San Diego is about 116 miles south of Los Angeles by road. The quickest way without a car is the Pacific Surfliner train: 2 hours 54 to 2 hours 57 minutes from Union Station to downtown San Diego, with 13 trains a day. We read the operator pages on 26 October 2026.
LA to San Diego at a glance
| Option | Time | How often | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Surfliner train | 2 hours 54 to 2 hours 57 minutes | 13 a day each way | Changes by date |
| Greyhound or FlixBus | 2 hours 35 minutes at the fastest | At least 9 a day | From $22.98 |
| Car | Not confirmed | Any time | Fuel, plus parking in San Diego |
Take the train if you want the easiest trip
The Pacific Surfliner runs along the coast from Los Angeles to San Diego. It stops in Orange County and at beach towns on the way.
Getting there: Pacific Surfliner timetable, effective 4 May 2026: 13 trains a day from Los Angeles Union Station to San Diego. They leave at 6:10 a.m., 7:10 a.m., 8:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 6:10 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 8:10 p.m. and 10:10 p.m. Each reaches downtown San Diego 2 hours 54 to 2 hours 57 minutes later. Stops include Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside and Solana Beach (Pacific Surfliner, PDF timetable, read 26 Oct 2026)
Getting there: San Diego to Los Angeles: 13 trains a day from downtown San Diego, from 4:01 a.m. to 9:01 p.m. Most take 2 hours 56 minutes to Union Station. The 5:01 p.m. train takes 3 hours 3 minutes (same timetable)
Address: Los Angeles Union Station, 800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Santa Fe Depot, 1050 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Old Town Transportation Center, 4005 Taylor Street, San Diego, CA 92110 (Amtrak station pages, read 26 Oct 2026)
Old Town San Diego is the stop about 13 minutes before downtown. Get off there if you are staying near Old Town. Amtrak lists it as a platform with no shelter.
What the ticket costs
Price: The Pacific Surfliner fares page lists ticket types (Unreserved Coach, Business Class, 10-Ride, Monthly) but no dollar amounts. It says Business Class needs a reservation and gives you a guaranteed seat. The page is marked "Updated on 10/12/2022", so check the rules when you book (PacificSurfliner.com, read 26 Oct 2026)
Amtrak prices change with demand, so the same trip costs more on a busy day or close to departure. Search your date on Amtrak.com or PacificSurfliner.com before you decide between the train and the bus.
Check the alerts before you go
Note: Pacific Surfliner alerts on 26 Oct 2026: about 30-minute delays between San Clemente Pier and Oceanside from 20 to 27 October, because of signal problems and weather. On 7 and 8 November 2026 there will be no train service anywhere between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, and no bus bridge. Amtrak Connection buses still run (PacificSurfliner.com home and schedules pages, read 26 Oct 2026)
On those two November days, take a bus or drive. The schedules page also has an emergency bus bridge timetable for the line north of Santa Barbara. Its Los Angeles to San Diego times match the regular timetable.
Take the bus if price matters most
Greyhound and FlixBus sell this route on one page. The fastest bus listed is quicker than the train, but buses use the freeway, so traffic can make them slower.
Getting there: Greyhound's Los Angeles to San Diego page lists a fastest trip of 2 hours 35 minutes, a shortest distance of 116 miles, at least 9 trips a day and fares from $22.98. It sells Greyhound and FlixBus trips (Greyhound route page, read 26 Oct 2026)
Address: Greyhound buses leave from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Los Angeles Union Station, bay 7 or 8, 801 N Vignes Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Greyhound asks you to be at the platform 15 minutes before departure. Other Los Angeles stops on the page include a downtown FlixBus lot and UCLA (same page)
Address: San Diego stops on the same page include Old Town (FlixBus), 2728 Congress Street, San Diego, CA 92110, plus La Jolla (UC San Diego), the San Diego Greyhound bus stop and Downtown (Seaport Village). Your ticket shows your exact stop (same page)
Greyhound says the ticket has the most up-to-date address, so read it the day before you travel.
Drive if you want to stop on the way
The road distance is about 116 miles, from Greyhound's route figure. Most of the trip is on Interstate 5. We found no official drive time and we did not drive it, so check a map app for your hour.
If you only plan to stay in downtown San Diego, Old Town, Balboa Park or the zoo, you may not need a car there. Our San Diego guide covers the trolley and buses.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 26 October 2026: the Pacific Surfliner home page, schedules page, both PDF timetables (the regular one effective 4 May 2026 and the emergency bus bridge one) and fares page; Amtrak's station pages for Los Angeles Union Station, San Diego Santa Fe Depot and Old Town; and Greyhound's Los Angeles to San Diego route page.
Not confirmed: any train fare, a drive time, tolls or fuel cost, the FlixBus timetable on FlixBus's own site, and parking prices at either station. Schedules and alerts change often, so check the operator's page for your date. We did not take this trip for this page.
