NCTD service alert: Free Ride Day. Wednesday, Oct 7. FREE rides on COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE, FLEX and NCTD+ Celebrate California’s Clean Air Day by riding FREE all day on COASTER,… NCTD details
Free rides Wednesday, Oct 7. NCTD's Clean Air Day: COASTER, SPRINTER and BREEZE are free all day on the normal weekday schedule, no PRONTO card or fare needed. NCTD+ is free 6am to 8pm with promo code FREERIDE. LIFT, MTS and Amtrak Rail 2 Rail are not included. Text PJ your trip.
Official: NCTD service alert: FREE Ride Day, Wed. Oct. 7; also reported by 10News · The Coast News. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Every page below works out the actual trains for you: the latest Coaster from Carlsbad that still gets you there early, the bus or trolley from the station, and the last ride home. Each one is rebuilt every morning from NCTD, MTS, team and ticket data.
Where the Coaster takes you
| Destination | How | Next up |
|---|---|---|
| Petco Park | Coaster to Santa Fe Depot, Green Line trolley to Gaslamp | Milwaukee Brewers at Padres, Tue Oct 6, 6:30pm |
| Downtown shows | Coaster to Santa Fe Depot, then walk | House of Blues, the Casbah, the Rady Shell and more |
| Snapdragon Stadium | Coaster to Old Town, Green Line trolley to Stadium | HOU @ SD, Wed Oct 14, 7:30pm |
| Viejas Arena and the SDSU Open Air Theatre | Coaster to Old Town, Green Line trolley to SDSU | Role Model Presents, Tue Oct 13, 7:30pm |
| The Observatory North Park | Coaster to Old Town, then an MTS bus | Last Dinosaurs, Wed Oct 7, 7:00pm |
| Pechanga Arena | Coaster to Old Town, then an MTS bus | Niteharts Presents, Sun Oct 11, 10:00pm |
| Humphreys by the Bay | Coaster to Old Town, then an MTS bus to Shelter Island | Alastair Greene, Tue Oct 6, 7:00pm |
| SOMA San Diego | Coaster to Old Town, then an MTS bus | Cameron Whitcomb, Tue Oct 6, 7:00pm |
| Soda Bar | Coaster to Santa Fe Depot, then an MTS bus | YHWH Nailgun, Tue Oct 6, 7:00pm |
| UCSD Epstein Amphitheater | BREEZE 101 bus down the coast, no transfer | Melt, Thu Oct 8, 7:30pm |
| San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park | Coaster to Santa Fe Depot, then an MTS bus | Morning trains and the last way home |
| USS Midway Museum | Coaster to Santa Fe Depot, then a short walk | Morning trains and the last way home |
| Old Town San Diego | Coaster to Old Town, then a short walk | Morning trains and the last way home |
| San Diego airport | Coaster to Old Town, then the free San Diego Flyer | Train times both ways, every day |
| Del Mar Fairgrounds events | Coaster to Solana Beach station, then BREEZE bus or the walk | Every event for 30 days |
| Del Mar racetrack | Coaster to Solana Beach station, about 1.4 miles away | 13 race days from Fri Nov 6, first post 12:30 PM |
| Belly Up and The Sound | Belly Up is a short walk from Solana Beach station | Rickie Lee Jones, Tue Oct 6, 8:00pm |
Next-up listings from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek, MLB and ESPN schedules, and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club calendar. Today's trains both ways: Coaster times from Solana Beach.
Also worth knowing
King tides and the best tide pooling of the year · Meteor showers: the darkest peak nights · Tides and surf this week · The Board: today around town.
Same trips from another Coaster station: Solana Beach · Encinitas · Carlsbad · Oceanside.
Leave the car, keep the errands
Food picked up before your train, a forgotten ticket or jacket brought to the station: PJ does one-stop errands for $35 a stop in Solana Beach, Del Mar and Cardiff (things, not passengers). Text PJ.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
Local help, free to read: make your fix plan · senior benefits checkup · lower your SDG&E bill · Medicare Extra Help · the next 90 days. Plans start as low as $25.
Questions people ask
Where can I go on the Coaster from Carlsbad?
South to Old Town and Santa Fe Depot for Petco Park, downtown shows, the airport, Snapdragon Stadium, SDSU, North Park, Pechanga Arena and Humphreys (with a trolley or bus for most), and north to Oceanside. Each destination page above has the trains.
What is the last Coaster home?
It depends on the day; each destination page lists the last scheduled train north for every event, and today's times are on the Coaster times page.
Do I need a car for San Diego shows and games from North County?
Often not. The Coaster plus the MTS trolley or a bus reaches most big venues; the pages above show which shows still have a train home after the listed start.
Know someone who needs this?
Something changed here? Text PJ and we'll update this page.
More free local tools: the North County toolkit.