San Diego International Airport (IATA: SAN) 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 , Delta Airlines , Continental Airlines , United Airlines , and US Airways , as well as major low fare carriers including JetBlue and Southwest Airlines . 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. 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 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) is within the vicinity of San Diego and offers numerous flights from Mexico and recently additionally long-haul service from Shanghai and Tokyo, allowing many tourists from the Pacific Rim, the option of bypassing Los Angeles International Airport and making it easier to connect to the San Diego area.
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.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about San Diego
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in San Diego - updated May 2024
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San Diego Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
