Cheap Flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to San Diego (SAN)

If you're flying out of Philadelphia to San Diego, you'll almost certainly be departing from Philadelphia International Airport, one of America's busiest airports. At the San Diego end, you'll most likely be landing at San Diego International. There are many daily departures along this route, including non-stop options. You can get a direct flight with American, which takes about five and a half hours. Many other carriers offer flights with one stop en route, and usually the best time available on these will be seven to nine hours.

Facilities at San Diego International Airport

You often find airports 20 or 30 minutes outside of the cities that bear their name, but San Diego's airport is actually quite close to downtown. None of the rail lines stop directly at the airport, but it only takes about 10 minutes on a bus to connect with the city trolley service or to reach the Santa Fe Depot, where you can take Amtrak or the COASTER regional train. A special shuttle runs from Terminals 1 and 2 to the Green trolley line at Middletown Station, and you can also take City Bus 992 from these terminals to a variety of points throughout downtown.

Of course, the airport is well supplied with rental car options as well. All agencies are located in the Consolidated Rental Car Center just outside the airport. Free shuttles run from both terminals to the Center.

Services available at the airport include ATMs throughout both terminals, free bicycle lockers (with a $25 refundable deposit), currency exchange, luggage carts, lactation rooms and courtesy phones for complimentary local calls. Free high-speed WiFi is available throughout the airport. There are also a few stations that allow cash to be converted to a prepaid MasterCard.

Each terminal has a good variety of dining options, but in both cases the majority of them are beyond security. You may want to take advantage of your arrival terminal's restaurants before exiting. Of course, it's also a short trip into downtown San Diego, which has a much greater range of options.

Things to Do Near San Diego International Airport

The San Diego airport is centrally located near many of the city's most popular attractions: downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, Little Italy, SeaWorld, and of course the beaches. Exiting the airport to the west takes you toward Ocean Beach, Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument. To the immediate east is the San Diego Zoo, with downtown just to the south. A good spot for a quick visit is the USS Midway Museum and the shops at Seaport Village, which are located right next to each other. You can take the Green trolley line to them from Middletown Station, which is close to the airport. In fact, if you're headed to the Convention Center, you'll be passing by them anyway!

Hints and Tips for San Diego International Airport

The city of San Diego has plans in the works for a long highway overpass that will directly connect the airport to Middletown Station, allowing you to walk there instead of taking a shuttle. It might be a good idea to check on current progress before you arrive.

San Diego has Uber and Lyft, but requires drivers to have special permits to pick up at the airport, and relatively few have these permits. If nothing is showing up at the airport, try walking across the street or taking the free shuttle to the car rental building before requesting a pickup.