The San Diego Trolley provides convenient services from key locations downtown, including the Santa Fe Depot and the San Diego Convention Center, crisscrossing through downtown and out to various locations like Old Town and Mission Valley.
Let's start with the places the San Diego Trolley doesn't go: They include the airport, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Balboa Park along with La Jolla and Legoland. You can't get to the beach on one, either. The Trolley runs on three, color-coded lines: Orange, Green, and Blue.
According to Walk Score, San Diego has an overall walkability score of 51 out of 100, meaning some errands can be accomplished on foot.
Adult
| One Day Bus & Tram Pass | 7 Day Bus & Tram Pass | Monthly Bus & Tram Pass |
|---|
| £5.00 | £21.20 | £81.50 |
We're changing the way San Diego Moves with Compass Cloud, which allows you to purchase one and 30-day passes right from your smartphone and use them immediately. Use your credit, debit, prepaid debit card, or PayPal account to buy - the app saves your payment information so getting more passes on the go is a snap.
How do I check my Compass Cash balance?
- Call the MTS Compass Service Center at 619-595-5636 or NCTD Customer Information at 760-966-6500.
- Go to the Transit Store or Customer Service Centers.
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is changing the way San Diego moves with Compass Cloud, a mobile ticketing app that allows passengers to purchase and store 1-Day and 30-Day passes right from a smartphone. Compass Cloud makes taking public transit to Balboa Park even easier.
Can I still use cash to board MTS Bus, Rapid, Rapid Express or Trolley or NCTD, BREEZE, COASTER or SPRINTER? You can still use cash to buy one-way fares for any bus or rail route. The bus will not issue change and requires exact fare.
1 to 15 mph over limit: $35. 16 to 25 mph over limit: $70. 26 mph to 99 mph: $100. 100 mph or more over limit: $200, with higher penalties if you have a prior conviction.
- To Pay In Person. Counter service is available at any San Bernardino Superior Courthouse.
- To Pay By Mail. Send a check, money order or credit card authorization to:
- To Pay Via Telephone. Call (909) 481-4228 or (760) 241-9529 24 hours a day.
- To Pay Online.
- Additional Payment Options.
- Proof of Corrections.
- Failure to Pay.
Read on for the top choices to get around in San Diego.
- Hop on Old Town Trolley Tours.
- Ride the Red Trolley.
- Catch the Coaster.
- Take the Coronado Ferry.
- Call for a Water Taxi.
- Take a Taxi or Shuttle.
Absolutely! With a growing public transportation system, bike paths, boardwalks, ferries, and more, San Diego is becoming easier and easier to navigate without a car.
So Many Places, So Many Options
| ADULT | YOUTH |
|---|
| COASTER 1 ZONE (Round Trip) | $10.00 | $5.00 |
| COASTER 2 ZONES* | $5.75 | $2.75 |
| COASTER 2 ZONES (Round Trip) | $11.50 | $5.50 |
| COASTER 3 ZONES* | $6.50 | $3.25 |
San Diego Public TransportationSan Diego and its surrounding areas have accessible and affordable public transit systems that include trolleys, buses, trains, and shuttles.
Distance between San Diego and La Jolla is 18 kilometers (11 miles). Driving distance from San Diego to La Jolla is 22 kilometers (14 miles).
Most frequent hop on & off all day tour of San Diego & Coronado. Start your San Diego tour at any of our convenient stops. Only hop-on and off tour over the bridge to Coronado.
The popular trolley line will now offer weekday service every 7.5 minutes from 4:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. and every 15 minutes thereafter. Saturdays and Sundays will also see increases, with trolleys coming every 15 minutes all day.
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is a California public agency comprised of San Diego Transit Corp., San Diego Trolley, Inc., San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company (nonprofit public benefit corporations), and San Diego Vinatge Trolley, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, in cooperation with Chula Vista
The 7-Eleven in the Domestic Terminal sells Compass products.
The Compass Card app is available for iPhones or Android smartphones. All you have to do is search 'compass card' in the App Store or in Google Play. We've made an easy-to-use PDF guide on how to use the Compass Card app, which you can see here.
You can check your balance and load your card online, by phone, at a station Compass Vending Machine or at the West Coast Express Office and Compass Customer Service Centre at Stadium-Chinatown Station.
Use an orange Concession Compass Card to pay for travel on bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express. Be sure to carry your HandyCard with you as proof of concession fare eligibility.
There are three ways of paying your fare: Cash in exact change (bus only). Single use Compass Ticket, which can be purchased at vending machines at SeaBus, SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations, and at select London Drugs locations. Machines accept cash, credit and debit cards.
The Compass card is a contactless smart card automated fare collection system used primarily for public transit in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Compass cards and tickets have been required for all trips taken by SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express since April 8, 2016.
The orange Concession Compass Card can be loaded with a discounted monthly pass covering 3 zones, day passes, and/or with stored value for pay as you go. People who qualify for discounted fares include children 5 to 13 years old, secondary students 14 to 19 with a valid GoCard, seniors 65+, and HandyCard holders.
Compass Cards have a limited life span of five years. If you see an “expired” notice on platform validators or bus fareboxes, or if your card isn't being accepted at Ticket Vending Machines, it may be time for a replacement.
Where can I buy a card?
- Compass Card Vending Machines located at:
- Compass Card Retailers (selling Compass Cards pre-loaded with $10 in Stored Value)
- Customer Service Centre at Stadium-Chinatown Station.
- West Coast Express Office at Waterfront station.
