Getting Around San Diego: Trolley, Bus, Taxi & Airport Rides

San Diego is easy to get around without a car if you stay near the Trolley, and taxis and rideshares fill the gaps. As of October 1, 2026, an adult MTS bus or Trolley ride costs $3, and you never pay more than $7 a day once you hit the day-pass cap on PRONTO. You’ll still want a car for North County, the mountains and the desert, and for beaches the Trolley doesn’t reach.

MTS fares in 2026

The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) raised fares on October 1, 2026, its first big increase in years. The current prices are listed on the official MTS fares page:

Fare	Adult	Reduced (senior, disabled, Medicare, with ID)
One-way bus or Trolley	$3.00	$1.50
Day pass (earned on PRONTO)	$7.00	$3.50
Rapid Express / Premium one-way	$6.00	n/a
Rapid Express / Premium day	$14.00	n/a
Monthly pass	$85	$28

You can pay with a PRONTO card, the PRONTO app, a contactless credit or debit card, or cash on buses. If you’re staying a few days, get the PRONTO app. Every ride counts toward the daily cap, so you get the $7 day-pass price automatically and don’t have to guess in the morning how much you’ll ride. Riders 18 and under travel free on MTS and NCTD with a Youth PRONTO account or card. MTS has already approved a second increase for fall 2027, to $3.25 a ride.

There are no fare gates on the Trolley, but fare inspectors do check. Tap or buy before you board.

The San Diego Trolley

Most visitors get the most use out of the Trolley. There are five lines:

• Blue Line: UTC (La Jolla area) to San Ysidro at the Mexico border. It runs through Old Town, Little Italy and downtown, so it’s the line for a walk across to Tijuana.
• Orange Line: Downtown to El Cajon through southeast San Diego and Lemon Grove.
• Green Line: 12th and Imperial to El Cajon by way of the Convention Center, Santa Fe Depot, Old Town, Mission Valley (Fashion Valley, Snapdragon Stadium) and SDSU.
• Copper Line: El Cajon to Santee. Since September 2024 it has replaced the old Green and Orange service east of El Cajon.
• Silver Line: a vintage trolley on a downtown loop, running only on limited heritage service days.

Stations you’ll use most are Santa Fe Depot (Amtrak, Coaster, Route 992), Old Town (the Flyer to the airport, Coaster), Gaslamp Quarter and Convention Center (Petco Park), and Fashion Valley. Check schedules and real-time arrivals on sdmts.com before late-night rides, because frequency drops in the evening.

Buses visitors and locals ask about

MTS buses go where the Trolley doesn’t, including Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest, North Park and Coronado. A few routes people search for most:

• Route 929: 12th and Imperial Transit Center downtown to Iris Avenue Transit Center, through National City and Chula Vista on Highland Avenue and 3rd Avenue. On weekdays at midday, buses come about every 20 minutes. The timetable in force took effect January 25, 2026.
• Route 932: 8th Street Transit Center in National City to Iris Avenue Transit Center on National City Boulevard and Broadway through Chula Vista. It stops at E Street and Palm Avenue Trolley stations. Check the current timetable, because the PDF online may be older.
• Route 120: Downtown to Hillcrest and Fashion Valley, continuing to Kearny Mesa Transit Center. There’s no Sunday service on the Sharp Hospital to Kearny Mesa end.
• Route 992: the airport bus (see below).

MTS adjusts schedules several times a year, so open the route page or the PRONTO and transit apps on the day you ride.

Getting to and from the airport

San Diego International Airport is only about 3 to 4 miles from downtown, so the ride is short whichever way you go. There’s more detail in our San Diego airport guide.

