San Diego Airport (SAN)

The terminals at San Diego Airport

San Diego International Airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and the airport has nonstop flights to destinations worldwide.

The airport publishes the list of the airlines that serve it, with the departures and the arrivals, so it is worth a look before you travel: the airline on your ticket and its terminal can change.

Getting to and from San Diego Airport

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Route 992 stops at both Terminals 1 and 2, runs every day from 4:15 a.m. to midnight every 15 minutes, is wheelchair accessible and connects with the trolley, the COASTER and the Amtrak stations and with many bus lines.

The Amtrak intercity and the COASTER trains connect Los Angeles, Orange County and coastal North County with downtown San Diego, with stops in Old Town, Sorrento Valley, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside. From the Santa Fe Depot you take the Route 992 to the airport.

The trolley takes you downtown, and the airport also has a ride share service, a rental car center, a walking and biking route and courtesy shuttles.

What happens when you arrive at SAN

Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you the whole way, from the aircraft door to the exit, and leave the passports and the children's documents in your carry-on bag, not in checked luggage.

The airport publishes the security checkpoint information and the airport maps, so it is worth a look before you leave for the airport, and the Route 992 runs late enough to cover most of the evening.

San Diego Airport with children

The Route 992 bus is wheelchair accessible and runs every fifteen minutes, so the ride into the city does not need a plan of its own once you land.

The airport has an accessibility service and a family room among its amenities, and keep a snack and water within reach while you wait at the checkpoint.

Plan your stop at San Diego Airport

Check with the airline and the airport's own site before you travel: the terminals, the airlines and the arrival procedures change. And check with the embassy or consulate about the documents your family needs for the entry rules of every country on your route.

Sources

• Official page of San Diego International Airport on the public transportation: the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, whose Route 992 stops at both Terminals 1 and 2 and runs every day from 4:15 a.m. to midnight every 15 minutes, the Amtrak and COASTER trains that connect Los Angeles, Orange County and coastal North County to downtown San Diego, and the trolley connections. — san.org (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of the same airport on the airlines at San Diego International Airport, which serves nonstop destinations worldwide, and on the airport's own services and amenities. — san.org (checked 21 October 2026)