Best Places in San Diego to Stay While on Vacation

If you are planning a trip to San Diego, America's Finest City, you'll have a multitude of choice of where to stay. Your choice of where to stay while in San Diego largely depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for, the amount of money you have to spend, and the daily activities you are interested in. Here are some neighborhood recommendations for the family traveler, the high-end traveler, and the party seeker.

Many people visit San Diego with family seeking the family vacation experience. If you are traveling with young children, desire to see all the large and mainstream tourist attractions, the best option is Mission Valley. Mission Valley is at the intersection of the I-5 and I-8 freeways, is a quick fifteen minute drive from the airport, Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, The Gaslamp Quarter, and downtown San Diego. Mission Valley is the best location for moderately priced, kid-friendly chain hotels (Doubletree, Sheraton) and motels (Econo Lodge, Motel 6, Traveledge) as well as freeway access and a multitude of choice of family friendly dining options.

If you have a great amount of disposable income and are seeking the upscale San Diego experience, there are many hotels, dining establishments, and retail shops that cater to those with distinctive tastes. Deciding to stay in La Jolla will offer the upscale vacationer some of the best of what the city has to offer. La Jolla is perched atop a bluff twenty minutes north of San Diego on I-5 and is filled with five star restaurants (George's By The Cove, Jack's of La Jolla, Ropppongi are all highly regarded), boutique clothing shops, swanky nightclubs, and gorgeous vistas of the Pacific Ocean and La Jolla Cove all within a walkable neighborhood space.

For the vacationer seeking an active nightlife, San Diego has plenty of happening party areas at the beach that can show the best social scene around. Staying in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, or Ocean Beach and you'll find plenty of local bars, nightclubs, and live music venues. These three beach areas have bars with sunny outdoor patios, a long boardwalk, and young people from all walks of life. Pacific Beach and Mission Beach have a distinctively college like party atmosphere while Ocean Beach has a more laid back vibe.

A vacation to San Diego is sure to satisfy any type of vacationer, regardless of what they are seeking. There are so many attractions to see, beaches to play at, restaurants to eat at, and spectacular natural beauty, that it is impossible to see it all in one trip. Staying in America's Finest City on a holiday is a feast for the senses of any traveler.