• MTS Route 992: Since September 6, 2026, it runs every 15 minutes all day between the terminals and downtown, with extra late-evening trips. Its downtown stop at Broadway and Kettner connects to the Blue, Orange and Green lines, and it’s the easiest link from Santa Fe Depot if you arrive by Amtrak or Coaster. It charges the standard $3 fare.
• San Diego Flyer: a free electric shuttle between Terminals 1 and 2 and Old Town Transit Center. It runs from about 4:50 a.m. to 12:20 a.m., and the airport’s public transportation page has a live tracker. It can also drop you at Admiral Boland Way, one block from Middletown Trolley station.
• Rental cars: A free shuttle runs 24 hours from both terminals to the Rental Car Center at 3355 Admiral Boland Way.
• Rideshare: At Terminal 1, cross at the pedestrian crosswalk outside baggage claim and follow the signs. At Terminal 2, cross to the Transportation Plaza. Pickup is in the second lane.

Taxis in San Diego

MTS licenses and regulates taxis in the city of San Diego and publishes the maximum rates of fare. The current maximums are about a $4 flag drop for the first tenth of a mile, a little over $4 per mile after that, and roughly $32 to $34 an hour for waiting time or slow traffic. Cabs with card readers may charge the slightly higher set of maximums. Drivers have to accept cash or card and give you a receipt if you ask.

What a ride actually costs depends on traffic. Using those maximums, an airport-to-Gaslamp ride of 3 to 4 miles comes out in the high teens to low $20s before tip. A trip to La Jolla or Pacific Beach costs several times that. Companies can charge less than the cap, and some quote flat fares by phone.

The airport lists these dispatch companies:

Company	Phone
Yellow Radio Service (Yellow Cab)	619-444-4444 / 858-444-4444
Orange Radio Service (Orange Cab)	619-223-5555
American Radio Service	619-234-1111
San Diego Dispatch	619-226-8294 / 800-368-2947
USA Radio Dispatch	619-231-1144

The airport says Yellow accepts all major credit cards and the others take them on request, so mention it when you book. Yellow’s 858 number also covers La Jolla and the northern neighborhoods. As for the “best cab company,” it mostly comes down to who can get a car to you fastest. Uber and Lyft usually beat a phoned-in cab on wait time and price away from the airport. Cabs are worth calling at busy hotel stands, after big events, or when surge pricing kicks in. To report a problem or a lost item, call 619-400-2685 for trips that started at the airport or 619-235-2643 for all other trips.

Coaster, Amtrak and North County

The NCTD Coaster commuter train runs along the coast between Oceanside and Santa Fe Depot, with stops including Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Old Town. Since October 2026 adults pay a flat $6.50 one-way however far they ride, and the MTS day pass doesn’t cover it. It’s a scenic way to reach the North County beach towns, and Carlsbad is the stop for LEGOLAND California, though you’ll still need a short bus or ride-hail from the station. Check the NCTD timetable, especially on weekends. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner uses much of the same line if you’re heading to Los Angeles.

Driving and parking

You’ll want a car for the Safari Park, Julian, Anza-Borrego, wineries and most of North County inland. Traffic on I-5 and I-805 is heavy at rush hour, and beach parking fills by late morning on summer weekends.

City parking got more expensive in 2025. Street meter rates doubled, meters now run later in the evening in Pacific Beach and Mid-City, and Sunday enforcement has spread to more neighborhoods, including downtown and Uptown commercial streets. Meters near Petco Park cost $10 an hour during Padres games and other big events. Always read the meter or sign, and pay with the app before you walk away. Downtown hotels charge their own nightly valet fees, which can be steep. Ask when you book.

Bikes, scooters and the ferry

The waterfront from Little Italy to Seaport Village and the Mission Bay boardwalk are flat and easy to ride. Our biking guide covers rentals and routes. Dockless e-scooters and e-bikes show up in the beach areas and downtown, but rules on where you can ride and park them are strict, especially on boardwalks. Check the app’s in-app map before you set off. To reach Coronado, the ferry across the bay is more fun than driving the bridge. See our Coronado ferry guide for times.

Quick picks by situation

• Staying downtown or in Little Italy: Walk, ride the Trolley and use rideshare for the beaches. Skip the car.
• Arriving late at the airport: Route 992 runs until around 1 a.m. After that, take a taxi from the rank.
• Beach-hopping in La Jolla or Pacific Beach: Rent a car for a day or use rideshare, since the buses are slow.
• Day trip to Tijuana: Take the Blue Line to San Ysidro and walk across. Bring your passport.