Get in

By plane

Nearby Palomar Airport in Carlsbad has a few commercial flights.

Most commercial passengers land at San Diego International Airport [2]. Take San Diego Transit's Route 992 bus from the airport to the Santa Fe Depot and connect to the COASTER or the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

The next closest airport is John Wayne Airport [3] in Orange County. From Santa Ana, Tustin, or Irvine, take the Pacific Surfliner or the Metrolink Orange County Line.

For private pilots, Oceanside Airport is located just north of town on Highway 76.

By car

Oceanside is located at the intersections of Interstate 5 and California State Highways 76 and 78.

By rail

Oceanside is well-connected by train. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner [4] travels south to San Diego and north to Los Angeles, Santa Barbra, and San Luis Obisbo, with several trains stopping in Oceanside each day.

Oceanside is also the northern terminus of the COASTER [5] regional rail line to San Diego, and the southern terminus of Metrolink's [6] Orange County Line which heads north through Orange County to Los Angeles. A new light rail line, the SPRINTER [7], links Oceanside with Escondido to the east.

Get around

• North County Transportation District (NCTD) [8] is the main bus service in the area.
• College Blvd., Mission Avenue, El Camino Real, Coast Highway, Vista Way, and Oceanside Blvd. are the major arteries in Oceanside, as well as I-5, CA-76, and CA-78.
• You can walk anywhere downtown if arriving by train or bus. Many restaurants, a 16-plex movie theater, and the beach are within a few blocks.

See

• A good draw for Oceanside is its sandy ocean beach with convenient facilities, multiple lodging options, and a good amount of accessible parking.
• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is a mission from the Spanish colonization of America. It is located off the Rancho del Oro turnoff from California State Route 76.

Do

• Eat breakfast at one of Oceanside's many restaurants on Coast Highway and walk to the harbor (farther) or pier (closer) and back to work it off.
• Guajome Park on the east side of Oceanside is a popular county park that includes a duck pond, horseback riding trails and bird-watching.
• Oceanside Harbor is popular place to visit for boating, dining, shopping and sightseeing in a pleasant environment.
• Another famous landmark is the Oceanside Pier with the Ruby's restaurant on the end overlooking the popular surfing beach.

Eat

• Cafe 101 is located at the intersection of Coast Highway and Wisconsin Street. Classic diner food with great burgers and shakes. Make sure to have some of John's chocolate cake.
• Hill Street Cafe is located on Coast Highway and serves great-tasting, organic, healthy food. Don't let this scare you because the food is incredible. Everything is "homemade" and has great flavor. Originally started as a coffee house in the early 90's, the menu has grown to include Mexican specialties, "California-Cusine", seafood, pastas, and whatever Dan fixes today. Make sure to try the Rippin' Fish Soup.
• The Longboarder Cafe is arguably the best place in Oceanside for a true-California breakfast experience. It's four blocks from the pier, across Coast Highway from the California Surf Museum, and makes for a great place to start your morning in downtown "O".
• The Flying Bridge is one of Oceanside's best kept secrets. This restaurant used to be one of the stops for people coming down from LA who were heading to Del Mar or Mexico. It was purchased by new owners recently who completely renovated the building without removing any of the character. Located just north of the 76/Coast Highway interchange across from the Oceanside "Welcome Sign". Be sure to order the Fried Avocado. This restaurant specialty is a great appetizer.
• Anita's is located on Coast Highway and Michigan Street one block away from the train station. This home-style Mexican restaurant has a variety of menu items. You'll love the Margaritas and the carnitas.
• There are several restaurants in the harbor area including Rockin' Baja Lobster, Fish-N-Chips, Crabby Bob's, Monterey Cannery, and the Jolly Roger.
• Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill - A chain of unique restaurants spanning California and several other western states, has its roots in the San Diego area. And is headquarterd in Carlsbad. Any trip to San Diego can't be complete without trying an Original Fish Taco from Rubio's. They are located at the intersection of College Blvd. and Oceanside Blvd. http://www.rubios.com
• Ruby's is a 1940s-style diner located on the end of the Oceanside Pier. You might have to wait a bit for a table, but the food is good and the atmosphere is nice. If you're lucky, you can get a seat by a window at sunset, and watch the sun go down over the ocean as you eat.

Drink

• Any martini at the Flying Bridge.

Sleep

• Best Western Marty's Valley Inn, 3240 E Mission Avenue, +1 760 757-7700, Toll-free: +1 800 747-3529, Fax: +1 760 439-3311, [9].
• Holiday Inn Express, 3170 Vista Way, +1 760 757-2200, [10].
• Motel 6, 3708 Plaza Drive, +1 760 941-1011, Fax: +1 760 941-5608, [11].
• Motel 6 Oceanside Downtown, 909 North Coast Highway, +1 760 721-1543, Fax: +1 760 721-1826, [12].

Get out

• Check out the Oceanside Municipal Golf Course. From CA-76 go north on Douglas Drive to the golf course on the left (after North River Road).
• Oceanside touches the southern border of Orange County, and Disneyland is easily accessible by train.
• Visit Legoland California in Carlsbad. It's the first stop south of Oceanside on the COASTER.

Get out

• Oceanside
• Vista
• San Marcos
• Escondido
• Encinitas