Buses to and from San Diego International Airport (SAN)

San Diego International Airport is located approximately 3 miles, or 4.8km northwest of the Central Business District of San Diego, and is an important airport in the American state of California. About 50,000 people pass through its terminals every day, and there are about 550 departures and arrivals by several airline companies on a daily basis. Many refer to the airport as the Lindbergh Field, or by its airport code of SAN. Passengers can travel to or from the airport by several forms of ground transportation, including the San Diego International Airport buses. There are also buses that provide transport for passengers on the airport grounds.

This American airport has three terminals, a single runway and several parking lots for private vehicles. Terminals 1 and 2 are the main buildings for passengers operation, and are home to the airline companies Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and many others. Passengers on international flights will arrive at Terminal 2, as this is the terminal with international facilities. International departures are handled from this terminal as well. The airport sees approximately 16 million passengers per annum, and is therefore the second busiest single-runway commercial service airport in the world. It is also rated as the 28th busiest by passenger traffic in the United States. Passengers in need of ground transportation will find the airport buses very convenient and very cost efficient, especially if the public buses are used. There are also private shuttle services, which may cost a little more. Buses also play an important role for transport between the airport terminals, and from the terminals to the parking areas and car hire companies.

On Airport Shuttle Services

Between the airport terminals, which are Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the Commuter Terminal (only for flights between San Diego and Los Angeles), there are new Airport Loop shuttle services. They were formerly known as the Red Buses. The airport shuttles circulate between the terminals, and provide a free transportation service seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day. A new fleet of buses operate between the terminals and the parking lots of the airport as well. They are considered as ‘green’ vehicles as they run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The shuttles are also easy to recognise as they are orange and blue in colour. Simply follow the signs from the baggage claim area to where the shuttles collect passengers. In addition, each of the airport shuttles are accessible to disabled and elderly persons, as they have low floors, kneeling capacities and wheelchair lifts.

Arriving passengers who need to reach the San Diego International Airport car hire companies will need to take a free shuttle bus as well, as they are not located on the airport site, but along the nearby roadways.

San Diego International Airport Buses – Public

MTS, or the Metropolitan Transit System, is the company responsible for the city of San Diego’s public transport systems, which include buses and light rail. Although the trolleys, or the light rail trains, do not run to the airport, there are public buses that are frequently available. The Route 992 is the bus that serves the airport, and it stops at all three terminal buildings. It runs from the airport to downtown San Diego approximately every fifteen minutes on weekdays and every thirty minutes on weekends and holidays. The buses’ times of operation are from 05:00am to 11:30pm. The public airport bus route is available at the same frequencies for passengers travelling to the airport for a departure flight, and provides a connection to the Trolley’s Blue and Orange Lines at America Plaza Station.

In general, MTS provides 89 fixed route buses and also provides a paratransit service by MTS Access and ADA Suburban Paratransit. These services are available for travellers who are unable to use the conventional buses or Trolley due to disability. However, all buses are equipped with low floors and kneeling capacities to assist a disabled person or an elderly traveller. All further information regarding the public buses of the airport and of the city can be obtained online, at http://www.sdmts.com, or the company can be contacted at 619-557-4555.

San Diego International Airport Buses – Private Shuttle Services

Private shuttle services at San Diego Airport are operated by the following companies: Advanced Shuttle, SuperShuttle (Cloud 9 Shuttle), EZ Ride, Prime Time Shuttle and Sea Breeze Shuttle. They are a popular and convenient form of transport, often offering door-to-door services. Quite often, an advanced reservation is required for their service, however, each company operates on their policies, terms and conditions. To reach the private shuttle area from Terminal 1 passengers must cross the skybridge and go down to the street level. From Terminal 2, passengers should use the pedestrian crosswalk located outside of the baggage claim area, and head for the Transportation Plaza. Transportation coordinates are available to assist passengers to find a shuttle. The private shuttle companies of the airport are also required to have a fleet of ADA compatible vehicles, specially for passengers with disabilities.

Advances Shuttle takes passengers to all nearby destinations, and can be contacted at (619) 466-6885 or 1-800-719-3499. They have a website available at http://www.advancedshuttle.com. SuperShuttle runs a popular service at many American airports and is convenient for individual travellers and groups of passengers. More details are available at http://www.supershuttle.com. EZ Ride Shuttle offers transport to and from the airport, to all the San Diego region hotels, the convention centre, local attractions or any other destination. Their website is found at http://www.ezrideshuttle.com, and here they accept online reservations. Prime Time Shuttle offers shared-ride services, private vans, private sedans, private luxury cars and private SUV services, and can be contacted at 800-733-8267. Further details are available online as well at http://www.primetimeshuttle.com. Sea Breeze Shuttle is another very popular private bus service from San Diego Airport, and offers a wide range of services at affordable prices. Their website is http://www.seabreezeshuttle.com, and their contact number is 619-297-7463.

Passengers who require assistance with the San Diego International Airport bus services will find the airport volunteers to be very helpful.