£490+ Cheap flights to San Diego

San Diego climate

The average daily temperature in San Diego is 21 degrees Celsius. During the summer months and into October temperatures of 29 degrees are not unusual. The city averages a mere 10 inches (25 cm) of rain and even during the coldest months of December and January, temperatures still average a mild 20 C.

Getting around San Diego

Like much of Southern California, the easiest way to get around San Diego is by car. You can find several rental car companies at the airport. Bus tickets are cheap and the trolley system is a great way to get around the city or to nearby Tijuana. The Blue Line can take you through Old Town before crossing the border into Mexico. Tickets cost a few dollars and last around two hours.

Getting downtown from the airport

The main airport for travellers on flights to San Diego is San Diego International Airport(SAN). Public transportation options from the airport include buses, light rail and trains. Car rental and taxis are also available.

What is good to know if travelling to San Diego?

• The Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island is the largest wooden structure in the United States.
• The zoo is home to a family of giant pandas, and when Hua Mei was born here, she was the first baby panda born in the Western Hemisphere since 1990.
• Each July, Mission Bay is home to a San Diego original, the Over-the-Line Tournament. This beach softball event dates from 1953 and is renowned for boisterous, anything-goes behaviour.
• And for the holidays, kids of all ages gather in the lobby of Loews Coronado Bay Resort, where the Cat in the Hat gives regular readings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) is one of San Diego’s most treasured native sons.

San Diego airport overview

Sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, San Diego International Airport  is located 4.8km (3 miles) northwest of the centre of the city of San Diego, at the southern tip of California.

It is the United States’ busiest single runway commercial airport, handling around 18 million passengers per year. As it’s situated within a highly populated suburban area, departures are only permitted between 6:30am and 11:30pm.

San Diego International has three terminals: Terminals 1 and 2 and the Commuter Terminal. All international arrivals are handled by Terminal 2, while the Commuter Terminal services flights between San Diego and Los Angeles International Airport. The airport is relatively easy to navigate and flights are generally punctual during most of the year, however delays are common in autumn and winter when visibility is low (thanks to the mighty Santa Ana winds that sweep through the region).

Despite having only one runway, San Diego International manages to keep up with the number of passengers frequenting its terminals each year. It’s a small and clean airport with helpful staff and sufficient amenities.