Key Facts to Know About Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
After the last year to 18 months, I know that you need a vacation. So… where do you want to go? Ahh! Perhaps sunny California, and, even better… San Diego. San Diego is one of the most beautiful and liveable cities in the country. Decision made! Off we go to San Diego! Because there is so much to see and do in San Diego, you are going to need to be able to get around, but you are in luck, because, even though San Diego is a large city that is fairly spread out, it is not difficult to easily find a mode of transportation that is sure to get you from the airport to the hotel and then anyplace after that you want to go. so whether you are visiting San Diego for the very first time or you frequently visit this beautiful city, this quick and handy guide will give you the information that you need to easily and safely get around town.
I've Arrived at the San Diego International Airport... Now, Where Do I Go?
Once you have arrived at the airport and you’ve gone through the process of checking your phone messages and email, getting refreshed from the long flight, and retrieving your baggage from the airport baggage claim area, you have to figure out how to get to your hotel or wherever you are going to be staying. No problem! Because of the convenient location in downtown San Diego, there are several convenient options from the airport.
- Taxi – Conveniently located outside of Terminals 1 & 2, is the taxicab stand. Wait at the cab stand and someone will very happily and eagerly offer you a cab ride.
- Airport Shuttle Services – If you don’t like cabs or don’t want to spend the money on a cab, an inexpensive option would be to use the various airport shuttle services. On a regular schedule from the airport terminals, shuttle services run to various locations throughout the city, The shuttles are inexpensive and easy to schedule and catch on the fly. You can even call ahead to schedule a pickup.
- Public Transportation – San Diego has the San Diego Transportation MTS (Metropolitan Transit System). The San Diego Transportation MTS has a bus service (bus number 992) that runs between downtown San Diego and the airport every 15 minutes during the week and about every 30 minutes on weekends. If you are a bit flexible on the time that you need to arrive and leave locations throughout the city, the public transit system is very good and is the least expensive method of travel around San Diego. To make it even more convenient, check the San Diego Transportation MTS website ahead of time to get route and schedule information for the buses that you are going to need throughout your trip.
The San Diego Transportation services offerings are extensive, affordable, and accessible to most any traveler. Among the least expensive and most commonly used are the trolley and bus systems. San Diego on Rails a really fun and convenient way to get around San Diego is by trolley. The trolley system is quite extensive.
San Diego MTS operated three separate trolley lines to make it easy to get to most points in the downtown San Diego area.
- Santee and Mission Valley are served by the Green Line, which runs from Old Town through Santee and San Diego State University.
- San Diego’s Orange Line connects Downtown with the eastern parts of the city to Lemon Grove & El Cajon.
- There is a Blue Line that runs from downtown to Old Town through to the Mexican border.
You just need to check the San Diego Transportation MTS website for more detailed information on the trolley routes and schedules. In addition to the public trolley, the Old Town trolley is another great trolley option for getting out and seeing the most popular sites in San Diego.
The Old Towne trolley goes to10 different places throughout San Diego. On the trolley, you can see sights such as the huge cruise ship terminal and the world-famous San Diego zoo, among many other interesting and exciting sights.
Hop-On The Bus
While the trolley system runs fairly extensively throughout the downtown area of San Diego, due to the number of things to do and places to see in San Diego, there definitely are going to be places that you are going to want to see that you cannot get to on the trolley, so the San Diego transportation services do offer a very extensive bus route.
In fact, that is 89 different routes that run throughout the San Diego area. The San Diego Transportation MTS bus system is very easy to understand and to use, and it is an inexpensive and reliable way to get around San Diego. Another advantage of using the bus system instead of using Uber or a real car is that it’ll allow you to get a tour of all parts of the city while you get to where you are going.
Again, for planning purposes, take a look at the MTS website to get current information on bus routes, schedules,
fees, etc.
Peddling Your Way Around San Diego
Unlike a lot of major cities throughout the country, San Diego is very easy to see on a bicycle. Because San Diego has such great weather and because it is a city where the residents spend a lot of time outdoors, there are a lot of opportunities to see the city from the seat of a bicycle.
In the downtown and beach areas of the city, there are many locations where you can rent a bicycle and most of the roads in the city of San Diego have a designated bike lane. The downtown and the waterfront areas, like La Jolla and Embarcadero, are fantastic places to go riding to really enjoy everything that these fun and vibrant communities have to offer, in terms of food and culture.
Along the same line of renting a bicycle and peddling your way around San Diego, you could hire someone to do the peddling for you. Pedicabs are a great option if you want to leave the peddling to someone else while you enjoy a tour of the city.
In the downtown area, pedicabs are a great alternative to taxis or riding your bike, particularly at the Embarcadero and in the Marina and Columbia neighborhoods.
Cabs and Cars
Of course, after you arrive at the San Diego International Airport, you’ll definitely have an option of taking a cab from the airport to the hotel; however, it is just as easy to grab a cab from any place in the city. The airport, most hotels, restaurants, and popular San Diego attractions have cab stands that you could go to in order to catch a cab. So it is very easy to find a cab in San Diego.
Please keep in mind that traveling around the city by cab is the most expensive way to get around town; however if it is just an occasional cab ride, then a cab is a logical option. Like most every other city, cab companies are required to post their flag pull and per-mile rates on the side of the cab.
As mentioned, cabs are not the most budget-friendly way to see the many visitor attractions that are located throughout San Diego. So, a less expensive option is the ride-sharing companies like Uber or Lyft.
If you don’t already have one on your phone or tablet, then all that you need to do is download and install whichever of the ride-sharing apps that you prefer, and then just go on the app to schedule a ride to wherever you need to go… still not the cheapest way to get around, but less expensive than using a cab.
There are a lot of things to do and see in San Diego, so there must be a lot of ways to get you where you want to go when you are visiting San Diego. It is a beautiful city with great beaches, nice people, fantastic, sunny weather, a great food scene, as well as a lot of great attractions, like the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Depending on what you want to do and see and where you want to go, the San Diego Transportation MTS bus service or perhaps the public trolley services may work for you. Again, you need to be flexible, but the MTS services are the least expensive option.
However, if you are on a schedule to see as many things as possible, then you may want to use cabs, Uber, or a rental car. Regardless of the modes or modes of transportation that you use to get around in San Diego, I guarantee you that you are going to have a vacation that you are not going to forget. After the year that most people have had, I know that you need it.
Non-Medical Transportation
Happy2Help Transportation is rated #1 in non-medical emergency transportation in San Diego, and we take great pride in that. We take pride in being the most professional and cost-effective non-emergency transportation provider in San Diego county.
Our services are tailored to but not limited to Doctor Appointments, Dialysis Centers, Senior Care Facilities, Hospice Centers, Independent Living Communities, Eye Institutes, Dental Offices, Physical Therapy or Rehab, Surgery Centers, Nursing Facilities Convalescent Homes.
So if you ever need any of that services while you’re enjoying your stay in San Diego feel free to give us a call at
(619) 885-3737