From the Pacific shore beaches to the spectacular mountains in the east, San Diego offers a wonderfully wide range of things to see and do. The beaches alone stretch for 70 miles along the shore, so it’s a lot easier to find the best one if you have your own hire car. You’ll find that San Diego is a great place to explore by road. The city has been built around cars, so roads are generally wide and smooth. There are good parking facilities everywhere and much of the city is arranged in an easy-to-navigate grid system, seen in most USA cities.
From the start, you’ll find our car hire pick up point is chosen so you can leave the airport complex easily. We’re based on the north side of the airport with instant access to the Pacific Highway, and you can be in the middle of downtown in a few minutes.
The airport stands between the colonial Old Town and the new city commercial district. Interstate 5 passes the airport, giving you the chance to quickly head south to the Mexican border or north to Los Angeles. Other local interstates mean you can drive east to Arizona on I-8; or take I-15 to the northeast, heading for Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
The rules of the road in southern California are similar to the rest of the US. Traffic drives on the right, of course, but also beware that all passengers over 16 must wear seatbelts and that drivers aren’t allowed to use a mobile phone.
Southern California’s speed limits are fairly low to reflect the relaxed nature of much of the driving here. There’s a 70mph limit on rural freeways, which reduces to 65mph for urban stretches. Residential roads have a 30mph limit, which can be reduced to 20mph in school zones.
To see all California’s road regulations, download the state’s driver’s handbook here.
