Turn in the rental car a day early and discover San Diego aboard its trains, trolleys and buses. Getting around careless is easier than imagined, with a little planning.

Trip Planning
The website transit.511sd.com is an online trip planning tool that consolidates the region's public transit routes. Input the origin and destination in search boxes and transit options will download with estimated travel times. You can also dial 511 to access San Diego's traffic, transit and commuting information and operators.

Rail to Road
Metropolitan Transit System is the major operator of buses in the region and oversees light rail service on San Diego's Trolley's three lines (Blue, Orange and Green). North County Transit District operates the Coaster commuter rail service, the Sprinter light rail and Breeze bus network originating in north county. These systems connect to deliver thousands of people to their destinations every day. All-day passes range from $5 to $15.

Want to know more?  Click here to check out Lydia Sea's blog on her car-less lifestyle down in San Diego.  And click here to check out her environmentally-friendly way to get the full Padres baseball experience aboard the Padres game train.  Let her be your local tour guide.

Local Tips
Now that you know how to bypass the gas pumps, let the journey begin:

San Diego International Airport
Board MTS route 992 on Harbor Drive downtown, connecting to all terminals.
Oceanside to San Diego Harbor
Enjoy one of America's most scenic train rides on the Coaster, wending through iconic beach towns, along the coast, through a wetland and canyons, to the bustle of downtown San Diego.
Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo
Take the Orange or Blue Line Trolley to the City College stop. Transfer to MTS route 7, which delivers visitors to the park and zoo.

Lydia Cobb is a writer living in San Diego North County, surfer, and public transit rider. She gave up her vintage surfing mobile two years ago in a personal challenge to live without a car.