If we are staying in the Gaslamp District, will we be able to take the trolley to the following places? And will it be fairly easy?

Zoo
Coronado Island
Balboa Park
La Jolla Beches/Restaurants

If it is not convenient, we will probably rent a car......

Advice?

No to all.

The Trolley goes to Mission Valley, Qualcomm Stadium, Old Town and Downtown.

There is a tour trolley car run by Old Town Tours? that goes to many of these places. I live her so have never taken it but do see it all over. I *think* you purchase a ticket and you go all over and get on/off at any available trolley at designated stops.

You could also consider:

1. Ferry from downtown to Coronado
2. Shuttle from hotel to Zoo (which is in Balboa Park). Lots of the gaslamp hotels have shuttles.
3. Taxi from Gaslamp to Zoo - it's really close.
4. La Jolla would be the wild card - I'd look into that Trolley tour or rent a car.

San Diego in general is pretty spread out - I ALWAYS rec a car to check things out. ost places you want to go have free parking. The only costs would be parking at your downtown hotel.

Good luck.

The Old Town Trolley is the one you buy a ticket for the day and can hop on and off at any stop. I believe the trolley runs every 1/2 hour. When we were there in February, the tickets were about $25/person and I believe the trolley runs between the hours of 9am and 4pm.

I'd just rent a car, which is what we did and it gave us so much more flexibility than we would have otherwise had.

If you have a car, I highly recommend going out to Point Loma. The views are outstanding. There is also an old lighthouse you can tour, a visitors center and some great tide pools at the base.

I took the Old Town Trolley through Coronado Island back in 1999 it is very easy. As Alice says, what is nice is that you can get on and off at any trolley stop and spend as much time as you like.
Here is there website:
http://www.oldtowntrolley.com/San%20Diego.htm

We took the Old Town Trolley when we visited several years ago. We only bought a one-day ticket, but I believe it is more economical if you buy a pass for several days or a week.

On the day that we took the trolley, they had really underestimated the number of trolleys that would be needed. Towards the end of the day when we were waiting at the trolley stop, every one that rolled up (and they stop every 20-30 minutes) was already at capacity. We waited 45 minutes before we were able to get on a trolley.

I filled out a comment card after this experience and mailed it in - expecting never to hear anything from them again. But you know what??? I DID! They sent me a nice note of apology and 2 free tickets for any of their attractions throughout the US (they have attractions in most historical cities in the US). I put those tickets to good use in Key West.

Just so you aren't confused - the Old Town Trolley everyone is talking about is NOT the original trolley you asked about. This one doesn't run on any rails/tracks, etc. That is why it can get to so many more places.

i don't believe la jolla is part of the old town trolley (bus) tour. if they're charging $25 a head, then it's not worth it from a strictly transportation standpoint. if there are two of you travelling, $50 for two of you will get you back in forth to all destinations and more. la jolla would be $25-30 in a cab. Of course, keep in mind the public transport options. getting to coronado, the zoo and the park are all a breeze for the $2 fare (someone also mentioned the passenger ferry from the foot of broadway which runs every hour to coronado).

The trolley does offer the advantages that you don't have to drive and you get interesting information. However, it could be more economical to rent a car depending on how many people are involved and how long you are staying.
Remember that it you are taking it more than one day, you still have to take the full loop to get back to your origination point each time and hear the same talks.
Also,like a previous poster, we were delayed by overcrowded trolleys the day we used the system when we had company. If you are trying to see a lot in one day, this could be distastrous.

The trolley and the Old Town Tour Trolley (an open bus, really) are OK for getting around and seeing the sights. You should probably rent a car for most of your travels, however. Having said that, I should point out that I find San Diego very easy to get around in, although it's a lot hillier than you would think. Grid streets help. It's spread-out, sure, but nowhere near the sprawl of LA or Houston. La Jolla seems to be far away, but it's actually no more than 15-20 minutes from the Gaslamp. Balboa Park is very convenient, and you could spend two or three days exploring the museums, sights and the Zoo.