Flying to Tijuana from San Diego is an option, but it's not realistic or cost-effective, as there are no direct flights from San Diego International Airport (SAN). To get to the border from San Diego International Airport by public transportation, take the MTS Airport Bus (number 99), which will take you directly to Broadway and Kettner. However, due to San Diego's close proximity to Tijuana, it doesn't make much sense to fly between the two cities. My friend and I want to go to San Diego and we thought it would be a fun idea to visit Tijuana.
Around 35 million people visit San Diego annually, but less than a third of those tourists make the short trip from San Diego to Tijuana. You should take the UC San Diego Blue Line, which starts at the American Plaza Transit Center, near Fifth Avenue in San Diego's Gaslamp District, a popular tourist area. The last tram leaving for San Ysidro leaves downtown San Diego around midnight; the last tram returning from San Ysidro is at 1 in the morning. The San Diego Trolley, a light rail system, follows the Blue Line from downtown through the southern communities of National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and ends near the San Ysidro Junction.
You'll need to cross the bridge to get private transportation or a bus that goes to downtown San Diego. The rental car option can be great if you are traveling with a few people or with a lot of luggage and plan to visit places around San Diego. If you want to connect to the streetcar from another part of San Diego or from another line, you can find the streetcar map here. The best time to visit San Diego is from November to April because they are the months of the dry season.
Read here how to get from the Tijuana airport to the city center, from the San Diego airport to the city center, from the San Diego airport to San Ysidro and the best restaurants in Tijuana. If you decide to leave your car, which can be a good decision, since traffic is difficult, you can take the San Diego trolley to the San Ysidro border. Make sure you have a parking spot at your hotel or Airbnb, as it can sometimes be very difficult in San Diego.
