San Diego Tips

Hello, we're planning a week in San Diego at the end of August.

At the moment we're struggling a little bit with where to base ourselves, and also have a slight nagging feeling that a week might be too long in the area.

We'll have been in Yellowstone beforehand so looking for relaxation but with stuff to do.

Do you V-Flyers have any helpful hints and tips you might be able to share with us?

Sea World! 8D

There is some info in this thread that might help with hotels.

I love San Diego, however, the most amount of time i've ever spent there is 5 days!

However, you do have Sea World (as Tinks mentions) plus I really enjoyed San Diego Zoo.

Worth a visit to La Jolla, it's beautiful there. La Jolla is a lovely place to stroll around, wonder down near the rocks and walk along the beautifully maintained lawns over to where the seals are.

The Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown is nice in the evenings, has a good range of restaurants too.

I've stayed at the Bay Club Hotel a few times, generally before spending time on a friends yacht. It's basic but in a good location with wonderful views of the Bay and city. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... ornia.html)

Also, pop over to Coronado Island and visit Hotel Del Coronado, a beautiful hotel.

The good thing with San Diego is you've lots in and around the area with La Jolla, you can always pop down to Baja California with Tijuana!

[Darren Wheeler]

I'd avoid Tijuana like the plague. Absolutely hideous place IMHO. Plus you can't take your hire car there.

Gaslamp Quarter is a good spot. Handy for 5th Avenue restaurants and bars, and the Petco stadium. Padres are home quite a bit in August too.

5 days might be a bit too long to spend in the centre though, and like others I would recommend heading north rather than south.

If its R&R you are looking for, some of the hotels outside of San Diego have a more resort feel, and then you could go into San Diego for day trips.

Thanks for the responses.

We are slightly concerned that the beaches might be rammed, and some of the areas seem like they might be a bit 'urban'. We really didn't like Venice beach in LA so don't want to end up somewhere like that.

Thinking of renting a condo in La Jolla area and then driving in to SD city for baseball/gaslamp etc.

La Jolla is lovely although I imagine it could be busy in the summer.

We really enjoyed the USS Midway;

The zoo is good - although expensive as I recall, (but I am tight...)

There wasn't anywhere is San Diego as awful as Venice Beach!!!

Some of the beaches south of LA are nice; I'm thinking Long Beach, Laguna Beach etc... The latter was busy in January - so I reckon it'll be heaving in the summer.

We were there for 7 nights - which was too long. 4 - 5 I reckon.

I went to Mission Beach a few times, very nice and not too crowded.

The beach on Coronado is beautiful. We weren't staying at the hotel, but spent a few hours on the beach with no problems.

There are some beautiful resort hotels just north of La Jolla near Del Mar. We stayed at the Morgan Run Resort in Rancho Santa Fe one year, very easily to get to the beaches (15 minutes to Del Mar beaches and 25 mins to La Jolla)

I've spent a lot of time in La Jolla for work in the last 7 years, and that's usually a good place to base one's self, if you find some place to be that is reasonably priced. You will have easy access to the city itself, as well as places north, all within reasonable distance.

If you want to spend time on a beach, go to Encinitas and explore the beaches around there. We have stayed in Coronado for a few days in the past, but then it's a bit of a pain to get to other places. From La Jolla you are close enough to the LA area that it won't take too long to pop up there, Laguna Beach definitely doable, though there is really not much need to go that far for a beach, like I said.

For food, if you want to go somewhere a bit different, try the Karl Strauss brew pub in Sorrento Mesa, housed in a japanese garden (it used to be a sushi place many years ago), quite a strange location, wonderful beers and a great brunch on Sundays.

I also loved Whisknladle in La Jolla, for a somewhat finer dining experience.

I'd agree 7 days may be too much unless you plan to spend a few days at a beach.

Laguna beach is where we usually stay and just drive down to San diego to visit the zoo. Surf and sands hotel is right on the beach and the surf comes right under your balcony. Also see whales and dolphins while lying in bed

we recently stayed in Pacific Beach which is 10 mins on the very good bus service to old town, but is away from the town centre whilst still having a good selection of restaurants & bars. we stayed in self-catering accomodation on Law Street & can definately recommend it

[Scrooge]

I am guessing you are flying into LA first ? or are you taking the BA flight/connecting to San Diego ?

Either way, chances are you won't even get to your hotel before 5pm, so that's one night gone.

As posted in the linked thread, I love the Manchester Grand Hyatt, great hotel, however parking is very expensive.
As long as you have a car, you are pretty good anywhere in the San Diego area.

Check biddingfortravel.com for hotel deals on priceline.

For me a week would be about right, seaworld, the zoo, misson bay, the Midway and TJ.

I'd avoid Tijuana like the plague. Absolutely hideous place IMHO. Plus you can't take your hire car there.

While I do agree it is a hideous place, I actually enjoy it down there, there is a bus service that runs from one of the parking lots right to the center of Revolution blvd and back.

Just don't carry to much $$$ and stay in populated areas.

http://www.tacoloco.net/Welcome/Home_Page.html You have to try this place to eat. We live in Phoenix and when ever we go to CA we always eat here.