Public Transportation

Additional information about public transportation to the 2010 San Diego County Fair may be added. Be sure to refresh your browser each time you check this page to be sure you have the most recent information.

Public transportation available during the Fair includes train (COASTER or Amtrak, with a connecting shuttle bus from the Solana Beach station to the Fair), public bus and a special express bus from Escondido. The BREEZE Fair 401 shuttle and Special Route 408 from Escondido operate every day the Fair is open, June 11 through July 5. The Fair is closed on Monday, June 14, June 21 and June 28.

NEW THIS YEAR: July 4 COASTER service! The COASTER train, which normally does not operate on Sundays, will be running on Sunday, July 4, this year — including two trains (one running north and one running south) after the Fair's fireworks display! There's no better place to spend the Fourth of July than at a traditional county fair. And now, getting here and getting home is easier than ever. See the Fourth of July page for activities that day.

Information about the free shuttles to the Fair from Horsepark, MiraCosta College and Torrey Pines is on the Parking page.

Certain items may not be brought into the Fair, and may be confiscated at the gate. Because you will not be able to return these items to your car if you take public transportation, please read our Can I Bring... page before you come.

Ride the bus or train to the Fair, and get discount admission!

You can ride a BREEZE bus, the COASTER commuter train or an Amtrak train to the San Diego County Fair, and get up to $1.75 off your Fair admission. (see below for details)

Fair shuttles from the Solana Beach train station

The North County Transit District's BREEZE buses (special Fairgrounds Route 401) operate between the Coaster station in Solana Beach and the Fairgrounds every 20-25 minutes between 9:35 a.m. (first bus to the Fair) and 12:12 a.m. (last bus to leave the Fair). Every BREEZE bus is fully ADA compatible and capable of handling wheelchairs.

The Fair's opening time is 11:00AM weekdays; 10:00AM weekends and July 5. The Fair closes at approximately midnight Fridays and Saturdays; 11:00PM other nights.

Drop off and pick up points:

In front of the Solana Beach train station, just north of Lomas Santa Fe Drive on North Cedros Avenue.
At the Fair's West Gate entrance. The West Gate is located by the Fair's Fun Zone.

The Solana Beach train station is served by the COASTER commuter train, which operates between Oceanside and San Diego, and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, which runs between San Diego and Los Angeles (San Diego to San Luis Obispo on some trains).

The COASTER commuter train will operate on July 4. Please see the NCTD Web site, www.gonctd.com, for schedules and fares for the COASTER train and BREEZE buses.

Amtrak operates daily, including weekends and July 4. For schedule and fare information, please see the Pacific Surfliner schedule on the Amtrak Web site, www.amtrak.com.

BREEZE bus 408 from Escondido

Passengers going to the Fair from Escondido can take the Special BREEZE Route 408 between 9:45AM (first bus to leave Escondido) and 10:45PM (last bus to leave the Fair).

Drop off and pick up points:

Escondido Transit Center, just east of I-15 off of the Valley Parkway exit and next to the Gateway shopping center.
At the Fair's West Gate entrance. The West Gate is located in the Fair's Fun Zone.

Taking public transportation from southern San Diego County

Please plan your route with the Web site, transit.511sd.com. Choose "Trip Planner," then English or Spanish, then choose "Solana Beach Coaster Station" from the drop-down destination menu. (If you are not planning to use the NCTD Fairgrounds shuttle, you can choose "Del Mar Fairgrounds & Racetrack" from the drop-down menu.)

Metropolitan Transit District, which serves the southern part of the county, does not operate direct bus service to the Fair, so you will need to transfer to NCTD BREEZE route 101 at some point. You may wish to consider taking a bus to a COASTER or Amtrak station and traveling by train to the Solana Beach station.

How to get your Fair admission discount

To receive a $1.75 discount on adult, senior or child Fair admission, transit passengers can present any of the following at the ticket window at the Fair's West Gate only:

Same-day Amtrak ticket
Current COASTER monthly pass
COASTER ticket validated (time stamped) with current day
BREEZE Day Pass for the current day
Current BREEZE monthly pass or current San Diego Regional monthly passes which include Senior/Disabled and Youth passes.

Discount admission cannot be combined with any other admission discount; one discount per passenger ticket or pass; discount is available only at the Fair's West Gate.

If you have additional questions, dial 5-1-1 for transit information or consult the Web sites listed above. Schedules are subject to change.