San Diego, the beautiful city by the Pacific Ocean, about two hours south of Los Angeles, has arguably the best climate in the US and a healthy, laid-back attitude too. It has a great ethnic and cultural mix, and its close proximity to Mexico – Tijuana is less than 20 miles away – makes for great Mexican cafes and restaurants
Food lovers coming off their flights to San Diego will find excellent Latin, Central and East Asian, Middle Eastern, Italian, Greek, and Pacific Islander food throughout the city. Pick up the scent in the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, La Jolla and Old Town.
The beaches, climate and deserts are not the only things on offer. San Diego has several world-class attractions including Balboa Park, America's largest urban cultural park, which has more than a dozen museums as well as the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
And for those travellers booking their San Diego flights to get away from it all, Torrey Pines State Reserve is one of the wildest landscapes along the coast, with unspoilt beaches, chaparral, pine trees and a lagoon vital to many migrating birds.
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The average daily temperature is 21 degrees Celsius. During the summer months and into October temperatures of 29C are not unusual. The city averages a mere 25cm (ten inches) of rain and even during the coldest months of December and January, temperatures still average a mild 20C.
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San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Distance: two miles northwest of San Diego
Drive time: 10 mins
Shuttle vans, buses and taxis leave from one of three islands in front of the terminals. The cheapest option is Metropolitan Transit System Flyer Route No. 992, which departs every ten minutes between 5am and 12:50am, and will drop you at most downtown businesses and hotels. The fare is about $2 (£1).
Taxis departing from the airport are subject to regulated fares, which work out to $10 (£5) or so. Limousines are also available.
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Although you can make it to lots of attractions by foot, the easiest way to see the city is by car. There is a good choice of rental companies at the airport including Avis, Dollar and Hertz.
The bus is good value in San Diego - $2.25 (£1.13) for a transfer ticket (good for 90 minutes).
The San Diego Trolley is great, particularly if you're staying downtown or plan to visit Tijuana. The Blue Line travels from the Mexican border north through downtown and Old Town, with some trolleys continuing into Mission Valley. Tickets, valid for two hours, range from $1.25 (£.63) to $3 (£1.50).
The Coaster rail commuter service travels between the downtown Santa Fe Depot station and the Oceanside Transit Centre, with stops at Old Town, Sorrento Valley, Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad. Fares range from $3.75 (£1.89) - $5.25 (£2.65) for a one-way regular fare.
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- The Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island is the largest wooden structure in the United States.
- The zoo is home to a pair of giant pandas, and when Hua Mei was born here, she was the first baby panda born in the Western Hemisphere since 1990 (she is now in China).
- Deep discounts are available at the ARTS TIX booth downtown in Horton Plaza Park, where day-of-show tickets are available on a cash-only basis. Events include theatre, concert and dance throughout the city.
- Each July, Mission Bay is home to a San Diego original, the Over-the-Line Tournament. This beach softball event dates from 1953 and is renowned for boisterous, anything-goes behaviour.
- And for the holidays, kids of all ages gather in the lobby of Loews Coronado Bay Resort, where the Cat in the Hat gives regular readings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) is one of San Diego's most treasured native sons.
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