MCRD San Diego Graduation Transportation — $65 Flat from SAN
You are flying in to watch your Marine graduate. The depot is next door to the airport, the schedule is fixed to the minute, and the one thing you should not be doing at 07:30 on Friday is refreshing an app at a hotel curb. Flat electric car legs, booked ahead, one number.
Flat rate · no surge · named driver · 100% electric
The graduation week, as MCCS San Diego publishes it
These are the standard times Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) San Diego publishes for graduation week. Holiday weeks shift — confirm your Marine’s company on the MCCS San Diego graduation page before you book flights.
| When | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday — Family Day | Motivational Run | 08:30 |
| Thursday — Family Day | On-base liberty with your Marine | ~11:45–17:30 |
| Friday — Graduation | Base opens to graduation visitors (Gate 5, Washington St) | 06:30 |
| Friday — Graduation | Colors | 07:30–08:30 |
| Friday — Graduation | Seating — “be in your seats no later than 0945” | 08:30–09:45 |
| Friday — Graduation | Graduation ceremony | 10:00–11:30 |
REAL ID: since May 7, 2025, visitors 18 and over need a REAL ID-compliant license or another federally accepted ID (a passport works) to get on the depot. Check the wallet before you check the bags. Source: MCCS San Diego.
Where the car fits — leg by leg
Most families fly in Wednesday or Thursday, stay at an airport-area hotel (Harbor Island, Shelter Island, Old Town, Liberty Station, Little Italy, Downtown or Mission Valley — all Zone 1), and fly home Friday afternoon or Saturday. The shape that works:
- Arrival: SAN → hotel. Curbside pickup — text us when you land and the car is at the curb by the time you have your bags. Flights are tracked, so a late arrival is still met.
- Thursday morning: hotel → MCRD Gate 5 for Family Day. Early, if you want to see the Motivational Run at 08:30.
- Thursday evening: MCRD → hotel when liberty ends around 17:30. Your Marine stays on base.
- Friday morning: hotel → MCRD Gate 5. We suggest leaving by 07:45 for 08:30 seating (see the honest part below).
- Friday afternoon: MCRD or hotel → SAN with your new Marine and their seabag. Boot leave starts here; do not start it in a surge queue.
Book the legs you need. If your hotel is a five-minute walk from Gate 5 and the weather is good, skip that leg — we would rather you book three rides you are glad you took than five you did not need.
The rate — Zone 1 legs, each priced on its own
MCRD, SAN and the airport-area hotels all sit in our Zone 1. One flat number per leg, per vehicle — not per person, not per hour. No package, no surge, no early-morning surcharge, gratuity included.
| Leg (one way) | BMW i7 · up to 2 | Rivian R1S · up to 4 | Escalade IQ-L · up to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAN → airport-area hotel | $65 | $85 | $105 |
| Hotel → MCRD Gate 5 (Thursday or Friday) | $65 | $85 | $105 |
| MCRD → hotel (Thursday evening) | $65 | $85 | $105 |
| MCRD or hotel → SAN with your Marine | $65 | $85 | $105 |
Staying in Coronado, La Jolla or Del Mar instead? Those legs are Zone 2 — $80 BMW i7, $100 Rivian R1S, $120 Escalade IQ-L. The full ladder is on the SAN airport rate card. Grandparents flying in separately? See a driver for your parents.
Why graduation families book EGT
- The rate is the rate. $65 at 05:45 on a Friday is $65. Rideshare around SAN on a graduation morning is exactly where surge lives.
- Curbside at SAN, flight tracked. Text us when you land; the driver is at the curb when you walk out with the bags. A delayed flight is still met.
- Room for the Marine and the seabag. Two parents and the Marine fit the Rivian R1S (up to 4); a family of four plus the Marine fits the Escalade IQ-L (up to 5).
- Named driver, owner accountable. You know who is driving before the ride, and when you call, an owner answers.
- Pay after the ride. No deposit and no card on file — you pay when the ride is complete.
- Licensed. California PUC charter-party carrier TCP #0046494-A, $1.5M commercial liability insurance, 100% electric fleet.
Frequently asked questions
How far is MCRD San Diego from the airport?
MCRD San Diego sits directly beside San Diego International (SAN). The graduation gate (Gate 5, Washington St) is minutes from the terminals and from the Harbor Island, Old Town, Point Loma, Little Italy and Downtown hotels. Every one of those legs is a Zone 1 flat fare: $65 BMW i7, $85 Rivian R1S, $105 Escalade IQ-L, per leg.
What time should we arrive at MCRD for graduation?
MCCS San Diego publishes that the base opens to graduation visitors at 06:30 at Gate 5 (Washington St), Colors runs 07:30–08:30, seating is 08:30–09:45 with guests in their seats no later than 0945, and the ceremony runs 10:00–11:30. On graduation Fridays the Gate 5 line is long — leave an airport-area hotel by 07:45.
Do visitors need a REAL ID to attend MCRD San Diego graduation?
Yes. Since May 7, 2025, visitors 18 and over need a REAL ID-compliant ID (or another federally accepted ID such as a passport) to enter the depot. Confirm current entry requirements on sandiego.usmc-mccs.org before you fly.
What happens on Family Day (Thursday) at MCRD San Diego?
Thursday is Family Day: the Motivational Run steps off at 08:30 and on-base liberty with your Marine runs roughly 11:45 to 17:30. Friday is graduation. Most families book hotel to MCRD Thursday morning, MCRD to hotel Thursday evening, hotel to MCRD Friday morning, and MCRD or hotel to SAN Friday afternoon — each one a flat Zone 1 leg.
How much does the car cost for the whole graduation weekend?
We do not sell packages. Every leg is priced on its own at the Zone 1 flat fare — $65 BMW i7 (up to 2), $85 Rivian R1S (up to 4), $105 Escalade IQ-L (up to 5) — so you book exactly the legs you need. Hotels in Coronado, La Jolla or Del Mar are Zone 2 legs: $80, $100 or $120.
Can our new Marine ride with us to the airport?
Yes. The fare is per vehicle, not per person. Two parents plus the Marine and a seabag fit the Rivian R1S (up to 4); a family of four plus the Marine fits the Escalade IQ-L (up to 5). The MCRD to SAN leg is $65, $85 or $105 flat.
Sources
Graduation-week schedule, Gate 5 opening time, Family Day timing and the REAL ID requirement: Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) San Diego — the depot’s own visitor guidance. Times are the standard published schedule; holiday weeks change, so confirm your Marine’s company before booking flights. Fares: EGT’s published rate card.