What's at the Old Town Transit Center, and how do I use it?
It's San Diego's busiest transfer hub: Blue and Green Line trolleys, the Coaster, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, a dozen bus routes and the free SAN Flyer shuttle to the airport, next to Old Town's historic park.
- Airport shuttle
- Free
- Flyer frequency
- 20–30 min
- Parking
- ~412 spaces
- Opened
- 1994
SAN Flyer, both terminals
~4:45 a.m.–12:30 a.m.
The short version
- Trains: Trolley Blue and Green lines, NCTD Coaster, and 18 of 22 weekday Amtrak Pacific Surfliners.
- The free SAN Flyer runs to both airport terminals every 20 to 30 minutes, about 4:45 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
- MTS buses include routes 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88 and 105; FlixBus and Greyhound also stop here.
- There are about 412 parking spaces, including free commuter parking on the west side.
- Amtrak at Old Town has no checked-baggage service; use Santa Fe Depot downtown for that.
The Old Town Transit Center sits on the edge of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, between I-5 and Taylor Street. Owned by MTS, it's where the trolley, regional rail, intercity trains and buses meet, which makes it the easiest place to switch between them, and the best transit link to the airport.
Where you can go from Old Town
Old Town Transit Center
Taylor St. at Old Town
SAN Flyer (free)
Every 20–30 min
Airport Terminals 1 and 2
About 10–15 minutes
Trolley Blue and Green
Frequent all day
Downtown, Mission Valley, UTC, SDSU, Santee, border
Blue Line to San Ysidro
Coaster and Pacific Surfliner
Rail north
Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Oceanside, LA
Coaster to Oceanside; Surfliner to LA and beyond
FlixBus / Greyhound
Long-distance
Las Vegas and other cities
Several departures a week
MTS, San Diego International Airport and Wikipedia station data, checked Nov. 8, 2026.
| Service | Platform / stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trolley (Blue, Green) | Center platforms | Buy a PRONTO fare before boarding |
| Coaster | West tracks (freeway side) | Ticket machines on the platform; buy before boarding |
| Pacific Surfliner | West tracks | No checked bags at Old Town |
| SAN Flyer | East side, near the depot building, on the island | Free; all-electric; to both terminals |
| MTS buses | East and west bus bays | Routes 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88, 105 |
| Campus shuttles | Bus bays | USD and UC San Diego Hillcrest shuttles |
Trolley (Blue, Green)
- Platform / stop
- Center platforms
- Notes
- Buy a PRONTO fare before boarding
Coaster
- Platform / stop
- West tracks (freeway side)
- Notes
- Ticket machines on the platform; buy before boarding
Pacific Surfliner
- Platform / stop
- West tracks
- Notes
- No checked bags at Old Town
SAN Flyer
- Platform / stop
- East side, near the depot building, on the island
- Notes
- Free; all-electric; to both terminals
MTS buses
- Platform / stop
- East and west bus bays
- Notes
- Routes 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88, 105
Campus shuttles
- Platform / stop
- Bus bays
- Notes
- USD and UC San Diego Hillcrest shuttles
Sources: MTS airport page, SAN, Wikipedia (station layout).
Coming from downtown instead? MTS Route 992 runs from Santa Fe Depot to both terminals every 15 minutes. Compare options in airport to downtown, the cheapest way and Coaster or Amtrak?. While you're here, Old Town State Historic Park is a free walk across the street.
Hub
SAN Flyer stops
Across the street
Pins shared with our other airport and Old Town tips.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
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SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryTake MTS to the Airport
San Diego MTS
Flyer stop location at OTTC, hours 4:45 a.m.–12:30 a.m.; Route 992 every 15 min
San Diego International Airport · Sept. 2, 2026
Free, all-electric shuttle to OTTC; connections
- BackgroundOld Town Transit Center
Wikipedia
Services, bus routes, 412 parking spaces, opened 1994, 18 of 22 Surfliners stop, no checked baggage
- BackgroundOld Town Station
Transit Unlimited
Coaster/Amtrak tracks; free commuter parking west side
- PrimaryGetting to Old Town
Old Town San Diego Chamber
USD and UCSD shuttles; taxis