SD - Best area to stay for easy acces to the beach - no car

My wife and I are going to San Diego in late June. We are most interested in staying close to a nice beach and visiting the zoo one day. If at all possible, we want to avoid renting a car (with the cost of parking,gas, and rental fees, I don%26#39;t think taking a cab or bus/trolley should be much more).

We have a budget on $150 a night, and therefore we think we should use priceline. On priceline, the two areas we picked out are San Diego Coastal and Downtown. How far/trip time typically is it from Downtown to the beach (we want sand, not just the marina). The Coastal area is so large, that the area we would be in could drastically vary, but this seems like the best area for our needs. Is my thinking off? Is one of these areas better for us than the other?

Thanks for any help

SD - Best area to stay for easy acces to the beach - no car

I use priceline a lot. The downtown/gaslamp areas have the best access to public transportation.

The trouble with Downtown/Harbor Island is that the Sheraton on Harbor Island is less convenient.Priceline changes its areas sometimes so if you see gaslamp as an area then that is safer.

We consistently get 4*** hotels there for just under $100. You%26#39;ll be able to take a bus to the zoo and a bus,passenger ferry or water taxi across the bay to Coronado where there is a great beach. You also have access to a great hop on hop off tour which goes to those places as well.See:www.trolleytours.com

SD - Best area to stay for easy acces to the beach - no car

Thanks! Your information on how to travel is encouraging. I was just taking a look at cab fares and that made me think I would be much better off renting a car.

Just so you know, I%26#39;ve found parking prices to by really high downtown. Public trans. seems to be the way to go.

forgot to add...

We typed in Gaslamp district 3 star for pricline, we were upgraded to a 4 star at the Marriot in Gaslamp District($120). No pool though and 30$ a night parking...although I%26#39;m sure you find less expensive in a lot next door. We also have no airport shuttle, so that will be a $15+ cab ride each way. You can also try hotwire.com You won%26#39;t know your hotel, but you will know more specifics (compare to what priceline offers and sometimes you can figure out the hotel). Make the most whatever you get. Call the hotel directly right away and request the type of room you want. They will usually guarentee it if you call them direct after a bid on priceline. Gaslamp district is a short trolley ride to the zoo area.

We are arriving in April.

Sorry I forgot one more thing. Most people aren%26#39;t aware of this site www.biddingfortravel.com. It will tell you what people are winning for bids on priceline.

have fun!

IF you rent a car you can use Priceline for that as well. People have been getting cars for about $15 per day here in San Diego. There is a nice garage at 6th and K,between the Gaslamp Marriott and the Omni, where we have parked overnight(from 1PM to 10AM)for about $12 CASH(no credit cards taken). In fact ,it is the same garage that the hotels use for their valet parking at $30 per day.We only bid on 4****s for our in town getaways and that has worked well for us.

After more research, I am also thinking about staying in the Coronado area. My choices on priceline(from better bidding and bidding for travel) in this area are Loews Coronado resort, Hotel del Coronado (I think this one is included) and Mariott Coronado. What do you guys think of these. I would rent a car if I went this route. Again, most important thing is a clean sandy beach. We will not do a whole lot of traveling, short of one day to the zoo and to go downtown (assuming we like the resort and don%26#39;t want to leave)

If you bid 4* for Coronado, you will almost certainly get either the Loews Coronado Resort or the Coronado Marriott Resort, usually at around $120/night. I believe parking at both is around $20/night. We enjoyed both places a year ago, and got the Loews on priceline for $120.

The beaches at Coronado are beautiful. As an FYI, the Del is RIGHT on Coronado beach...Loews is adjacent to Silver Strand State Beach which is accessible via an under-highway tunnel. It also has a bay side beach at the Strand.

The Marriott is not right on the beach, it is on the San Diego Harbor side of the bay - HOWEVER, you%26#39;ll be a few blocks from the beach near the Del.

Well I have bid up to $151 for the coronado area with no luck. Not sure what the deal is, but I thought this would have been enough. MY exact dates are 6/26 -6/30. Anyone know if there is a big event going on in SD during this time (other than the typically busy summer)

Is it possible I am bidding to early/late?