By plane
San Diego International Airport IATA: SAN (http://www.san.org/) is less than 10 minutes from downtown San Diego. The descent into the airport from the east is remarkably close to downtown buildings, which can be a bit alarming for first-time visitors. It is served by legacy carriers such as American Airlines (http://www.aa.com), Delta Airlines (http://www.delta.com/), Continental Airlines (http://www.continental.com/), United Airlines (http://www.united.com/), and US Airways (http://www.usairways.com/), as well as major low fare carriers including JetBlue (http://www.jetblue.com) and Southwest Airlines (http://www.iflyswa.com/). The only international flights from the airport go to Mexico and Canada, plus one daily flight on British Airways to London Heathrow. Otherwise, visitors from other countries would most likely travel through Los Angeles or San Francisco. Flights on the JAL 787 Dreamliner from Tokyo-Narita begin in December 2012. Non-stops to Honolulu and Maui are also available.
Beware that even discounted coach airfares between San Diego and Los Angeles about 120 miles/190 km can cost nearly as much as a trip to the east coast. Flying will usually be greatly discounted or even free for connecting flights if it's part of the overall routing, but you must leave LAX within four hours for domestic flights or 24 hours international. Fixed point ground transportation between LAX and San Diego is extremely limited and taxi/van service is more costly than flying except for groups of about six or more. If arriving at Los Angeles Airport, always know the method and cost of how you're getting to San Diego in advance. Many Angelenos, making San Diego a weekend get-a-way, opt for Amtrak see below. Transportation options between LAX and Los Angeles Union Station LA's major Amtrak station can be found here.
There are a number of airport shuttle companies that handle transportation to and from the airport. They cost around $15 per person. Metro bus #992 The Flyer $2.25 travels 10 minutes to the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego, where you can connect to the Coaster commuter train, the Trolley, and Amtrak.
Driving out of the airport can be a little confusing. Unless you're headed to Point Loma or Harbor Island, you want to go east towards downtown. The first left turn after the airport is Laurel Street to Balboa Park. The second one is Grape Street, and this has access to the I-5 freeway. For the I-5 north freeway, stay in the left lane of Grape St., or the right lane for I-5 south. The 163 north and 94 east freeways are via I-5 south remain in the right freeway lanes for the 163 and 94 as these exits will come very quickly. If going downtown, just stay on Harbor Drive from the airport.
McClellan-Palomar Airport IATA: CLD is the other commercial passenger airport in San Diego County. Commercial operations are limited to one commuter airline, United Express, which provide service to Los Angeles. The airport is in the city of Carlsbad, about 35 miles north of downtown San Diego. Exiting the airport by car, turn right onto Palomar Airport Road and proceed onto Interstate 5 southbound to reach San Diego proper. There is an AVIS car rental facility on-site.
Tijuana International Airport IATA: TIJ in Mexico is within the vicinity of San Diego, and may be an option as it offers numerous flights and recently additionally long-haul service from Shanghai and Tokyo. This allows many tourists from the Pacific Rim the option of bypassing Los Angeles International Airport and putting them closer to San Diego. However, closer is not necessarily easier. As this airport is not in the United States, travelers need to make sure that they have the proper documentation such as passports or visas for their respective nationality to traverse through Mexico into the United States. Also, one should be aware that border crossing from Tijuana to the United States involves very lengthy waiting lines, and as such, changing planes in Los Angeles and continuing on to San Diego is the easier option for travel.
Private pilots will prefer the nearby general aviation airports, Montgomery Field ICAO: KMYF in Clairemont Mesa, Gillespie Field ICAO: KSEE in El Cajon, or Brown Field ICAO: KSDM east of San Ysidro. Some air taxi and air charter firms offer specials to the San Diego area from local airports, including from many smaller Los Angeles airports and from the San Luis Obispo area.
By ship
The Cruise Ship Terminal (http://www.portofsandiego...) in downtown San Diego currently only services excursions departing from San Diego to Baja Mexico and Los Angeles. These include dinner cruises, three-day gambling cruises and 'party excursions' to the Mexican coastal ports of Baja.
By train
Amtrak, â +1 800 872-7245, . Amtrak operates from the historic Santa Fe Depot, located in downtown at 1050 Kettner Blvd. The station is the southern terminus of Amtrak's frequent Pacific Surfliner route, which runs north to Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. The depot is within walking distance of downtown hotels and situated near San Diego Bay. The city operates a bus line Route 992, the "Airport Flyer" between the train depot and San Diego International Airport. edit
There is also a secondary rail station located at the Old Town San Diego Historic Park. It is used mainly for travel within San Diego County, although Amtrak also serves it on weekends and holidays.
Other rail services include the COASTER, â +1 800 262-7837, (http://www.gonctd.com/coa...), a commuter train that runs north from downtown along the coast into northern San Diego County all the way to Oceanside where it meets the Metrolink rail service from Los Angeles and the Sprinter rail service from Escondido. Service is mostly limited to the weekday rush hours, with limited service on Saturdays, and none on Sundays. Fares are based on how far you ride; a one-way fare will be in the range of $4-$5.50. Tickets must be purchased from the ticket vending machines located at each station.
By car
San Diego is easily accessible by car using any one of the three major interstate roadways, the 5, 8, and 15 Freeways.
I-5
begins in San Ysidro, at the US-Mexico border crossing, and continues northward through Los Angeles and Central California to Oregon and Washington, terminating in Blaine, Washington at the US-Canadian border crossing.I-8
begins near the coast in Ocean Beach and continues eastward through eastern San Diego and Imperial Counties into Arizona, where it connects with Interstate 10 about half way between Phoenix and Tucson. From the Phoenix area, AZ Hwy 85 to I-8 at Gila Bend is often faster, except from the eastern suburbs. There is a mountain pass of about 4,200 ft. between the desert and coastal area. Closures or restrictions due to snow happen on rare occasion.I-15
begins in southern San Diego County and continues northward into the California deserts, through Nevada, Utah, and Idaho, eventually terminating at the US-Canadian border in northern Montana.Additionally, there are numerous other freeways that crisscross the county, making access to most places in San Diego relatively easy. However, be advised that traffic is frequently congested during the weekday morning and evening commuting hours.