trolley tours that runs to all major sites and allows you to get on and off whenever you want and liked it a lot.

You didn't mention what price range you may be looking at, but if you have a limited budget you will probably find the Gaslamp Qtr. too pricey. When I decided to add a couple of vacation days to a business trip and wanted somewhere more affordable to stay I switched to the Holiday Inn Express - Old Town and found it to be a nice, inexpensive hotel in a safe area. It is near sites in Old Town and public transportation. In addition, the hotel provides a free shuttle to zoo and Seaworld.

ibob

sdcommute.com is the site for San Diego Bus and Trolley system info. For Trip planning...(619)233-3004 and just say where you want to go and from where you will start. Have Fun.

sceneisle

The following companies in San Diego will rent to those between 21-25, for a surcharge between $5 - $25 a day (depending on company and location): Advantage, Fox Rent A Car, Dollar, Alamo, Enterprise & Thrifty.