A beachfront city in the most northern coastal part of San Diego County, with great value and two Hyatts where we have VIP perks.
Oceanside, California, is exactly that, a beachfront city in the most northern coastal part of San Diego County.
It's a little removed from main tourist attractions like the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, and Downtown, so hotels tend to be a little lower priced. But nowadays, you can spend an entire beach vacation in Oceanside without leaving. And it's pretty great.
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What tends to surprise our clients is how many great restaurants are located in the beach area. You can have Michelin-star Contemporary Mexican at Valle, a slice of pie served inside the actual Top Gun house, or even fantastic Southeast Asia at Dija Mara. Not to mention the many casual breakfast spots, breweries, and taco joints.
A lot of these places to eat are walkable from the two Hyatt beach resorts and other boutique hotels in the downtown area.
You'll find lots of eateries with menus featuring fresh produce from San Diego's farms, seasonal and organic ingredients, and vegetarian-friendly options. You can dine with water views and all are family friendly. There is everything you could possibly want here, including delicious sweets and amazing coffee.
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Save up to 50% on over 50 attractions across the county.
Use Go City ›Includes San Diego Zoo, USS Midway, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, and a few others people staying in Oceanside tend to see.
Use CityPASS ›Choose between a couple of great options in Oceanside for seasonal grey or blue whales.
Luxury Cruise ›Dolphin & Whale ›Carla and Linda's Food Tours can take you to eat and drink around Oside.
Beer Tours ›South Oside ›North Oside ›You can walk to the train station from many popular hotels, which means it's easy to go carless once you get off the train. Tip: you can take Amtrak to Disneyland!
Download the Circuit app and choose Oceanside as your location. This way you can ride the gO'side shuttle around downtown for free! It runs daily up until about 10 p.m. usually.
Both work really well across San Diego County, so you can use either rideshare service for quick rides around Oceanside.
Stop in to ask questions at the convenient downtown location at 928 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054.
Most people who stay in Oceanside have rental cars. However, it is possible to go carless using a combination of the trains, Uber, bikes, and Circuit.
Each parking lot has its own rules, but Visit Oceanside has done an excellent job of explaining the options. Do plan to pay to park.
For weather, come between July and October. For price, come in the shoulder seasons of September (after Labor Day) to early November, or January to mid-March.
Oceanside train station is a few blocks away from the downtown hotels. I'm a light sleeper but I was prepared with ear plugs (and our hotel provided them as well) and I slept fine.
Leashed dogs can be walked on The Strand but they're not allowed on the beach, beach parks, or pier.
Is there traffic between Oceanside and Downtown?
Yes, there can be traffic during rush hour near downtown, Del Mar, and in Carlsbad starting in the late afternoon on weekdays. You will want to plan around it if you can.
Can I take the train to Disneyland?
Yes! It is very easy to take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train to Anaheim. We do it all the time. It takes longer than driving in zero traffic, but there often is traffic, so it can take the same amount of time. Once you arrive in Anaheim you can take an Art bus to the park or a short Uber. I usually do the latter. You can learn more in our guide to taking the train to Disneyland.
Should I split time between Oceanside and Downtown or Coronado?
A lot of people split time between Oceanside and either Downtown or Coronado because they want to stay in a reasonably priced hotel in Oceanside but also do a lot of sightseeing near Downtown. Or, people want to experience two different beaches by staying in Oceanside and Coronado. Or, they don't want to pay to stay at Hotel del Coronado for their entire trip, so they book an Oceanside beach hotel instead. It's not necessary to break up your trip, but many people enjoy San Diego this way.
How much does it cost to get to the airport from Oceanside?
Rideshares work well in Oceanside. Uber says the average route price in an UberX is $62. A black car service is about $200 each way.
Where can I find free parking?
Free parking is tough to find in Oceanside. There is some street parking away from the beach and free parking in the transit center parking lot on Cleveland Street. Frequent visitors can buy an annual parking pass, but tourists staying in hotels should plan to pay the hotel's parking fee. Rest assured though that there are plenty of fee-based lots that are display and pay, meaning you pay in a machine and need to display a ticket on your dashboard.
Oceanside is our second most booked place to stay in San Diego for families because of the beachfront hotels and the kid-friendly activities on this list.
Learn where to go to the beach in Oceanside, California including how to get there, amenities, parking, and more.
Learn why Mission Pacific is one of my favorite Oceanside hotels and why you’d book with Hyatt Prive benefits for extra value.
Learn why The Seabird Resort is our favorite Oceanside hotel and why you need to book with Hyatt Prive benefits for extra value.
The best hotels in Oceanside, CA provide reasonably-priced accommodations near the best San Diego beaches, Camp Pendleton and business parks.
I really like to staycation in Oceanside. We also place a lot of clients here thanks to the beachfront hotels and fun activities on this list.
