Train trip with teenagers, to San Diego or Solana Beach?

My family is palnning to ride the coast train from san juan capistrano and I am wondering if my teenagers would be happy with stopping at Solana Beach for lunch and shopping, or if I should take them all the way into San Diego. I wanted to take a ferry to Coronado? How time consuming would the San Diego to Coronado outing be? (I am traveling with one female and one male teenager and a ten year old.) Advice is really appreciated.

Train trip with teenagers, to San Diego or Solana Beach?

It depends on how much time you want to spend and what the kids want to do.

If you get off in Solana Beach, you can have a nice lunch, do a little shopping in the Cedros Design District, and go to the local beach, all within walking distance.

If you continue to SD, you arrive at the downtown station and walk to the ferry at the Broadway Pier (5 min.). The ferry leaves for Coronado every hour on the hour, and returns every hour on the half hour. Depending on what you are looking for in Coronado, it may be a little longer walk from the ferry landing. I think there%26#39;s also a local bus.

Train trip with teenagers, to San Diego or Solana Beach?

Well ,I am a bit confused about what you want to do. You say you want to stop for lunch and ';shopping';.What kind of shopping? If you live in California we probably have the same mall stores that you have.

IF your goal is to take a ferry ride across San Diego Bay and then do some activity in Coronado then go for it but I wouldn%26#39;t go there for shopping. The ferry ride itelf is about 15min on the water but I am not sure of the schedule I think there%26#39;s one every 30min but not sure.

we take the trip often, it is a great trip. The stop at solana beach is for the del mar fair and races, it is also fairly close to the beach and a is nice little beach town. San Diego downtown stops in a fun area close to the seaport vilage, Horton Plaza, The Naval ship on display and close to the ferrys and trolleys. I would probably go all the way to san diego and have lunch in seaport village. To be honest it gets to solana so fast you would be dissapointed it was over so soon.

Good points Longboard. I think heading downtown would be your best bet too. More variety within walking distance and if you want to take the ferry to Coronado it gives you more time to get to the oceanside by the Del or Strand if that%26#39;s your goal. Cedros is nice, but it%26#39;s more home decor/interior design, not teen shopping especially for boys.

Thank you all so much, your advice is a HUGE help.

Solana Beach is small and quiet. However, the beach, restaurants and shopping are adjacent to the train station. Also it%26#39;s 40 minutes closer than San Diego (80 minutes round trip); add this to the walk to, wait for, and ride on the ferry, plus walking or bus on the Coronado side and you might have 2 to 3 hours more travel time going to Coronado.

Recommended restaurants near the train station in Solana Beach

tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33101-d91…

tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33101-d54…

and a little more upscale: tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33101-d49…