| MTS San Diego Trolley | |
| NCTD Coaster | NCTD Sprinter |
The base fare on all San Diego MTS bus and trolley lines is $2.50. A downtown half fare of $1.25 is in effect for all passengers riding the San Diego Trolley solely between any two of the following stations: County Center/Little Italy, Santa Fe Depot, America Plaza, Civic Center, Fifth Avenue, City College, Park & Market, 12th & Imperial Transit Center, Gaslamp Quarter, Convention Center, and Seaport Village.
You can purchase a proof-of-purchase ticket from a vending machine at any station. Tickets are only good for two hours after the time stamped on the ticket. They are NOT valid for a round trip.
A Regional Day Pass is available for $5.00. It can also be purchased from any ticket vending machine. It is valid for all MTS trolley routes, all MTS bus routes except premium express, NCTD Breeze buses, and NCTD Sprinter. In addition, it is good towards a $2.00 discount on an NCTD Coaster fare.
If you fail to show a Regional Day Pass or one way fare proof-of-payment, you will be cited for not paying the fare and fined.
Senior (60 and over), disabled, and Medicaire recipient discounts are available too. The base fare is reduced to $1.25, and the downtown fare is 60 cents. Proper identification must be presented to get these fares.
See below for a chart showing the fares of all rail transporation we will ride in San Diego County.
The one way fare on Sprinter is $2.00.
You can purchase a proof-of-purchase ticket from a vending machine at any station. Tickets are only good for two hours after the time stamped on the ticket. They are NOT valid for a round trip.
A Regional Day Pass is available for $5.00. It can also be purchased from any ticket vending machine. It is valid for all MTS trolley routes, all MTS bus routes except premium express, NCTD Breeze buses, and NCTD Sprinter. In addition, it is good towards a $2.00 discount on an NCTD Coaster fare.
If you fail to show a Regional Day Pass or one way fare proof-of-payment, you will be cited for not paying the fare and fined.
Senior (60 and over), disabled, and Medicaire recipient discounts are available too. The one way fare is reduced to $1.00. Proper identification must be presented to get these fares.
See below for a chart showing the fares of all rail transporation we will ride in San Diego County.
Coaster fares are based on the number of zones through which a passenger travels. On our fest, we will be taking just one trip on Coaster, riding southbound from Oceanside to San Diego on Tuesday. The line is divided into four zones; we will be travelling through all four. A four-zone trip for anyone 6 years of age and older costs $6.50.
Coaster operates on a proof-of-payment system. Passengers may be asked by a conductor or fare inspector to show a ticket or other proof of payment. Tickets are not sold on trains. One way tickets must be purchased on the day of travel, as they are imprinted with a time stamp. Therefore, they do not have to be validated.
Ticket vending machines are located at every Coaster station. They will accept cash, debit cards, or credit cards. They will make change for cash transactions up to $10, so you therefore cannot use a $20 bill. The vending machines do allow up to 30 tickets to be purchased at once, so one person could purchase our group's tickets in bulk to save time.
Senior (60 and over), disabled, and Medicaire recipient discounts are available too. The one way fare is reduced to $3.25. Proper identification must be presented to get these fares.
As was mentioned in the MTS and Sprinter sections, one advantage of the Regional Day Pass is that it is good for a $2 discount off your one way Coaster fare. If you have the Regional Day Pass, when purchasing the Coaster ticket from the vending machine press the button for "Transfer from Transit". This will give you a four-zone Coaster ticket for just $4.50. If approached by a fare collection officer or conductor, you must show both the reduced fare Coaster ticket and the Regional Day Pass.
See below for a chart showing the fares of all rail transporation we will ride in San Diego County.
Here are the tickets we expect to have to buy while in San Diego County:
| Tuesday | ||||
| Agency | Trip | Fare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Way | One Way Reduced | Regional Day Pass | ||
| Oceanside-Escondido | $2.00 | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| Escondido-Oceanside | $2.00 | $1.00 | ||
| America Plaza-Dinner stop | $1.25 | $0.60 | |
| Dinner stop-12th & Imperial TC | $1.25 | $0.60 | ||
| Oceanside-San Diego | $6.50 | $3.25 | $4.50 |
| TOTALS | $13.00 | $6.45 | $9.50 | |
| Wednesday | ||||
| Agency | Trip | Fare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Way | One Way Reduced | Regional Day Pass | ||
| Santa Fe Depot-Old Town | $2.50 | $1.25 | $5.00 |
| Old Town-Santee Town Center | $2.50 | $1.25 | ||
| Santee Town Center-Gillespie Field | $2.50 | $1.25 | ||
| Gillespie Field-12th & Imperial TC | $2.50 | $1.25 | ||
| 12th & Imperial TC-San Ysidro | $2.50 | $1.25 | ||
| San Ysidro-Santa Fe Depot | $2.50 | $1.25 | ||
| TOTALS | $15.00 | $7.50 | $5.00 | |
As always, bring enough money to cover your meals.