Originally Posted by tocpe321
Amy usually spots these questions and doubtless will be along later with some excellent insight. (No pressure, Amy.  ) See more... |
Oh no, there's never any pressure from you TC...until you offer that my insight will be "excellent"...
Ok...not much pressure there!
Hey Jo
I'm sure a lot of people will feel that 10 days is too long to spend in San Diego. I think it is doable since you made a point that you want a relaxing visit with some beach days thrown in. Ten days will certainly allow for a relaxing pace with a couple of beach days and still leave plenty of time for sightseeing. You could also add in a couple of short drives to visit some nearby areas like La Jolla, or take a drive up into the mountains and visit the small town of Julian. In case you decide to combine San Diego with another city visit, 7 days is still a good amount of time to cover San Diego and fit in a beach day or two. As tocpe mentioned, San Diego is a compact city and all the attractions are located within an easy drive of each other. There are a few attractions that you can do in the same day, while other sights like the Zoo and Sea World would need more of a full day.
Best areas to stay whether in an Airbnb or a hotel, would be some of the central locations such as Point Loma (where Shelter Island is and the Best Western Palms hotel), Liberty Station neighborhood, Mission Valley, the Old Town area, and Mission Bay. I would avoid staying in a hotel or Airbnb right on the beach in Mission Beach or Pacific Beach, unless you don't mind a lot of noise and foot traffic. Those two beaches draw a large, university age crowd and the beach nightlife goes a bit late. Mission Bay is right by those beaches, and if you find an Airbnb in that area that interests you, look for one that says it is on the bayside. While still a busy area, it tends to be a little quieter on the bayside than on the beachfront side. The most expensive areas to stay will be downtown in the city center and in the beachfront properties. I didn't see any dates when you are thinking of coming out, but summer is always the most expensive time of year to visit San Diego, especially around the week of Comic Con (which is usually around mid-late July).
If you have any questions regarding a promising Airbnb or hotel, please feel free to show me the listing and I will give you my opinion of the location if you like.
I'd be happy to help with any itinerary questions too, however long you decide to stay in San Diego. You could post any questions on my San Diego sticky thread or private message me.