The Trolley, buses, rideshare, walking, driving, and private car service — what each costs, when it's the right call, and how to handle the airport, events, and the neighborhoods.
Call (858) 522-0264There's no single best way — it depends on the trip. The MTS Trolley and buses are cheapest (about $2.50 a ride) and great downtown, to the border, and to SDSU and Mission Valley. Walking and biking shine in the beach towns and downtown. For the airport, events, group nights, and door-to-door trips, a private car is the most reliable — Elite Green Transportation runs flat, published rates with no surge, 100% electric: $50 point-to-point in the metro Zone and flat event round trips ($120 sedan / $200 SUV). Rideshare fills the gaps but surges at peak times.
| Option | Rough cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MTS Trolley / bus | ~$2.50/ride · ~$6 day pass | Downtown, border, SDSU, Mission Valley, budget |
| Walking / biking | Free | Beach towns, downtown, Balboa Park |
| Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | Variable — surges at peak | Spontaneous short hops |
| Drive / rental + parking | Gas ~$5.70/gal + parking | North County, spread-out days |
| EGT private car | $50 p2p · $120/$200 events · SAN from $80 | Airport, events, groups, reliability |
The MTS Trolley runs three lines — Blue (San Ysidro/border to UTC via downtown), Orange (downtown to El Cajon), and Green (Santee to Old Town via SDSU, Mission Valley, and Snapdragon Stadium). Fares are about $2.50 per ride or roughly $6 for a day pass on the tap-to-pay PRONTO system, with buses on the same fare. It's the cheapest way around and genuinely good for downtown, the border crossing, ballgames, and SDSU — less so for North County and spread-out neighborhoods off the lines.
Confirm current fares and routes at sdmts.com.
San Diego's best neighborhoods reward two feet: the downtown Gaslamp and Embarcadero, Balboa Park, and the beach boardwalks from Pacific Beach to Mission Beach. Bike share and the bayfront paths cover the flat coastal stretches. For a single neighborhood day, you often don't need a vehicle at all.
Uber and Lyft cover the gaps between transit stops and spontaneous trips, but the price moves with demand and you don't know the fare until you're standing there. Beyond surge, a 2026 Consumer Reports study found the apps quoting riders different prices for the same ride at the same time (a median gap near 50%) using AI-driven "surveillance pricing," and lawmakers in two dozen-plus states are moving to rein it in. For trips where price certainty matters — the airport, an event, a night out — a published flat rate is the safer bet.
A car (your own or a rental) makes sense for North County, Julian, the wineries, and packed multi-stop days. The trade-offs: California gas averages about $5.70 a gallon (the nation's highest), the IRS pegs the all-in cost of driving at 72.5¢ a mile for 2026, and event and downtown parking runs from $10/hour meters to $80–$100 at out-of-town stadiums. For game and concert nights, many locals leave the car home — see getting to every venue without parking.
Gas per AAA California; all-in driving cost per the 2026 IRS standard mileage rate.
For the trips where reliability and a fixed price matter most, a private car wins: the airport with luggage, a game or concert, a night at the theatre, a group out together, or an early flight. Elite Green Transportation is San Diego's only 100% electric licensed car service, with a published flat rate that never surges and a named driver confirmed in advance:
· From the airport (SAN) · To any San Diego event or game (every venue) · To games & events without parking · To concerts · To the theatre & comedy clubs · To a Padres game · To Del Mar
Flat, published rates · no surge · 100% electric · named driver. Airport, events, theatre, and everyday rides.
Call (858) 522-0264